Arod becomes youngest to 500

Travis G. | Saturday, August 4, 2007

500

Alex Rodriguez leaned to his right and watched the ball as it sailed toward the foul pole in left. When it stayed true, he threw up his hands — the long wait for No. 500 was finally over.

Rodriguez became the youngest player in major league history to hit 500 home runs, connecting on the first pitch he saw Saturday to end a 10-day wait.

“I acted like a goofball running around the bases, but you only hit 500 once,” he said after the New York Yankees beat Kansas City 16-8.

The 32-year-old Rodriguez stood at home plate for a second after his first-inning drive off Kyle Davies, waiting to see where it would land.

“I didn’t know if it was going to be fair or foul. I was so relieved it stayed fair,” Rodriguez said. “I hadn’t hit one in so long.”

It took long enough, and now he can (hopefully) focus on having good at-bats instead of trying to hit another homerun.

Phil Hughes started off well, pitching two hitless innings, but fell apart in the 3rd and then the 5th. I wouldn’t look too much into it though – his first start against Toronto in April was very similar, and then he pitched a 6.1 inning no-hitter his next time out.

- Elsewhere, Joba pitched in relief duty again, and needless to say, made more AAA hitters look foolish: 2 ip, 1 h, 0 r, 0 bb, 5 k.

• At least Scranton can win
• Rocket returns in victorious fashion
• Yanks win as Hughes goes six, Giambi slams and Ohlendorf debuts
• Duncan’s big homerun goes for naught
• Baseball Prospectus unveils its Yankee prospect list
• Wrapping up Phil Hughes’ spring
• Break out the brooms: Yanks sweep Sox
• Dear Brian Cashman
• Arod off to a decent start
• Aaron Boone back playing minor league baseball 5 months after having heart surgery

• Whacked- Washington Capitals beat Florida 7-4
• Bo Bae Song wins the Mizuno Classic
• Carolina Hurricane Goalie Cam Ward taken to hospital with a cut in his leg
• Ex-Claimer wins Breeders Cup Dirt Mile
• Ship wreck- Navy beats Notre Dame 23-21
• NY Islander Defenseman Radek Martinek out for the year with a torn ACL
• Oh have the mighty fallen- Purdue beats Michigan 38-36
• Out of luck- Northwestern beats Iowa 17-10
• Minnesota Twins acquire SS J.J. Hardy from Milwaukee
• U of New Mexico soccer player Elizabeth Lambert suspended indefinitely

Tags | MLB Kansas City Royals, New York Yankees, No-hitter, Travis G

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