A-Rod belts homer for 3,000th career hit in Yankees’ victory
Polarizing star has enjoyed a resurgent year after suspension
NEW YORK — Alex Rodriguez homered for his 3,000th career hit and smiled all the way around the bases Friday night, the highlight so far in what’s become a resurgent season for the formerly disgraced slugger.
The New York Yankees star wasted no time, connecting in the first inning on a first-pitch, 95 m.p.h. fastball from Detroit ace Justin Verlander.
The Yankees beat the Tigers 7-2.
Out of baseball last year while serving a drug suspension, Rodriguez became the 29th player in major league history to reach 3,000 hits. He was the first to do it since Yankees great Derek Jeter homered from the very same batter’s box in 2011.
With the crowd at Yankee Stadium standing in anticipation, Rodriguez sent a high drive to right field. He held onto the bat as he took a few steps toward first base, and outfielder J.D. Martinez bumped into the wall as he backed up.
Fans roared as the ball sailed a half-dozen rows into the seats.
Retrieving the souvenir ball might be harder for Rodriguez than hitting it. In the late innings, Yankees spokesman Jason Zillo said a “professional home run catcher” wound up with the prize and “he is not intending to give it to us.”
Rodriguez pointed to the crowd a couple of times and blew a kiss to someone behind the backstop after crossing the plate. He was greeted by Mark Teixeira and other teammates between the plate and the dugout, and got a big hug from manager Joe Girardi.
The only other players to hit a homer for No. 3,000 were Jeter and Wade Boggs.
Rodriguez turns 40 next month. The three-time AL MVP launched his 13th homer of the season and has enjoyed a productive year as a designated hitter after returning from his suspension.
Rodriguez hit his 667th career home run after beginning the day with a .299 lifetime average in 21 seasons. He joined Hank Aaron and Willie Mays as the only players with 600 homers and 3,000 hits.
Earlier this year, Rodriguez passed Mays for fourth place on the all-time homer list and eclipsed Barry Bonds for second on the official RBI chart.
This hit was quite different from his first one — a four-hop, infield single on July 9, 1994, at Fenway Park against Boston’s Sergio Valdez. Back then, Rodriguez was an 18-year-old batting last for the Seattle Mariners, a young man with a big future.
Friday night’s plate umpire, Ed Hickox, coincidentally was behind the plate for A-Rod’s first hit, too.
“Is that right — 21 years apart?” Hickox said an hour before the first pitch. “I was aware he was a prospect for Seattle when he got the hit, but that’s all we knew then.”
For all his achievements, A-Rod has been a polarizing lightning rod in recent years. While the crowd in the Bronx cheered him, there are many fans who will forever attach an asterisk to anything Rodriguez accomplishes.
Such is the baseball world after performance-enhancing drugs, where RBIs, ERAs and other huge numbers have been tainted by PEDs. Bonds, Roger Clemens and Mark McGwire are among the many with Cooperstown-worthy credentials who haven’t come close to being elected to the Hall of Fame because of drug scandals.
Rodriguez was the No. 1 pick in the 1993 draft. He became a star in Seattle, later joined Texas and was traded to the Yankees after the 2003 season. His 3,000th hit was his 1,465th with the Yankees.
Rodriguez tied the late Roberto Clemente with 3,000 hits, and can rapidly move up the list. Craig Biggio is 21st and reachable this year with 3,060, and Cal Ripken is 15th at 3,184.
Pete Rose owns the career record with 4,256. As for who will next reach 3,000, it’s hard to say.
Ichiro Suzuki, now a part-time player for the Marlins, is closest to Rodriguez and began the day with 2,886 hits. Adrian Beltre followed with 2,657 and Albert Pujols had 2,585. Tigers star Miguel Cabrera had 2,266 and is 32.