Around the Empire: Yankees news - 8/13/16

Around A-Rod the Empire

LoHud Yankees Blog | Chad Jennings: Well, that’s it. Alex Rodriguez will no longer play baseball for the New York Yankees. Wow. His final game as a Yankee started with a ceremony and thunderous applause from both the fans and Mother Nature. The cheers from the fans never stopped. A-Rod tied the game with a double. A-Rod got to play third base for one batter. A-Rod got congratulations from his teammates and hugs from his two daughters. It was an emotional night.

ESPN.com | Wallace Matthews: While A-Rod won’t be putting the pinstripes on anymore, there is going to be plenty of speculation regarding his future. Will another team give him a contract or will he stay retired? One quote from last night’s post-game press conference might provide some clue towards that.

"This game is tough. The fact that I don’t have to face guys like Chris Archer and (Dellin) Betances anymore, that’s definitely a stress-reliever. I saw Gary Sanchez have a series in Boston, and I looked at him and said, 'I can’t do that anymore.' And I was happy about it. With all the things I’ve been through, and to have an ending like tonight, I don’t know what else a man can ask for."

We shall see.

Newsday | Mark Herrmann: Joe Girardi has not had the best of weeks. The fans let him know it at the beginning of the game. In his post-game press conference, Girardi broke down in front of everyone with genuine sadness over A-Rod’s final game as a Yankee. Girardi and A-Rod have had a long relationship together during their time in the Bronx. Not playing A-Rod this year has been hard for Girardi. He wanted to make sure A-Rod got a final game he could remember. From what A-Rod said, that’s exactly what he got.

New York Daily News | John Healy: Bonifide Yankee killer Evan Longoria praised A-Rod before the start of last night’s game. Longoria grew up watching A-Rod play and was inspired by him when he was a kid, which is just so cool. So cool. Count Longoria as one of the people who believes A-Rod should be in the Hall of Fame.

YES | Yankees Media Relations: Former Yankees Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada, Andy Pettitte, and Robinson Cano, along with former manager Joe Torre, touch upon A-Rod’s career.

Newsday | Erik Boland: Nathan Eovaldi is headed to the 15-day DL with a right elbow tendon injury. Recently demoted pitcher Luis Severino is back on the roster in his stead. The Yankees are still not quite sure how serious Eovaldi’s injury really is, so there is obvious concern. Severino was demoted so he could work on his changeup. Hopefully he can figure it out here.

The Times-Tribune | Shane Hennigan: With A-Rod now officially off the roster, the question of who would be replacing him has been answered. Yankees’ prospect Tyler Austin, who was not in the Railriders lineup last night, is scheduled to be called up. Austin, whose career has been hampered with injuries, has definitely earned his promotion. His numbers in both Double-A and Triple-A have been phenomenal. Now we wait to see what number he will claim.

Fun Questions

• What number should Tyler Austin wear?
• On a scale of 1-10 (one being the lowest) what do you think A-Rod’s Hall of Fame chances are?

Song of the Day

Panda by Desiigner

It’s Rod Week on Pinstripe Alley. It’s the end of Rod Week. It’s the end of A-Rod as a Yankee. This was his final walkup song. Sigh. As always, please link us your song of the day.

Didi Victory Tweet

Didi Rod Tweet

Bye-Rod