Boston, MA (SportsNetwork.com) – New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez tied
Willie Mays for fourth place on Major League Baseball’s all-time home run list
during Friday’s game against the Boston Red Sox.
Not surprisingly, Rodriguez’s milestone homer came in dramatic fashion. The
formerly suspended veteran drilled a fastball from Junichi Tazawa on a 3-0
count into the seats behind the Green Monster to give the Yankees a 3-2 lead
in the eighth inning.
Rodriguez had just entered the contest as a pinch-hitter for Garrett Jones. It
was his first career pinch-hit home run.
Under the terms of the 10-year contract with the Yankees when he re-signed
after the 2007 season, Rodriguez is due to collect a $6 million bonus for
reaching Mays’ mark. Previous reports have indicated that the team does not
wish to pay the amount, arguing that Rodriguez breached the terms of the
agreement due to his season-long suspension in 2014 for his role in the
Biogenesis PED scandal.
Rodriguez is also slated to receive $6 million bonuses if he reaches career
homers No. 714 (tying Babe Ruth), 755 (tying Hank Aaron) and 762, which would
match Barry Bonds’ all-time record. An additional bonus is deal if the 39-
year-old surpasses Bonds.
