Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira Exiting in Saddest Fashion

Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira, two members crucial to the Yankees’ 2009 success that climaxed November 4 in the form of the club’s 27th World Series title, aren’t just retiring; they are being shown the door by hapless circumstances.

“It’s something unpredictable, but in the end is right. I hope you had the time of your life.”

Songwriter and frontman of Green Day — a band inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s Class of ’15 — Billie Joe Armstrong said it best in the award-winning tune “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life).” The lyric originally promoted bitterness toward an unsightly end of a relationship, but reformed into nostalgia somewhere along the way.

The Yankees are going through similar break-ups with retiring veterans Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira.

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2009 was Teixeira’s first impression with the Yankees. Fresh off signing an eight-year, $180 million contract with the Yankees, he triumphantly led the American League with 39 “Tex Message” homers en route to the playoffs, and ultimately assisted in the final out of the Fall Classic that championed the Bronx Bombers.

(Back then, they actually lived up to the nickname.)

Now, after 14 seasons, Teixeira is hanging up his spikes.

“It’s time for me to do something else. After this season, I’m going to retire,” Teixeira, 36, revealed at his press conference on August 5.

His heart exudes passion for baseball; it’s telling him to continue the 162-game grind. But his body has failed him one too many times.

“I never had an end-date in mind. But this year, my neck started bothering me. Then I hurt my knee. As the season went on, I just realized that my body couldn’t do it anymore,” Teixeira admitted.

Injuries have largely derailed the first baseman’s otherwise stellar career. Since the 2012 season, Teixeira hasn’t appeared in more than 123 games for the Yankees and has averaged a disappointing 15 homers per year — the latter stat marred by the injury bug in ’13, when he played in only 15 games and hit just three homers before having season-ending wrist surgery. Both Teixeira and Yankees skipper Joe Girardi attribute the statistical decline to poor health.

“Obviously, he was a Hall of Fame-type hitter when he was healthy, but what was so impressive to me was this was a Hall of Fame defensive guy, too,” Girardi boasted of a prime-caliber Teixeira. “That was impressive to me because as a manager you always want a player who is well-rounded.

“I don’t necessarily think there is any coincidence that when Mark’s injuries started to affect how much he played … runs became a lot harder to score around here. …  I don’t think it’s a coincidence that he showed up in 2009 and we won the World Series.”

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Teixeira echoed his manager’s words, claiming that his body was to blame, and for that he apologized to Yankees fans.

“I was far from perfect, but I just want to let [the fans] know that I appreciate all the support. I gave you everything I had,” an emotional Teixeira said between tearful pauses. “It wasn’t always enough, but I tried my best, and I’m proud to have a World Series ring with the Yankees.”

Mark Teixeira has won five Gold Glove Awards, three Silver Slugger Awards, hit 400+ home runs as a switch-hitter and accumulated 52 wins above replacement, per Baseball-Reference‘s estimates. The numbers and accolades may be enough to earn a plaque in baseball’s Hall of Fame. At the very least, his performance will merit strong consideration.

As for Alex Rodriguez, his self-inflicted wounds have murdered any chances of enshrinement. His career numbers are untrustworthy, with no one knowing exactly to what degree his performance was ballooned by banned substances.

In 2013, Rodriguez received a 211-game suspension in response to his involvement in the Biogenesis scandal. In fear of losing his Hall of Fame credibility, he led a tyrannical smear campaign that grasped every straw (and many franchise officials’ last straws) to avert himself of blame.

His sentence was reduced to 162 games by arbitrator Frederic Horowitz, which resulted in Rodriguez missing the entire ’14 season. But Alex trampled over numerous bodies in the process, leaving most in the industry doubting he would ever return in New York’s uniform.

The fact that we’ve reached the point where Rodriguez would swallow his pride to make amends, and humbly end his Yankee career via the press conference granted to him by managing partner Hal Steinbrenner, is a miracle in itself.

“This is a tough day,” Rodriguez opened with Sunday morning. “I love this game, and I love this team. And today, I’m saying goodbye to both.”

A-Rod, winner of three AL MVP Awards and ten Silver Slugger Awards, has been reduced to a bench player for much of this season. He has faced erosion in all facets of his game, and his absence from the lineup became a daily nuisance, as both he and Girardi were continuously peppered with questions in regards to playing time.

But now, there is clarity. And although Rodriguez is unimportant to the current team, general manager Brian Cashman removed his own prized ’09 World Series ring from his hand Sunday to emphasize that without Rodriguez’s contributions, Title #27 would’ve been unattainable.

“The one thing I’ve gotten from Alex is, he’s at peace, and this was a joint decision between he and Hal Steinbrenner,” Cashman said following Rodriguez’s announcement. “I think Alex truly is at peace and comfortable with the decision he was a part of. That’s the best I can represent from conversations with Alex and Hal.”

Make no mistake, this wasn’t Rodriguez’s idea. Hal was the one who approached to settle a deal. The end result was a dolled-up retirement/release presser in which Rodriguez formally, but lamentably, had an emotionally swollen “adios” being pulled from his constricted, diplomatic throat.

His teammates’ attendance was mandatory at the 11 a.m. gathering. Left fielder Brett Gardner, who has exemplified quiet leadership post-Derek Jeter era, on-looked as a weepy Rodriguez endured questions about his release.

“It’s sad to see that Alex isn’t [going out on his own terms],” Gardner said after going 1-for-4 in the homestand finale against Cleveland. He later added that it’s unfortunate he won’t get the chance to play with Rodriguez and expressed contempt on how situation was handled. If a team leader emanates this sentiment, one can only believe it’s a prominent philosophy bogging down the clubhouse atmosphere.

There are 203 miles between Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park in Boston, Ma. Yet the career endings of A-Rod and Teixeira are libraries apart from the final chapter of David Ortiz‘s best-seller.

The 40-year-old Red Sox icon abhorred by Yankee Universe has a whopping .617 slugging percentage and .309 batting average with 25 touch-’em-alls in his swan song. For disheartening perspective, Rodriguez (.204) and Teixeira (.200) have combined for a .202 average and 19 homers.

Red Sox fans are trying to coax Ortiz into staying. Meanwhile, Yankees fans have anticipated closure to Rodriguez’s and Teixeira’s mega-deals for quite some time. Hal Steinbrenner answered their calls with A-Rod, believing his release to be the next step forward for the reanimated Yankees.

Rodriguez’s final game is marked for Friday, August 12 against the Rays in New York. It would be fitting for Girardi to pencil in A-Rod as the starting third baseman, just like in the good ole winning days, for the 41 year old’s curtain call. Because beginning in Spring Training of ’17, A-Rod will report to his new job as a special advisor and player instructor for the Yankees. He will receive the remaining $26 million as stated in his player contract, which still counts toward luxury tax implications.

The Yankees will part ways with two ’09 Champions within two months, projecting they’ll be better equipped to achieve their 28th title without the once-upon-a-time dynamic duo. The veterans will depart in the saddest fashion for passionate athletes: against their will.

Teixeira, plagued by physical inability, will have the remaining season to fondly receive his goodbyes, while Rodriguez, bounced by his own club, has been told “good riddance.” He plans to fly away from a pitiless New York skyline and return home to his two daughters in Miami, Fl.

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One thing is certain: For a franchise concerned how their ratings and attendance would survive after their first fire-sale in Trade Deadline history, the Yankees have created tremendous buzz with two nationally-televised retirement conferences in the same week and a farewell contest scheduled for the sport’s most polarizing figure.