Better late than never: Yankees to honor A-Rod for 3,000th

Bob Hille

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Better late than never: Yankees to honor A-Rod for 3,000th image

Better late than never, the Yankees will honor Alex Rodriguez for becoming the 29th player in major-league history to reach the 3,000-hit mark in a pregame ceremony Sept. 13, the team announced Friday.

MORE: Classic photos of Yankees legend Mickey Mantle

A-Rod's first-inning home run off the Tigers' Justin Verlander back on June 19 came at a time when the slugger and the Yankees were embroiled in a disagreement over his contract signed in 2007 that called for payment of bonuses tied to career milestones that has since been settled.

With the home run, Rodriguez joined Derek Jeter as the only players to record their 3,000th hits while playing for the Yankees and the only players ever to reach the mark at Yankee Stadium — the original ballpark or the new one.

With the hit, he became one of three players in MLB history to collect at 3,000 career hits and hit 600 home runs, joining Hall of Famers Willie Mays and Hank Aaron.

 

 

Bob Hille

Bob Hille Photo

Bob Hille, a senior content consultant for The Sporting News, has been part of the TSN team for most of the past 30 years, including as managing editor and executive editor. He is a native of Texas (forever), adopted son of Colorado, where he graduated from Colorado State, and longtime fan of “Bull Durham” (h/t Annie Savoy for The Sporting News mention).