New York Yankees designated hitter Alex Rodriguez tied Willie Mays for fourth place on Major League Baseball's all-time home run list on Friday night.
Alex Rodriguez ties Willie Mays for 4th on all-time HR list
Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
Rodriguez hit his sixth home run of the 2015 season and 660th of his career in the eighth inning, a pinch-hit home run against against Boston Red Sox pitcher Junichi Tazawa, giving New York a 3-2 lead.
Rodriguez accomplished the feat in his 11,429th career-plate appearance, which is more than 1,000 fewer than Mays’ lifetime total.
The 39-year-old veteran needs 54 home runs to tie Babe Ruth for third on the all-time list. Rodriguez missed all of the 2014 season after he was suspended by MLB for his involvement in the Biogenesis scandal but still has two years remaining on a 10-year, $275 million contract.
As part of his then-record 10-year, $275 million contract signed after the 2007 season, Rodriguez has a series of milestone bonuses built-in totaling an extra $30 million, including $6 million for hitting home run No. 660. The Yankees made reported rumblings this winter about not paying those bonuses, which would almost certainly provoke a grievance from the MLB Players Association.
Rodriguez did the majority of his damage in the home run column from 2001-2007, when he averaged 47 homers per season. He eclipsed 50 homers in 2001, 2002 and 2007 and hit at least 47 in two other years. The 21-year big leaguer owns a career .299/.384/.558 -- good for a 143 OPS+, which ranks in the top 60 all-time.
Rodriguez is hitting .243/.376/.557 this season.
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