The MLB milestones keep coming for Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez.
Rodriguez on Friday became the 29th player in baseball history to reach 3,000 hits. He hit a two-out, solo home run off Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander in the first inning at Yankee Stadium.
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“I was happy to get it out of the way, give us a one-run lead,” Rodriguez told reporters, according to the New York Daily News. “So happy to do it here in front of our fans, how great they’ve been with me. I was especially happy that my two daughters were sitting behind home plate. It was really nice to share it with both of them.”
A-Rod is the active leader in hits and the first player to collect his 3,000th since former Yankee Derek Jeter did so on July 9, 2011, against the Rays. The pitcher who gave up Jeter's 3,000th, David Price, now pitches for the Tigers.
Rodriguez joins Wade Boggs and Jeter as the only other players to blast a homer for their 3,000th hit.
With the homer, Rodriguez joins an elite list of MLB greats to achieve the milestone, most recently Jeter, Craig Biggio, and Rafael Palmeiro. Pete Rose holds the all-time record with 4,256 hits.
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A-Rod also made another type of history with his milestone hit:
Alex Rodriguez is the first overall No. 1 MLB Draft pick to get 3,000 hits.
— Justin McGuire (@JMcGuireSN) June 20, 2015The past two years have been eventful for Rodriguez, who is playing his first full season since being suspended by MLB for suspected use of performance-enhancing drugs. This year he has passed Willie Mays for fourth place on baseball's all-time home run list; overtaken Barry Bonds for second on the official all-time RBI list; recorded his 2,000th RBI; and reached the 3,000-hit plateau.
“A year ago today, I didn’t know if this day would ever come,” Rodriguez said, according to the Daily News. “There were some really dark days.”
The Yankees, who are in a legal battle with Rodriguez over bonuses for his recent accomplishments, acknowledged No. 3,000 but did little else.
Congratulations to @AROD on becoming the 29th member of the 3,000-hit club! #AROD3K pic.twitter.com/DDvXqDF3Sg
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) June 19, 2015From the Steinbrenner family and the New York Yankees: "Congratulations Alex on your 3,000th hit."
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) June 20, 2015Bonds also congratulated Rodriguez on Twitter.
Congrats @AROD on joining the elite 3K club. You made history today and brought the @Yankees house down.
— Barry L Bonds (@BarryBonds) June 20, 2015Rodriguez joins Hank Aaron and Mays as the only players in MLB history with 3,000 hits and 600 homers.
Sporting News Media's Tom Gatto contributed to this report.