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NEW YORK — A month before he became a multiposition sensation for the Yankees, Matt Carpenter planned his retirement tour. He had told himself before the season began that if after a month with the Rangers’ Triple A affiliate, the Round Rock Express, he had not been promoted to the major leagues, he would go home and spend time with his wife, Mackenzie, and their two young children.
Six weeks in, Carpenter, 36, realized no call-up was imminent. So he began saying goodbye to the only job he’d ever wanted, soaking in every moment between the lines. He invited his longtime agent, Bryan Cahill, to one of his last home games. Carpenter asked his parents, Mackenzie and the kids to come to his final series, in Sugar Land, Texas.