A-Rod Joins The 600 Club

New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez etched his name into yet another history book today becoming the seventh and youngest player in MLB history to reach 600 home-runs. Coincidently it happened three years to the day after hitting number 500, and it didn’t come easily. Rodriguez was in kind of a drought between number 599 and 600, he was hitless in the last 17 at-bats and home-runless in the last 46. Wednesday’s history making shot was a two run blast off of Toronto Blue Jays Shaun Marcum gave the Yankees a 2-0 lead.

New York Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner congratulated Rodriguez on his accomplishment in a statement issued shortly after the home run was hit.

“Congratulations to Alex on this great achievement and on adding another highlight to Yankees history,” the statement read. “We are especially proud he accomplished this feat as a Yankee and here before the most loyal fans in baseball.”

With number 600 in hand Alex Rodriguez joins Barry Bonds (762), Hank Aaron (755), Babe Ruth (714), Willie Mays (660), Ken Griffey Jr. (630) and Sammy Sosa (609) as the only players to hit 600 or more home runs in Major League history. Ruth is the only other Yankee to reach the milestone. Griffey was the last man to reach the 600 plateau, hitting it on June 9, 2008, against Mark Hendrickson while a member of the Cincinnati Reds. Rodriguez is now just nine home runs shy of Sosa tying for sixth on the all-time list.

The milestone ball was recovered by a member of the Yankees stadium security staff, and was to be returned to Rodriguez who offered the person who caught or found the ball lunch with himself and actress Cameron Diaz for returning it. Hopefully that lunch takes place in the Yankee clubhouse, that guy deserves it.