The first gift was a rocking chair, a standard memento handed out to retiring players after long careers. It provided a comfortable seat from which Bronson Arroyo could review his entire his two decades in professional baseball, gently rocking back and forth.
The 40-year-old Arroyo had received more personalized keepsakes as part of the pre-game retirement ceremony put on by the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday at Great American Ball Park. There was the picture book of his career, and the shadow box full of mementos such as the lineup card from his first major-league start in 2000 and the powder-blue Father’s Day jersey he wore for the Reds in his final start earlier this year.