Hard und Software » SS Marwin Evans had six tackles for Green Bay

NEW YORK -- Alex Rodriguez returned to the infield, hugged a reception line of teammates and was handed the final ball from his final game with the New York Yankees. He walked to the area behind third base, leaned down and grabbed a handful of dirt.Baseballs most notorious star of the last two decades then headed back to the dugout after a Yankee Stadium finale Friday night that included a pregame ceremony punctuated by thunder cracks and cut short by a downpour, a first-inning RBI double and a surprising ninth-inning return to third base.A sellout crowd of 46,459 gave him standing ovations and chanted his name, admiration and perhaps even affection coming out after more than a decade of trouble and tension.Ive given these fans a lot of headaches over the years and Ive disappointed a lot of people, he said after the 6-3 victory over Tampa Bay, his voice sounding hoarse over the public-address system in one of baseballs most unusual farewells. But like Ive always said, you dont have to be defined by your mistakes. How you come back matters, too, and thats what New Yorks all about.He will be cut Saturday by a Yankees team pivoting to youth. The 41-year-old designated hitter isnt sure whether he will play again.A-Rod drove a 96 mph fastball from Chris Archer into the right-center field gap in the first inning, ending an 0-for-11 slide. Rodriguez then grounded out, struck out and bounced out again on the first pitch in his last at-bat. The 1-for-4 night left him with a .200 average, nine homers and 31 RBI in his 12th and final Yankees season.With the sellout crowd of 46,459 chanting We want A-Rod! Yankees manager Joe Girardi sent him to third base for the first time in 15 months at the start of the ninth inning as the organist played Thanks for Memory.Rodriguez had criticized Girardi for benching him for most of the past month.If this is the last time he plays, Girardi said softly, pausing for 10 seconds and sniffling as his voice cracked and his eyes teared, I wanted it to be something he never forgot.Girardi offered to leave him in the field for two outs, but Rodriguez opted to leave after Mikie Mahtooks leadoff strikeout. Fans applauded, many of whom never warmed to a player who in 2009 admitted using performance-enhancing drugs, then served a yearlong drug suspension in 2014.Rodriguez raised his cap and an arm before walking into the dugout, sitting down and holding a white towel to his face as he tried to hold back tears.`With all that Ive been through, and for them to show up on a night like tonight and show me that type love is something that Ill never forget. It was overwhelming, he said during a news conference, perfectly coifed in a gray suit and silver necktie.Dark clouds rolled in from the northwest as his ceremony began. Rodriguezs family was on the field and public address announcer Paul Olden said: Alex, you spent 12 of your 22 seasons with the Yankees when a loud thunder crack shook the ballpark, as if ordered by a film director.Rain started to fall during a video message from Lou Piniella, Rodriguezs first big league manager, and the festivities ended awkwardly after 10 minutes when a downpour began.Ten minutes later, the clouds started to clear, symbolic of A-Rods time in New York, and a rainbow came out shortly before the first pitch.It was certainly like Biblical. Did you hear the thunder crackle? he said. You cant make that up. I guess we went out with a bang.With the Bleacher Creatures chanting his name during the traditional roll call and the rest of the fans joining in, Rodriguez raised his cap toward them from the dugout.Fans gave him a 30-second ovation when he walked up to the plate in the bottom half and stood and took photos and videos during his at-bats. Rodriguez clapped as he came out of the batters box and pumped both arms in triumph as he reached second base without a throw.Take it easy on the old man, Rodriguez told the 27-year-old Archer before the game.Starlin Castro had four RBI for the Yankees, hitting a tiebreaking, two-run homer in the sixth off Archer (6-16) that gave CC Sabathia (7-9) his second win since mid-June.Rodriguez had slept late, ate his egg whites, stretched and took one final trip to the ballpark as a New York player.The last time I drive up Broadway and through Harlem and through the neighborhoods that have brought so much comfort to me, he said.In a 4-for-47 funk, Rodriguez started for just the third time in 19 games, the 2,784th and perhaps final regular-season appearance in a career that started with Seattle in 1994, moved on to Texas in 2001 and then New York three years later. Admitting to plenty of errors in a life that has included the 2009 World Series title, a divorce, celebrity girlfriends, high-stakes poker games and what seemed to be as many photos on tabloid fronts as backs, he leaves without establishing his own era. Rodriguez was a supporting actor in the Derek Jeter-Mariano Rivera epoch, and when the stars left the cast he could not carry the show.He has 696 home runs, fourth on the career list behind Barry Bonds (762), Hank Aaron (755) and Babe Ruth (714). But owner Hal Steinbrenner told him on Aug. 3 the end was at hand, and Rodriguez said last Sunday he had accepted an offer to play one final home game and then become a team adviser through 2017, tasked with mentoring young players.With all my screw-ups and how badly I acted, the fact that Im walking out the door, Hal wants me as part of the family, thats hitting 800 home runs for me, Rodriguez said.New York will owe him $7,103,825 for the rest of this year and $20 million for next, the final season of his $275 million, 10-year contract.Having seen his lights go down on Broadway, is Miami 2017 in his future?He has not said he is retiring.Im going to need a long nap and recover and I want to see where life takes me, he said, but right now I think I value wearing this uniform, and for me the Yankees pinstripes is enough.A 14-time All-Star and three-time AL MVP, A-Rod has a .295 batting average, 3,115 hits and his 2,086 RBI, second to Aarons 2,297 since RBI became an official statistic. Earlier this week in Boston, as A-Rod watched the offensive exploits of 23-year-old teammate Gary Sanchez, a realization dawned.I cant do that anymore, Rodriguez remembered telling him. And I was happy about it. Im at peace.UP NEXTRHP Masahiro Tanaka (8-4) starts Saturday for the Yankees, who hold a reunion of their 1996 champions, and RHP Matt Andriese (6-3) for the Rays. Cheap NFL Jerseys China . "Thank you for the warm welcome," Beckham said on an 80-degree February morning. In this case, it was soccer weather. The sport moved a step closer to returning to South Florida on Wednesday, when Beckham confirmed he has exercised his option to purchase a Major League Soccer expansion franchise in Miami. Cheap NFL Jerseys . Soukalova missed only one target and completed the 15-kilometre course in 40 minutes, 32.6 seconds for both victories in this seasons individual discipline. Darya Domracheva of Belarus was second, 34. https://www.cheapnfljerseysjustwholesale.com/ . -- Running backs Darren McFadden and Rashad Jennings were back at practice for the Oakland Raiders on Wednesday despite being hampered by hamstring injuries. Authentic NFL Jerseys . JOHNS, N. Cheap Football Jerseys . At a news conference Tuesday where it was thought that the fiery Schallibaum may be shown the door after a dismal finish to the Major League Soccer season, team president Joey Saputo said no decision has been made on whether the Swiss Volcano will be back in 2014. KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Packers coach Mike McCarthy got everything he wanted out of the preseason.Two series for Aaron Rodgers and a bunch of work for his backups.That includes rookie Joe Callahan, who capped a strong preseason by throwing for 143 yards and a touchdown as the Packers lost to the Kansas City Chiefs 17-7 in their preseason finale Thursday night.I thought it was a quality training camp. I thought like we accomplished a lot, said McCarthy, who like Chiefs counterpart Andy Reid played almost entirely backups on Thursday night.Callahan played almost the entire way in a game featuring second- and third-teamers on both sides. The product of Division III Wesley College has been trying to earn the No. 3 job behind Aaron Rodgers and Brett Hundley, who has been sidelined by an ankle injury this preseason.You try not to think about things too much, Callahan said of making the team. When its out of your hands its always hard. But Ive been confident since Ive been here.In fact, the only first-stringers to see much of the field were specialists.They needed some practice, too.After the Chiefs third straight three-and-out in the first quarter, Dustin Colquitts punt was blocked by Green Bay wide receiver Ty Montgomery. The Packers only needed two plays for Callahan to hit tight end Jared Cook for the games opening touchdown.The game also featured the debut of Green Bay punter Jacob Schum, who was claimed off waivers from Tampa Bay this week. Schum replaced veteran punter Tim Masthay in a surprising roster move.The coaches didnt want to fill my head too much, Schum said. But were professionals and were kind of expected to know how to do things.Kansas City running back Knile Davis, who could be traded by the weekend, ran 15 times for 58 yards and a touchdown. The former third-round draft pick also caught a pass out of the backfield.Darrin Reaves also had 63 yards rushing and a touchdown for Kansas City.I just wanted to have a clean game, you know? Do everything right, Davis said. I wanted to hit my holes, catch a couple of balls, and just fine tune.PED ISSUE IN PASTThe Packers Julius Peppers saiid after the game he was happy to be cleared by the NFL this week in a performance-enhancing drug probe.dddddddddddd The league found there was no evidence Peppers, teammate Clay Matthews and Steelers linebacker James Harrison were provided with or used prohibited drugs, allegations that were raised in an Al Jazeera America documentary.BERRY SITS OUTAs expected, Chiefs SS Eric Berry sat out the preseason finale. Berry signed his franchise tender last weekend and finally reported to training camp, but only practiced a couple of days. Reid said he expects Berry to be ready for the regular season.ROOKIE WATCHPackers: SS Marwin Evans had six tackles for Green Bay before getting shaken up on special teams. RB Brandon Burks had 31 yards rushing on 12 carries in the contest.Chiefs: SS Eric Murray had a pair of tackles as he tries to win a backup job. WR Tyreek Hill was targeted four times without a reception, dropping one pass that would have been a first down.POSITION BATTLESPackers: The wide receiver depth after Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb remains in flux. Davante Adams, Ty Montgomery and Jared Abbrederis are in the mix. Abbrederis had two catches for 49 yards Thursday night, while Adams caught two passes for 20 yards.Chiefs: LBs Ramik Wilson and Justin March are competing for Kansas Citys inside linebacker spot alongside Derrick Johnson following a season-ending injury to Josh Mauga. Wilson had a nice tackle for loss early in the game and appeared to have the inside track.INJURY UPDATEPackers: Rookie WR Trevor Davis left the game with a shoulder injury after making a nice catch along the sideline on the first series of the game. Geronimo Allison replaced him on the next possession.Chiefs: The Chiefs rested RB Jamaal Charles and LB Tamba Hali, just as they did their first three preseason games. Both are coming off knee surgery but are expected to play in the season opener.---Online: AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '