The New York Yankees fell to the Toronto Blue Jays and dropped the first series of the 2015 MLB season, but slugger Alex Rodriguez got closer to making history on Thursday night.
Rodriguez slugged the 655th home run of his career in the sixth inning of last night's game off of rookie left-hander Daniel Norris and got closer to Willie Mays' legendary mark of 660 home runs. It was A-Rod's first blast since September of 2013, after which he was forced to serve a yearlong suspension for performance-enhancing drug use.
Here's the video of Rodriguez's home run provided by MLB.com:
Thus far into the season, the 39-year-old is 2-for-9 with a run scored, one homer, one RBI, two walks and four strikeouts as the team's designated hitter. It's a pretty decent start for the former AL MVP considering he missed the entire 2014 season and has played in only 268 games since 2011. Although his hip injuries and PED suspension are behind him, another issue will likely present itself in the near future.
When the Yankees signed Rodriguez to his current 10-year, $275 million deal, the two sides agreed to a separate deal that would pay Rodriguez $6 million each time he matched one of the all-time home run leaders. As a result, he can earn an additional $24 million if he reaches Willie Mays (660), Babe Ruth (714), Hank Aaron (755) and Barry Bonds (762) with these so-called "marketing bonuses."
However, the Yankees told Rodriguez they plan to dispute the bonuses because the club no longer sees them as a worthwhile expenditure or positive media endeavor. Here's what the New York Daily News wrote earlier in the offseason:
"The Yankees, however, now view the marketing bonuses as worthless and invalid, according to sources, the result of Rodriguez's suspension for violating the game's collectively bargained drug policy and his scorched-earth attack on baseball and the Yankees. The club plans to do battle with its onetime superstar over paying the bonuses, and is prepared to fight Rodriguez if he files a grievance with the Players' Association."
Ever since Rodriguez arrived at spring training three days early, the media has been relatively quiet regarding his situation with the Yankees, who have made it known they are disappointed and upset with his actions over the past year and a half.
It's unknown how the Yankees will go about disputing these bonuses or how far along in the process they are, but it seems like they're going to have to be on top of it since Rodriguez appears to be ready to contribute offensively for New York in 2015.
