Best Of Mike Francesa: Interview With Alex Rodriguez Just Before His Final Game
NEW YORK (WFAN) -- Hours before his final game as a Yankee on Aug. 12, 2016, Alex Rodriguez seemed to sidestep questions about whether he might try to resume his baseball career.
In an interview with WFAN's Mike Francesa from Yankee Stadium, A-Rod said he hadn't thought much about what would happen after his sendoff.
MORE: 5 Takeaways From A-Rod's Interview With Mike Francesa
"I've talked about all week about Friday being the horizon of the week and kind of just focusing and zeroing in and trying to play and play well and try to help us win a game today," he said.
The Yankees announced days earlier that A-Rod would be released after the Friday game. He agreed to assume a role as a special adviser and instructor for the team.
PHOTOS: Alex Rodriguez's Yankees Years
"I've never liked the word 'retirement,' especially at 41," Rodriguez said. "I'm ancient in baseball, but I'm a pretty young guy in the real world. The word 'retirement' just makes me feel old."
Rodriguez admitted that he was frustrated to have to walk away four home runs short of 700.
"If you asked me 10 days ago, that wasn't an option," he said. "Of course, I thought that I would hit 700 and go on to do better things for our franchise. But again, that wasn't in the cards. It's frustrating. It's disappointing that I didn't get that opportunity."
MORE: Murti: To This Reporter, A-Rod Was The Gift That Kept On Giving
In discussing the ups and downs of A-Rod's career, Francesa asked the three-time MVP whether he believed he would have been the same player if he had not taken performance-enhancing drugs.
"I don't know how to answer that," Rodriguez answered after stammering. "I just know that the most frustrating part ... arguably my best two years came as a 19-year-old skinny shortstop and as a 40-year-old man last year. And that kind of arc makes it even more frustrating, my stupid decisions."
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