The New York Rangers have bought out Henrik Lundqvist
Its a sad day in Rangerstown. the New York Rangers and Henrik Lundqvist are parting ways, via a buyout today. Athletes hold a special place in our hearts. They keep us young, even as they themselves age. They remind us of a time when we would play too.
Sadly, sports are a young persons profession and every athlete must one day walk away from the game they love. Today may not be a retirement, but it feels like it. Anyone who has been around long enough to have watched, played and in anyway loved a sport, a team, or a player will have felt this before. I have, and it still hurts.
In 1995 the New York Yankees finally returned to the post season. It had been more than a decade, and taken the entirety of Don Mattngly’s career to get there. He would have a great series, a return to his late 80’s form. He would go 10 for 24 (.417) with a walk, a home run and six RBI’s over his one an only playoff appearance. Then he walked away.
I had watched, followed and loved Mattingly since 1983. I saw him win nine Gold Gloves, a batting title, and an AL MVP. I watched as a back injury took away his swing and how a once dominant player can fall a notch or two to be simply good. I watched as he and the Yankees became synonymous. And I watched as the Yankees would win four World Series championships after he departed.
At one game, in the early 90’s, I had seats behind the Yankees dugout. At the end of the mid-inning toss around, as Mattingly was about to throw the ball into the dugout, I called out and raised my glove. He hesitated, looked right at me, and bounced the ball off the on deck circle. I reached, but the ball fell just short of the dugout roof and he shrugged. I was disappointed until I realized, he heard me, he tried. For that brief moment, fan and hero connected.
Mattingly was my hero and when he left, I could never look at baseball the same way again.