Everyone has reason to hate Alex Rodriguez.

Seattle hates that A-Rod abandoned his legacy as Ken Griffey Jr.'s heir for $252-million income tax-free Texas dollars. Texas hates Rodriguez because three years of a 10-year deal brought Arlington zero playoff appearances, zero 80-win seasons, and all the pathos a fan base deserves after paying their hosanna to win a World Series ring elsewhere.

In New York, where flirting with the blonde in the front row is Page Six material, Rodriguez publically made himself anathema to Major League Baseball.

There was the strip club pit-stop following a series in Toronto. The interruption to the 2007 World Series announcing he would opt-out of his Yankees contract. The blatant PED use, which eventually led to a season-long suspension.

There was the Fenway brawl with Jason Varitek. "The Slap." Offseason poker parlor visits. The indifference to the game's unwritten rules. A lawsuit against MLB, MLBPA, Yankees team doctors, and a local hospital, accusing them of a "witch hunt" during the Biogenesis scandal.

In terms of tabloid fodder, there were centaur portraits. Self-appreciating magazine spreads. Actresses, songstresses, and models he cozied up to in public view. It was enough to fill an E! Network reality show, or another "Entourage"-esque HBO series.

In the end, the beguiled playboy who made a career out of manipulating his surroundings watched with hands ties as the Yankees forced him out of the batter's box and toward retirement.

"This is what the organization wants right now," Rodriguez said in an interview with Fox Sports. "Obviously, there's a shift. There's a youth movement." The comments came ahead of a Sunday morning press conference announcing Rodriguez would remain special advisor to team owner Hal Steinbrenner.

Rodriguez's final is Friday against Tampa Bay, the club he made his Yankees debut against 12 years ago.

Until Friday, when Rodriguez dons pinstripes for the last time, he will be the last active player predating the 1994 strike. In 22 seasons he garnered three AL MVP awards, 14 All-Star nods, and 696 career home runs, good enough for fourth most all-time.

Rodriguez played Yankee Stadium's hot corner for the better part of the last decade, including their 2009 title run, but he never did it "The Yankee Way." While different people have different interpretations of what that means, Chase Headley - Rodriguez's successor at third base - summarized it in three terms: businesslike, workmanship, and team-first.

Few - if any - baseball writers will consider these Rodriguez's trait when his name creeps into the Hall of Fame conversation. He'll never be looked at like a Derek Jeter or Mariano Rivera, but as a remnant of the steroid era.

Twitter Reacts to Rodriguez's Announcement

A Timeline of Memorable Quotes

Aug. 30, 1993: "I think some people might have some bad ideas about me, but this was a business thing. I had to make a decision that was best for me and my family." - On negotiating his first million-dollar contract with Seattle

Oct. 8, 1995: "I tackled (Griffey Jr.) at home plate. It was one of the best upsets ever." - Following the Mariners' ALDS victory over the Yankees

March, 2001: "Jeter's been blessed with great talent around him. He's never had to lead." - In an Esquire interview following his move to Texas

Feb. 17, 2004: "I have come to a point in my career where winning is the most important thing. It was team over personal. This energizes me. I don't have enough adjectives to describe how I feel. Derek has four world championships and I want him to have 10." - Following his trade to the Yankees

Dec. 16, 2007: "Getting big and being stronger was never my problem. I have never felt overmatched on the baseball field. I'm just trying the best I can with the ability that God gave me." - During a "60 Minutes" interview denying his PED use

Feb. 9, 2009: "Back then, it was a different culture. It was very loose. I was young. I was stupid. I was naïve. And I wanted to prove to everyone that, you know, I was worth being one of the greatest players of all time." - Admitting to past PED use in speaking with ESPN's Peter Gammons

Nov. 4, 2009: "A lot of people were running the other way and my teammates and coaches and organization stood by me and now we're together as world champs and I couldn't be prouder and happier." - Following the Yankees' World Series victory over Philadelphia

Aug. 2, 2013: "When all this stuff is going on in the background, and people are finding creative easy to cancel your contract, that's concerning to me." - Days before Commissioner Bud Selig banned him 211 games for again violating MLB's drug program

July 27, 2015: "I think there was a point in time for me when hitting home runs, being a great baseball player, was all that mattered. I figured that if I hit more home runs, it would justify for whatever behavior I had off the field. I realize today that it's not that way at all." - After celebrating his 40th birthday with a home run

Aug. 7, 2016: "I'm obviously disappointed but I'm also at peace with their decision." - On transitioning from player to special advisor