After a recent drought in home runs, usual slammer Alex Rodriguez hit career-defining homerun number 600 on August 4, 2010 in the first inning of the New York Yankees afternoon game against the Toronto Blue Jays in Monument Park, as the ball sailed over the fence in center field from a pitch courtesy of the right-handed Shaun Marcum.
According to ESPN, the landmark homer was a two-run smash from a fastball after a 2-0 count. A-Rod rounded first base and began his humble celebration as he raised his hands above his head and the Yankees fans in the crowd went wild. He received a standing ovation from fans, and his team greeted him at the dugout.
The Legacy of A-Rod
A-Rod’s recent drought in homeruns has caused fans to be on the edge of their seat every time that he came up to bat. The time between number 599 and 600 was a grueling two week span that gave him 47 attempts in 12 games. The New York Post reports that each time he made a hit, camera flashes would go off in the thousands hoping to get a glimpse of the iconic homerun. This homerun comes exactly 3 years after he hit his 500th homerun.
Rodriguez, the former Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners player, is the youngest player at age 35, and only the seventh in history to hit 600 homeruns. His next milestone is 660 homers, a record set by Willie Mays in 1973, where, if tied, will receive the first of 5 $6 million dollar bonuses that were promised by the Yankees in his contract. The rest of them come after he ties Babe Ruth’s 714, Hank Aaron’s 755, Barry Bonds’ 762, and then passing Barry Bonds final record to give him the all-time record. This record for Rodriguez places him among this elite group, alongside of Ken Griffey Jr. and Sammy Sosa, who have both hit over 600 as well.
History of Steroids and Further Milestones
A-Rod’s contribution to the Yankees has been immense over the last season, after a hip-injury related surgery changed his outlook, where he declared the team comes first. Although the beginning of this season started off slow for him, as it took 41 at-bats for his first homer of the season to come.
In early 2009, he admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs while with the Texas Rangers during the 2000-2001 seasons, but has since stopped. This also plagued home-run king Barry Bonds, who vehemently denies any use, but has since retired. Hopefully, this milestone for this tremendous athlete will overshadow his prior use of steroids, as Rodriguez stated that number 600 was only a springboard for further records.
Dane Robinson - Dane Robinson currently resides in New York City, originating from upstate NY. He attended St. John's University where he graduated with a ...
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