After going 0-17 in the at-bats leading up to Wednesday’s game against Toronto, Alex Rodriguez became the seventh and youngest player to hit 600 home runs with a blast into Monument Park at Yankee Stadium.
And although fans at Yankee Stadium gave Rodriguez a standing ovation leading Rodriguez to tip his cap at the top of the dugout steps, not everyone was thrilled.
Ian O’Connor at ESPNNewYork.com writes:
He ruined the experience for everyone, most notably himself, by trading his physical gifts and blue-collar work ethic for a package of performance-enhancing drugs and an enabling cousin to be named later.
So Rodriguez didn’t become the seventh man to hurdle the 600-homer barrier simply because he had a better back-room chemist than most. A-Rod also relied on his otherworldly swing and hand-eye coordination to get there, not to mention a pregame commitment to preparation and fitness that would humble most pros.
Seth Livingstone at USA Today writes:
With the home run, Rodriguez, 35, joins Barry Bonds (762), Hank Aaron (755), Babe Ruth (714), Willie Mays (660), Ken Griffey (630) and Sammy Sosa (609) with 600 or more homers. Ruth was 36 when he reached 600 home runs.