For the Miami Marlins, the new suggestion floating around New York this week carries a strange mix of amusement and intrigue.
Yankees broadcaster Michael Kay recently pitched the idea that Alex Rodriguez should come out of retirement for a single at-bat, and he specifically pointed toward South Florida as a possible stage.
“I’ve said it to Alex privately: come back for one at-bat,” Kay said on his radio show. “I’m sure the Marlins would love to pack the place. He’s in unbelievable shape. He’s in the same shape he was when he played.”
That last part is what catches the ear in Miami. The Marlins have long understood the value of a big name drawing crowds to loanDepot park.
A one-night appearance by Rodriguez, even at 51, would generate the kind of buzz the franchise rarely enjoys outside of special promotions. Fans who watched him dominate the American League would fill seats just to see if the old power still existed, if only for a few pitches.
Kay’s reasoning goes beyond nostalgia. He explained that a return would reset Rodriguez’s Hall of Fame clock. Players become eligible five years after their final major-league appearance and can stay on the ballot for up to ten years.
“If you come back for one at-bat, then you restart the clock. Then it takes five more years before you’re eligible for the Hall of Fame, and then you’ve got 10 more years of being on the ballot,” Kay said. “That gives you 15 more years if you get one at-bat. Right now, his clock is running. He’s almost out of time, and I don’t think he’s going to make it up to 75%.”
Rodriguez last played in 2016. He has received between 34 and 40 percent of the vote in five ballot appearances, well short of the required 75 percent. His admitted use of performance-enhancing drugs and the 2014 suspension continue to weigh heavily with many voters.
Kay believes extra time could help as the electorate changes. “A-Rod still has some time, and maybe the voting block becomes more forgiving as the older guys die off and younger people get the vote,” he added.
From the Marlins’ side, the idea feels both absurd and oddly practical. Hosting a ceremonial at-bat for a player of Rodriguez’s stature would create a memorable night and a temporary spike in attendance and merchandise sales.
Whether the organization would actually agree to activate him solely for Hall of Fame purposes is another question. Still, the suggestion itself highlights how Miami remains a natural destination for high-profile baseball moments that New York sometimes overlooks.
Kay closed with the same advice he claims to have given Rodriguez privately: “My advice to Alex, come back, activate yourself for one game, get an at-bat and then restart the clock to get yourself another 15 years on the ballot.”
Whether Rodriguez ever considers it is unknown.
For Marlins fans, though, the notion of watching the former superstar step into the batter’s box one more time under the Miami lights is the kind of improbable story that makes following this franchise entertaining.
