It ain't over? Why Alex Rodriguez will still be a Yankee after Friday

NEW YORK -- When the idea of offering Alex Rodriguez a position as a "special adviser" -- meant to soften the blow of giving one of the game's all-time greatest players his outright release -- was floated by New York Yankees assistant GM Jean Afterman, it drew a distinct reaction from her boss.

"I thought it was f---ing crazy,'' Brian Cashman said. "He ain't taking no coaching job.''

Cashman's skepticism was shared by manager Joe Girardi.

"I was somewhat surprised because I know how much he loves to play,'' Girardi said. "[But] if I could see him doing anything that is another passion of his, of sharing the game with young players, that part I'm not surprised.''

It turns out the suggestion of Afterman found a very important pair of receptive ears: those of Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner. He liked the idea, and presented it to A-Rod, who agreed to it privately and at his emotional news conference last Sunday at Yankee Stadium.

And yet, an unanswered question remains: Why?

Why would Rodriguez, the 41-year-old slugger who has hit more home runs than all but three players in baseball history and clearly believes he can hit more, take on the financially unrewarding and time-consuming task of teaching teenagers how to play baseball?
http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/17274278/why-alex-rodriguez-remain-new-york-yankees-friday