Alex Rodriguez Hits 500th Career Home Run - News Story - WNBC | New York
NEW YORK -- Alex Rodriguez became the youngest player in major league history to hit 500 home runs, sending the first pitch he saw Saturday just past the foul pole in left field.
Rodriguez stood at home plate for a moment after the drive off Royals starter Kyle Davies in the first inning, waiting to see if it would stay fair. He threw his hands in the air after it landed in the seats and began trotting around the bases as the Yankee Stadium crowd cheered wildly.
When he reached the plate, he hugged Derek Jeter and Bobby Abreu, who both scored on the landmark home run. His teammates were already on the field and he embraced several of them on his way to the dugout.
The crowd buzzed and roared again when A-Rod stuck his head out of the dugout for a curtain call.
After he took his seat the bench next to Jeter, the Yankees captain reached out and playfully rubbed A-Rod's head as the two superstars laughed.
His homer came eight days after he celebrated his 32nd birthday. Rodriguez surpassed Jimmie Foxx (32 years, 338 days) as the youngest player to reach 500 homers. A-Rod is the 22nd player to reach the mark, the second this season behind Frank Thomas.
"Never, as a kid, did I ever think I'd hit even one," Rodriguez said after hitting No. 499 in a 7-1 win over Kansas City on July 25.
Rodriguez went into a tailspin after his previous homer against the Royals. He was hitless in a career-worst 22 straight at-bats before he singled in the second inning of Thursday's 13-9 loss against the Chicago White Sox.
His 500th came in his 1,855th game. Only two players took fewer games to reach 500: Mark McGwire (1,639) and Babe Ruth (1,740).
The Seattle Mariners took him with the first overall pick in the 1993 draft. One year later, he became the third 18-year-old shortstop in the majors since 1900. At that point, he gave little indication that he would develop into a two-time AL MVP and one of the game's greatest home run hitters.
He went homerless in 17 games for Seattle in that first season, and hit five in 48 games the following year.
But in 1996, his first full season in the big leagues, he hit 36 home runs. And after hitting 23 in 1997, he hasn't fallen short of 30 since. His seven seasons of 40 or more home runs are tied for fifth in major league history, and in 2001 he became only the fourth player with 50 homers and 200 hits in a season.
A-Rod's first home run came on June 12, 1995, against Tom Gordon. He hit No. 100 in August 1998, No. 200 in May 2001 with Texas and No. 300 in April 2003 with Texas. Number 400 came on June 8, 2005, against Milwaukee during his second season with the Yankees.
He hit 189 home runs with Seattle, 156 with Texas and has 155 with New York. He is one of only three players, along with Reggie Jackson and Darrell Evans, to hit 100 home runs for three different teams.
Rodriguez leads the majors with 36 this season, already surpassing the 35 he hit last year.
"Fifty home runs doesn't seem to be an issue," manager Joe Torre said recently. "Fifty home runs. That's incredible. You're talking about his age, you're talking about him hitting in the 50s -- in a couple of years he'll be going for No. 600."
The youngest players to reach 500 career home runs in the major leagues:
Yrs Days
1. Alex Rodriguez 32 8
2. Jimmie Foxx 32 338
3. Willie Mays 34 130
4. Sammmy Sosa 34 143
5. Hank Aaron 34 160
6. Babe Ruth 34 186
7. Ken Griffey Jr. 34 211
8. Harmon Killebrew 35 42
9. Mickey Mantle 35 206
10. Eddie Mathews 35 274
500 Home Run Club:
x = active Player No.
1. Hank Aaron 755
2. x-Barry Bonds 754
3. Babe Ruth 714
4. Willie Mays 660
5. x-Sammy Sosa 604
6. x-Ken Griffey Jr. 589
7. Frank Robinson 586
8. Mark McGwire 583
9. Harmon Killebrew 573
10. Rafael Palmeiro 569
11. Reggie Jackson 563
12. Mike Schmidt 548
13. Mickey Mantle 536
14. Jimmie Foxx 534
15. Willie McCovey 521
15. Ted Williams 521
17. Ernie Banks 512
17. Eddie Mathews 512
19. Mel Ott 511
20. Eddie Murray 504
21. x-Frank Thomas 503
22. x-Alex Rodriguez 500
