NEW YORK -- Alex Rodriguezs Yankees career ended the way it began a dozen years ago, with a game against the Tampa Bay Rays in which he went 1-for-4 with a double.The evening began with a violent thunderstorm that descended on the Bronx just as a ceremony commemorating A-Rods years in pinstripes was about to begin. The storm forced the participants, who included Reggie Jackson, Mariano Rivera and Hal Steinbrenner, to scramble for cover from the lightning and torrential rains barely five minutes after the festivities had begun.Friday nights 6-3 Yankees victory ended with the most unlikely sight: Rodriguez heading out for the ninth inning with a fielders glove on his left hand, sent out to play one final inning at third base, a position he had not started at in a game since April 27, 2015.Ive given these fans a lot of headaches over the years and Ive disappointed a lot of people, Rodriguez said, 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.The sellout crowd of 46,459 was predictably wild for A-Rod all night, and they were never louder than when chanting his name for its traditional roll call in the first inning, an honor usually reserved for position players, not designated hitters.But the crowd also rose to its feet for all four of his at-bats, erupting wildly when he stroked a 2-2 fastball from Rays starter Chris Archer into the right-center gap in his first at-bat for an RBI double that tied the game at 1. He clapped his hands and shouted into the muggy Bronx air in celebration as he reached second base. It was Rodriguezs first extra-base hit since a home run against the Baltimore Orioles on July 18 at Yankee Stadium.Rodriguezs ensuing at-bats were increasingly anticlimactic -- a groundout in the fourth, a swinging strikeout in the fifth and a final groundout to shortstop on the first pitch he saw from reliever Ryan Garton in the eighth.As A-Rod headed back to the dugout, the crowd began a chant of We want A-Rod! The chant grew in intensity as the Yankees batted in the bottom of the eighth. YES Network television cameras caught Rodriguez having a dugout conversation with manager Joe Girardi before dashing into the clubhouse, presumably to grab a glove.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.When Rodriguez sprinted out to third base at the start of the ninth inning, the crowd erupted once again. On a night of drama, this might have been the most dramatic moment of all. On the big video screen in center field, Rodriguez could be seen breathing heavily as if even he were exhilarated, and perhaps unnerved, by the moment.The moment, however, lasted just one batter. After?Dellin Betances?struck out Mikie Mahtook, Girardi sent Ronald Torreyes out to replace Rodriguez, allowing the 41-year-old superstar to bask in one more ovation as the crowd chanted Thank you, A-Rod!Rodriguez accepted hugs from all his teammates, waved his cap to the crowd and entered the dugout, where Girardi was waiting for him on the top step. And then he was gone -- 12 seasons, 351 home runs and 1,096 RBIs after it all began -- as the crowd chanted his name. Many of them then headed for the exits before Betances could nail down the final out of the game. They had seen what they came to see. The rest was just bookkeeping.With all that Ive been through, and for them to show up on a night like tonight and show me that type of love is something that Ill never forget. It was overwhelming, Rodriguez said during a news conference, looking perfectly put together in a gray suit and silver necktie.Information from The Associated Press was used in this report. 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Williams scored 11 points in 10 minutes, Alan Anderson scored 17 points, and the Brooklyn Nets finished the exhibition season with a 108-87 win over the Miami Heat on Friday night. Cheap Blues Jerseys . The Montreal Canadiens announced on Friday that the veteran forward will return to the teams line-up on Saturday night when the Habs visit the Nashville Predators.CLEVELAND, Ohio - With Fridays 5pm et deadline looming to sign 2013 draft picks, it seems the Blue Jays and 10th overall selection Phil Bickford wont come together on a deal. "Right now it looks as though we wont be signing him," said general manager Alex Anthopoulos. "I guess anything can change, tomorrow is the deadline, but I would say right now we probably wont have a deal in place." Bickford, 18, is a 64", 185 pound right-hander who pitched at the prestigious Oaks Christian School in Westlake, California. Bickford has committed to Cal-State Fullerton this fall in the event he doesnt sign professionally. Major League Baseball pegged the slot value, the recommended signing bonus, for the 10th pick at slightly more than $2.9-million. Its not known what the Blue Jays offered Bickford.dddddddddddd Per Major League Baseballs Collective Bargaining Agreement with the Players Association, if a club offers a player drafted in the top three rounds at least 40-percent of slot but the player doesnt sign, the club is guaranteed to pick in the same spot in the following years draft. All of that to say that the Blue Jays will receive the 11th overall pick in 2014 as compensation for not signing Bickford. Anthopoulos urged caution in jumping to conclusions about why the two sides couldnt reach a deal. "Out of fairness, like anything, offers are made no doubt about it," said Anthopoulos. "We definitely made an offer but it doesnt look like its going to be accepted. I wouldnt jump to conclusions (on why)." ' ' '