SEATTLE – Tears streamed down Bret Boone’s cheeks faster than he could wipe them away.
The Boone persona – that air of toughness, confidence and often cockiness that he enjoyed and encouraged – had crumbled amid the emotions that burst out of every effort to suppress them.
Bret Boone, 36, cried Sunday like he’d lost the thing he loved most.
It was close to that.
The Seattle Mariners told Boone that he no longer was their second baseman, designating him for assignment that likely would lead to a trade or release.
“I was a little shocked at how it went down. I thought I was going to be traded,” he said.
The Mariners told Boone late Sunday morning, before their game against the Texas Rangers, and he went home to absorb it alone. His wife and four children were in Southern California at his parents’ home.
“Nobody was there, and I was just looking at a bunch of walls,” Boone said.
He returned to Safeco Field late in the afternoon and was waiting in the clubhouse as his teammates came off the field from their 2-1 victory over the Rangers. He got hugs and handshakes, and broke down when broadcaster Dave Niehaus embraced him.
Later, as the rest of the team left for its trip to Kansas City, Boone stayed behind and talked with reporters, then began cleaning up his locker in a silent clubhouse.
To the media, he thanked his teammates for 51/2 memorable seasons. He thanked the Mariners for signing him in 2000 and providing the opportunity for the best years of his career, he thanked Mariners fans for supporting him, the city for becoming a comfortable home for him and his family, and even reporters he’d gotten to know well.
But he also agreed that the Mariners are doing the right thing.
“I think this is all for the better, really,” Boone said. “I think it’s time for me to go. I’m actually excited about what the future holds, but …”
He couldn’t finish the thought or hide his emotions any longer, and the tears rolled.
“It’s … a pretty sad day for me,” Boone said, his voice so thin that he had to stop.
“This is embarrassing,” he said. “Boone doesn’t cry. I’m supposed to be a tough guy. Now I’m the cocky crying guy.
“I’ve gone through a lot of great times. This city has been so great to me. I’ve had a lot of success here. Been around a lot of great people. The guys, the fans. Awesome, great times.
“I think the future’s going to be good, but at the same time it’s a sad deal. I played in Cincinnati for five years and had great times there, but when I got traded (to Atlanta) it wasn’t that big a deal for me. That’s business , that’s baseball, and you go. Then I got traded to San Diego, and it wasn’t a big deal.
“But this is kind of my place.”
Boone said he probably would stay in Seattle a few days and work out at Safeco Field, then join his family in California. He has no idea where he will play next, although he insists that he won’t go to another team as a backup. He has veto power over any trade.
“I’m not going to a situation where I’m not going to play every day,” he said. “When I get to that point, I’ll go home (and retire). I know I’ve got a lot left, and I’ve got work to do.
“It’s going to be good in the future. I’m going to get a fresh start somewhere. I want to win.”
When trade rumors became serious the past two weeks, Boone said he remembers telling teammates how special his Seattle experience had been.
“All the things I’ve done and the team’s done have been unbelievable,” he said. “But it’s time for me to go.
“It’s been the best time of my career. But all good things come to an end and I need to start a new chapter. My gut has been telling me it’s time for me to go. I need to move on.”
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