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BOSTON -- Alex Rodriguez is receiving a quick -- though far from quiet -- farewell this week, while David Ortiz is being celebrated with a season-long goodbye tour. New York Yankees beat writer Andrew Marchand and Boston Red Sox beat writer Scott Lauber discuss why the ends of their respective careers are finishing so differently and whether thats fair.Marchand: Well, for A-Rod, it starts with the fact that he has not been a very good player this year. If he were hitting, he would not be going anywhere. He would have another year to repair his image and perhaps couldve been treated more like Ortiz if he had lasted with the Yankees until 2017.Lauber: OK, but Derek Jeter was honored wherever he went in 2014 despite playing at a sub-Jeterian level. And chances are Ortiz would receive the same treatment if he wasnt having the best season ever by a 40-year-old. To me, its about likability. Outside of New York (and even within the five boroughs), A-Rod is too polarizing for the farewell-tour treatment, even if he hadnt sprung this news on us Sunday and left little time for a proper goodbye. Can you imagine the reaction in Seattle, in Texas, certainly here in Boston, if A-Rod were showered with gifts all year long?Marchand: No doubt Ortiz is more popular and has an engaging personality. A-Rod has had issues throughout his career. He has not been great guy a lot of the time. But who was the greater player? A-Rod, by far. Ortiz did use performance-enhancing drugs, too, according to The New York Times. So while one has seemed more likable, they arent that different.Lauber: Its true that Ortiz wears the stain of PEDs. Everyones still waiting, by the way, for the explanation that he promised in 2009 at Yankee Stadium for what happened to trigger the positive survey test six years earlier. But A-Rod also tested positive after MLB instituted testing. Ortiz hasnt. And thats as big a distinction between them as anything else, including their personalities.Marchand: A fair point, for sure. Im not sure I would vote Ortiz for the Hall of Fame, but I definitely wouldnt put A-Rod in. He took a yearlong suspension when testing was in place. Before that, there is a slightly bigger gray area in terms of how to judge PED users. Still, Im not saying A-Rod deserves a big farewell. I think the whole practice is a bit overblown. But I do think the Red Sox should have some fun with A-Rod on Thursday. You agree?Lauber: Oh, absolutely. Look, the Sox tastelessly roasted Mariano Rivera in 2013 by replaying Dave Roberts famous ALCS stolen base, complete with commentary from Roberts. If there was ever a player worth roasting, isnt it A-Rod? They could dig up video of Jason Variteks mitt in his face -- maybe even in super slo-mo? And judging by his comments Tuesday about Sox fans having a great chance to give me one great loud boo, A-Rod might actually like it. At the very least, it would raise the stakes for a creative Yankee Stadium farewell to Ortiz next month. Speaking of which, any suggestions?Marchand: Hmm, I think the Yankees should maybe give Ortiz home plate at Yankee Stadium because he always owned it and they never knocked him off it. The Red Sox Mo tribute was poorly done. They could have said he is the greatest and then said, but we got you a few times. I think the Yankees should respectfully have some fun with their Ortiz tribute and tell Big Papi they wont miss him.Lauber: Id co-sign the home-plate tribute for Big Papi. Seems appropriate. Clever, too. One of the things that becomes evident when you watch these tributes to Ortiz is how genuinely popular he is with players across the league, whether its Mike Trout and Albert Pujols in Anaheim or Nelson Cruz, Robinson Cano and Felix Hernandez in Seattle or the outpouring of affection at the All-Star Game. There are still a lot of hard feelings for A-Rod among the rank and file. Its kind of fitting that he gave everyone five days notice before his career fades to black. Without a doubt, hes among the greatest baseball players of our generation, but hes also probably the most complex. A warm and fuzzy farewell tour next season wouldve seemed, well, forced, to say the least. Im sure few folks in MLBs offices were shedding any tears Sunday knowing that there will be no need to go through the charade of a long goodbye for A-Rod.Marchand: Well, that is the one amazing thing about A-Rods comeback from his suspension. He has been able to mend so many fences. Look at how Hal Steinbrenner is treating him. Not too shabby for a guy the manager and front office think is washed up. Even the commissioner is happy with A-Rod these days. They did a charity event earlier in the year. But, yeah, a farewell tour would be awkward.Lauber: Its terrific if A-Rod is able to retire having made peace with the Yankees and with MLB. He shouldnt be a baseball pariah. Hopefully hell be cheered in the Bronx on Friday night and whenever he returns for Old-Timers Day. But being celebrated across the majors just wouldnt have seemed right for someone who has sparked so many conflicting feelings over the years. Daniel Carcillo Jersey . Now, with Game 6 set for Fenway Park and an 8:07 p.m. ET first pitch, the Detroit Tigers face the unenviable task of having to beat the Boston Red Sox twice, on the road, to advance to the World Series. Clayton Keller Jersey . The native of Mont-Tremblant, Que., captured a World Cup downhill event Saturday, his second this year and fifth career victory on the circuit. https://www.cheapcoyotes.com/1028z-phil-kessel-jersey-coyotes.html . He was followed closely by David Clarkson, donning red, seconds later. Clarksons actions one night earlier, leaping off the bench in defence of Kessel during a pre-season game against the Buffalo Sabres, will cost him the first 10 games of the regular season. Keith Yandle Jersey . -- Stanford squashed Oregons national championship hopes again, schooling the Ducks in power football. Arizona Coyotes Pro Shop . "It doesnt get any better than that," Giambi said. "Im speechless." The Indians are roaring toward October. Giambi belted a two-run, pinch-hit homer with two outs in the ninth inning to give Cleveland a shocking 5-4 win over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night, keeping the Indians up with the lead pack in the AL wild-card race. Following three in-house promotions, the?Utah Jazz?have established?who will be assisting head coach Quin Snyder during the upcoming season in a release posted on? Monday.Assistant coach Igor Kokoskov will be moving to the front of the bench. The 2016-17 season will be Kokoskovs second with the Jazz and his 16th as an NBA assistant coach. Kokoskovs NBA résumé includes time with the?Orlando Magic, Cleveland Cavaliers, Phoenix Suns, Detroit Pistons and?LA Clippers. While with Detroit, he reached the Eastern Conference finals six times,?made two NBA Finals appearances and secured an NBA title in 2004. Before he began his NBA career, Kokoskov?was an assistant to?Snyder at the University of Missouri. He is also the current head coach of the Slovenia mens national basketball team.?Zach Guthrie has been promoted to the assistant coach/basketball strategy after joining the Jazz staff as the manager of basketball strategy/technology before?the 2015-16 season. Prior to joining the Utah staff, Guthrie spent three years with the?Magic as their manager of advanced scouting. Before his time with Orlando, he spent two sseasons with the?San Antonio Spurs?and earned the role of?assistant video coordinator.dddddddddddd Guthrie began his NBA career as a basketball operations intern with the then-Austin Toros of the NBA Development League in 2007, where he worked closely under?Snyder, who was the Toros head coach at the time.?Lamar Skeeter will now operate as the assistant coach/player development after spending the past two seasons as a player development/video analyst with the team. Skeeter joined the Jazz staff in 2014 after a season serving as the player development/video intern for the?Atlanta Hawks. Prior to his?stint with the Hawks, he spent a season as the basketball operations intern for the Canton Charge of the?Development League under current Jazz assistant coach Alex Jensen.In addition to Kokoskov, Guthrie, Skeeter and Jensen, also returning to the Jazz are Johnnie Bryant, Antonio Lang, Jeff Watkinson and Mike Wells.Snyder is entering his third season as head coach.?-- Sarah Scrivens ' ' '