The Yankees slugger bashed a two-run homer in the third inning against Baltimore on Thursday, passing Willie Mays to claim sole possession of fourth place on baseball’s all-time home run list.
The home run, which came in the third inning against Baltimore, marks the 661st of A-Rod’s career. Rodriguez had been tied with Mays, who turned 84 on Wednesday, since hitting his 660th last Friday against Boston.
Only Barry Bonds (762), Hank Aaron (755) and Babe Ruth (714) have hit more.
After Rodriguez returned to the dugout, fans continued to cheer, eliciting a curtain call from the slugger, who sat out last season after being suspended by the league for using performance-enhancing drugs. As the Daily News’ John Harper observes:
The way the fans roared for the curtain call, you’d have thought Derek Jeter had hit home run No. 661. OK, well, that may be a stretch, but you get the idea. The same fans who never really warmed up to A-Rod over the years are suddenly showering him with affection, and that may be more remarkable than his comeback itself.
The Yankees have said they would forego the option A-Rod’s contract gives them not to pay Rodriguez a $6 million bonus in return for the rights to market the achievement.
As one who attended Thursday’s game, I can report that the team is upholding its end of the pact. Had you not known A-Rod’s home run tally, you might have missed the moment. The LED display that fills the stadium above center field said nothing of A-Rod’s chase or the significance of the moment.
“The Yankees could have added to the excitement had they told fans that Rodriguez was poised to overtake Mays,” my girlfriend commented afterward.
Instead, we walked back over the bridge to Manhattan on a lovely May night, talking about why a player as gifted as Rodriguez had used PEDs and whether he had already alighted in the helicopter that we imagined whisks him home.