Alfonso Soriano's Fade To Black

Alfonso Soriano announced his retirement yesterday, once again finding himself ceding the spotlight to Alex Rodriguez. Remember, a decade ago, Soriano was the centerpiece of the trade that sent A-Rod from the Rangers to the Yankees.

This time, Rodriguez manages to step back onto the front pages of the sports section as Soriano steps off it altogether. Rodriguez admits he took the steroids from BioGenesis, refuses to apologize, and girds up to retake third base in the Bronx. Soriano exits through the back door of Yankee Stadium, reports of his retirement bubbling up from a radio station in the Dominican Republic after a final, underwhelming season in New York. It seems right that the two never played together.

Like Rodriguez, it's easy to remember Alfonso Soriano for his flaws. He played a lousy, inconsistent second base. In left field, he had little idea of where the ball was going when he threw it. He was a wild swinger prone to strikeouts and long cold streaks. But he was a tremendous, vivacious player, all arms and legs, like rubber bands perpetually on the verge of snapping. Sometimes he was spectacular. He was never A-Rod, but he was his own type of generational talent.

Soriano hit 412 home runs. He stole 289 bases—and he didn't get caught too often, either. Only 11 other players have hit 400 home runs and stolen 200 bases. But he also peaked early, and spent the rest of his career sort of dwindling. After he was traded to Texas, Soriano never put together a season as good as the ones he had for the Yankees. He became a forgotten man in the Cubs outfield, and then a journeyman.

Look at who he was traded for. First for Alex Rodriguez. Then for Brad Wilkerson, Termel Sledge and Armando Galarraga. Then, finally, for a person named Corey Black.

Soriano's final stint with the Yankees was a sad one. He batted .221 and hit six home runs in 238 at bats. And although his return to New York was short-lived and underwhelming, his departure still rings with the end of an era. The Rangers have seen generations come and go since Soriano left. The Cubs are a demented science project now. The Yankees of his youth are nearly all retired. The second baseman who replaced him is in Seattle. And so it is that Alfonso Soriano follows Jeter offstage, ceding the spotlight once again to Alex Rodriguez.