A-Rod, king of all arrogance and hubris, was retired stud-style last night, right out to pasture your prime, while acting, publicly at least, contrite and humbled.
Later on, Joe Girardi wept openly during his press chat and that felt far more moving and real.
A-Rod to me was a beaten man, slain by his outsized ego, diminished by a battered up broken body. I think he cried more for his own stupid, selfish mistakes because they were what ultimately defeated him.
Consistent bad choices won.
I can't help but think that the exact same thing is about to happen to Donald Trump.
He started out determined to crush anyone in his galloping path like the imperial, golden-maned, snorting, finish line obsessed real estate race horse that he fancies himself to be.
And yet, just like A-Rod, he's already showing signs of being washed up.
The swing is gone. He can't hit those easily lobbed softballs over the fence because even the fence itself has grown tired of his theatrical antics.
He's starting to look like all the other many retiring baseball players before him, who weep and wail in the end the cry baby moment that they realize that their little boy dreams are over.
For A-Rod, it was always first and foremost all about A-Rod.
For Trump, it was that and beyond.
Trump was both A-Rod and George Steinbrenner. He owns the park. He goose-stomps around telling people what do. And then he pays his star (himself) an outrageous amount of money, while the little people pay $7,000.00 for a hot dog and a beer and never see a promised paycheck.
The trouble is we Americans lionize our heroes both real and fake.
We believe in them so deeply that we are willing to block out the truth in order to get to the justice and the American Way part -- which is now defined by what you see when you look into your own mirror.
When we sob for a fallen hero, all we are doing is sobbing for ourselves because we have to say goodbye to the years of diversion, but most of all we have to say goodbye to the heroes that we have made up.
Personally, I think we have to start learning to accept reality on its own terms instead of turning to Jo Rowlings to get us through yet another unmagical day.
We desperately need to stop investing in the miracle business and begin to craft our own kind of declaration of Independence.
To me, faults and all, Hillary Clinton remains the picture of absolute reality.
She has lived in the in your face real world on a global stage and understands the subtleties and nuances of the power game.
There is nothing warm and fuzzy about her (publicly. Behind closed doors she is funny, quirky, witty and wonderful). As for all this Crooked Hilary stuff, name me one single president other than Lincoln who was anything less than a scheming, lying manipulator who dispensed the truth as needed. We want our leaders to be the world's best poker players big time. Why the hell would honesty be a job requirement?? What value would there be in our president telling say Vladimir Putin what she really thinks and feels?
Give me trained-like-a-Navy SEAL politician who has sat in the war room over an ignorant in-experienced daddy's boy any day.
George Bush anyone?
Exactly what do you think Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnell have been doing for the past eight years? They believe in a right to life but that courtesy is not afforded to the slaughtered babies of Sandy Hook.
Evidently, life has an expiration date stamped on it.
According to them, based solely on their lack of action, after age 7 life is worthless because if they truly valued our children then they would have spent as much time passing laws that would protect them as they did trying to destroy the black man's health care system. They do not give a rat's ass if you or your parents or your babies have terminal cancer.
They instead will lie and lie and lie pretending that they are patriots when in fact they are seditionists whose entire house should be wiped out. Pest control rules.
They are a bunch of duplicitous, pretend Christians who are pandering to the evangelicals who also happen to love their automatic weapons more than that do the toddlers of America. They will literally kill to get your vote.
So much of America believes in angels and miracles that all they need apparently is some magical TV presence to fly off the screen and save them -- second coming style.
America's anguish is very real. But endlessly staring at the sky for the imminent arrival of Superman is not a very practical solution.
Don't kid yourself. The GOP despises strong women just as much as strong black men for the exact same reason: it makes them feel impotent.
The big joke is that is exactly what they already are. Trust me, a militia's worth of guns cannot replace a pair of US Grade A man balls.
What really makes me laugh is that the GOP destroyed congress gave birth to Trump. Had they aborted him, they could have averted the shambles that they are now in. Enjoy that particular little pro-choice moment.
It's time my friends to stop waiting for the Messiah and once and for all take the back power and return it to those who know how to deal with it responsibly:
The grown-ups.
Specifically, mom.