Opportunity favors those who are prepared. Alex Rodriguez had been preparing for it his whole life. A-Rod had been chasing history from Seattle to Texas to New York, hoping to be recorded in its good graces. Given his on-field numbers, his fame and popularity were unstoppable. But there came a point when it was impossible not to take a step back and retreat. The former New York Yankees slugger retired abruptly in 2016.

Even today, most refer to his general MLB career as his Yankees years. In the Bronx, after all, Rodriguez found the most success. Three AL MVPs and a World Series championship, not to mention the legacy of the pinstripes he carried on. However, among his brilliant statistics, he almost reached one elite club but couldn’t. Even when offered a chance, A-Rod stayed loyal to the Pinstripes.

Alex Rodriguez Turned Down 700 Home Runs for the Yankees

On August 7, 2016, Alex Rodriguez announced that the following Friday, August 12, would be his last MLB game. The masses were still too raw from the Biogenesis betrayal, and the sting of this new wound was barely felt. Still, the 696 home runs, just four short left from an iconic number, was an itch begging to be scratched. But A-Rod didn’t give in.

In an interview with Jared Carrabis and MLB Hall of Famer David Ortiz in 2021, the ex-shortstop revealed some shocking facts. “Saturday and Sunday, the phone rings. And I get two organizations that are calling me, ‘Hey it’s August 13th now,’ because that’s Saturday. ‘Why don’t you take a week off, get yourself in shape, and come play in September? We’ll open it up, the rosters, and get the four home runs.'”

A-Rod’s career statistics would have looked much different today had he accepted that offer. “Pre-suspension Alex would have said, ‘Yeah. Fu*k yeah, that fits right into my thought process.'” But hot-headed Alex Rodriguez had turned over a new leaf in the entire 2014 season he was forced to miss.

A-Rod Could Not Betray the Legacy He Had Been Trusted With

There’s no denying it. There are a number of teams older than what the Bronx boasts today. But none other is embedded into America’s future like the New York Yankees. And Rodriguez understood that perfectly.

READ MORE – “It Made Perfect Sense..” – The Real Story Behind 696 Homer Alex Rodriguez’s Entry Into the Storied New York Yankees

“Within five minutes I realized that I was so content with what Steinbrenner had honored me with. And the opportunity to play in front of my family, that I said, ‘696 as a Yankee is more valuable than 700 with another uniform.’ And to this day I’m still a Yankee so it was one of the best decisions that I ever made. Even though I wish I had 700.”

It may not have been the ideal retirement an athlete would wish for but for Alex Rodriguez, it was absolutely perfect.

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