Alex Rodriguez: The Yankees Version Of "Friday Night Lights"

It’s no accident that on Friday night a beacon of light will shine brightly on Yankee Stadium and Alex Rodriguez with all of New York and a good chunk of the baseball world tuned in.

The “Final Game” played by Alex Rodriguez in a Yankee uniform under the Friday night lights of Yankee Stadium marks the cliffhanger closing episode of a baseball soap opera that has sucked most of us in since day one; Friday night will be no different.

It will be baseball drama at its peak with a whole series of questions arising during the “buildup” this week that are guaranteed to soak up print and provide a forum for baseball talk on The Fan, YES and MLB Network for days to come.

Will Rodriguez start in the field or will he be relegated to being what Joe Girardi said he was only fit for at this stage of his career, the DH? And if he plays in the field, where does he play? Third base, his original position at shortstop, or first base where he has but a few games under his belt? Now, other than the fact that the rest of the team will be trying to win a baseball game, why is this important?

It’s important because like everything else tied to this “show”, it has to be choreographed. And in this instance, it’s about whether or not the Bleachers Creatures can give Rodriguez his final send off during their traditional “Roll Call” when the Yankees first take the field. And it’s about Alex Rodriguez leading the charge out of the dugout to begin the game. These are what they call TV moments and they matter.

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By now, most of us have become numb to the drama surrounding Rodriguez and the Yankees over the years. And anyone who decides to write a book about it is going to have his hands full if he intends to chronicle each one individually. It’s been mind-boggling as often as it’s been entertaining. And except for Rodriguez almost single-handedly providing the offense necessary to win the Yankees last Championship in 2009, it’s always been more about off the field activities.

But for Friday night, fittingly all attention will mostly be directed to what happens on the field. Will the game be a sellout? Of course. Will all those expensive, but usually unoccupied, seats be filled with stock brokers, lawyers, and the like? You bet they will. And what about when Rodriguez comes to bat for the first time in the game. How loud will Yankee Stadium get- and how long will it last? Will the umpire come around to dust off the plate to give A-Rod a chance to bask in the limelight he has treasured for so long? And

And what about when Rodriguez comes to bat for the first time in the game; how loud will Yankee Stadium get- and how long will it last? Will the umpire come around to dust off the plate to give A-Rod a chance to bask in the limelight he has treasured for so long? And then, of course, the most compelling question……what will be the result of his at bat?

And with that comes the most intriguing question. What will the Yankees do if Rodriguez manages to launch a couple of moon shots into the bleachers and he sits at 698 after the game? They’ve said that he will be released the following morning. But, will they hold to that?

Or, will they recognize yet another opportunity to cash in by rescinding his release and giving Rodriguez more at-bats against the Blue Jays, who come in for three games following Tampa Bay?

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It’s within the realm of possibility that this could happen. Because if we’ve learned anything over the last 10 years, it’s that nothing is a sure thing when it comes to the soap opera starring the New York Yankees and Alex Rodriguez.

So for one last time, stay tuned for a really big show.

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Alex Rodriguez: The Yankees Version Of “Friday Night Lights”

By Steve Contursi | Aug 10, 2016

It’s no accident that on Friday night a beacon of light will shine brightly on Yankee Stadium and Alex Rodriguez with all of New York and a good chunk of the baseball world tuned in.