Alex Rodriguez became the youngest player to hit 600 career home runs on Wednesday.
New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez has hit his 600th career home run - a two-run blast in the first inning against Toronto Blue Jays.
The homer, which landed on the net on top of monument park in Yankee Stadium, makes A-Rod the youngest and the seventh player to join the 600 club.
The milestone was a long-awaited one - with 46 at-bats between his 599th and 600th home runs.
Rodriguez now joins the elite company of Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Ken Griffey Jr. and Sammy Sosa.
SI.com: 600 Club gallery
SI.com: A-Rod at 600 different from A-Rod at 500
SI.com: Milestone not what it used to be
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boring...his team is near the top of the league and 56-48 or something to that effect, thats like a football team being 6-5 and being in the top ten...somebody put this sport to sleep
Thank God, maybe now the network will stop interupting my game every time he comes to bat. It was getting REAL OLD!
Droan.....you are an idiot.
i'm a realist, baseball is a weak sport, fat pitchers too scared to hit, designated runners, 6 minutes of action per game,and pitchers they bring in every other batter, and i'm an idiot?
Droan, I have to agree with Jason and admit you may indeed be an idiot. An inability to appreciate the game, it's strategy, and the talent required to play it well does not mean the rest of the people that fill major league parks most summer nights are wrong. It only means that you lack the ability to understand. I suspect you never played the game or you'd appreciate it a lot more. Baseball, whether you choose to acknowledge it or not, is part of Americana and the fabric of growing up in the USA. I've loved the game since I was old enough to pick up a bat, and the hours I spend with my kids watching and teaching them the game bring on some great memories. I enjoy other sports, but baseball is nowhere near as "boring" as you claim to those of us who understand and appreciate it.
What a milestone for A-ROID. Should be real proud of cheating to get there.
I'm not a Yankees fan but they are 66-40.
Chewy, a lot in the game has changed over the years; DROAN is right about its current state. It may be part of Americana, but right now, so are reality shows and cartoon movies for adults.
Youngest to 600. Yeah, in the steroid era. Put an asterisk next to this one right along with Bonds, Sosa, and company. He's just another juice hound who gets more credit than he deserves.
To each his own... many people really enjoy baseball... the pitch by pitch strategy... there is action on every pitch, if you truly understand the game.
Many people enjoy the ambiance of the game as compared to other high profile sports...
although I enjoy Football I et sick of games being decided by penalties, and by different players each year (very small percentage of players last more thana few years without being severly injurd).
Or the NBA... I could watch the same run and gun selfish game at any inner city park accross the country...
NHL... hmmm a game that encourages open fighting..... really... so the winner is the one who can intimidate the opponent the most....
No thank you, I will stick with the strategy, skill and real action of America's past time.... baseball
66-40 you silly man
jealous?
i played little league baseball (where it belongs) and then switched to a real mans sport, football, for pop warner, high school and college...and when the rules dictate a pitcher can throw at someones head or plunk someone and not face the same because he doesn't bat, thats weak!
o.k. o.k. they're 7-4...much better
In the National League the pitchers still hit...
at least the nl has balls
Honestly, who really cares? A grown man hit a ball 600 times, not even in a row… it’s truly sad these people get paid the money they make to play grade school games from recess while the poor and the homeless exist in staggering numbers in this country. Way to have your priorities straight America :-/
CJ, what about the hundreds (probably thousands) of people who have jobs because of baseball? If you dont pay the stars, they dont play. they dont play then the vendors, janitors, field crew, media, merchants.. ect ect ect are all out of jobs.
I have nothing against baseball but its a really boring sport in my opinion. And what's worse a lot of the past greats were found to be using performance enhancing drugs. No other sport has so much controversy around steroids than baseball....Its like watching a magic show, sure the tricks look nice but at the end of the day...its not real.. =\
How dare anyone compare this guy or Bonds or McGuire, to the old timer greats of the game.
Drug enhancement = a cheater, fake etc...
Steriods, need I say more? Big cheater
Droan you must be retarded. They are 66-40 not 56-48. let me tell you mr espn analyst your statistics suck and so does your argument. 66-40 is a .623 win percentage in a sport where you play over 172 games that is a very good percentage rather than a sport wher you may play 19 if you go all the way to the superbowl in football. It has never come close to having an undefeated baseball team but in football it probably could have had 2 undefeated regular season records in the past season. You cant compare two different sports that are totally different. Also ore games, more injuries. And the yankees were first in the league until yesterday still that shows how good a .623 percentage in the MLB is. and all who are hating, steroids dont make you come in contact with the ball, they dont help your eyes. so it was still talent in the most part. Get your facts straight before you start talking.
its confirmed, Droan is an idiot.
how many home runs did A-roid hit when he was all juiced up? because he did not want to let the fans down after he got his $200,000,000 contract. everything is wrong about this home run stat, cheaters should be treated as such, not wrote about like they are some kind of hero, to us fans.
Who cares? He is a steroid user and his batting numbers don't mean a thing. Amazing how much sports fans embrace cheaters and their records. Baseball is a joke.
Oh barf!!! He didn't accomplish anything because he cheated!! He took steroids for years and this record doesn't mean anything to anybody!! Period!!
The yankees are the greatest and they will win the world series again!
Wonder how many he would be up to now if he never did steroids. Dont even think he would still be playing. I pray the people that decide on the hall of fame and who gets in and who doesnt NEVER puts someone who cheated by doing steropids into the hall of fame. Only people that are clean deserve to be in it. The records that have been broken should never have been broken due to the cheaters that ruined americas pass time..
I hate a-rod and always have. Thank god he was never a red sox. Boston doesnt want or need him.
Droan, what man's sport are you playing now? Football is a great sport, but who plays it after HS or college, only those with talent. I play in a woodbat over 21 baseball league and Im almost 40.
I agree with you Droan. Boring...boring...boring sport. Pitchers afraid to pitch...American league pitchers afraid to hit...lots of standing around watching 3 players do all the work.
Steroids have marred the game, no doubt. But, it is a gross over-reaction to start talking about how none of these accomplishments have any merit, none should count, or how the old-timers deserve more credit as the real record-holders. The truth is that EVERY generation of baseball players took SOMETHING to enhance their performance. It may have been "greenies", "speed" or whatever, but bottom line...it was a drug, and it helped the players do things that they couldn't accomplish naturally.
"fat pitchers too scared to hit"
That's a pretty stupid thing to say considering that everyone knows that if a pitcher hits one of your best players you don't retaliate by hitting the pitcher back, you retaliate by hitting the other team's best hitter.
Remove his home runs from 2001-2003 (the years he took steroids), and he's only hit 444 home runs. That's what his number should be.
CJ,
Baseball easily employs thousands and thousands of people and are really involved with their commuities and local businesses. Take baseball out of the picture and you increase the unemployment rate by crazy numbers....You sir are an idiot!
I am so happy for him and Derik, lol
Sure; but he has also admitted he did roids.
Sorry but he is no better then Barry "roids" Bonds or McGuire. No record and no HoF for any of the cheaters.
Yeah just like being 6-5...cept not. Yeah let's put America's pastime to sleep. Are you kidding me man?
PUMP THE ROIDS!!!
Boy, this is big news. 600 Home Runs for a former Steroid user. Wonder what Hank Aaron or Willy Mays numbers would have been if they were on the juice.
Who cares anyways? The guy is a fraud
Hooray! That makes him the second best home run hitter of baseballs steroid era.
I really feel bad for Droan! He is such a small minded idiot that he cant see the finer things in life. Keep up the good work clown. Maybe you will make it to Nascar some day.
you are a simpleton!
@Donna....."How dare anyone compare this guy or Bonds or McGuire, to the old timer greats of the game.
Drug enhancement = a cheater, fake etc..."
You obviously dont know what you are talking about...the "old timer greats of the game" (as you say) were drug users too...ever heard of "Greenies" AKA amphetamines? They have been rampant in Baseball forever up until a few years ago when MB banned them. Those greats you referred to often popped greenies before games.
How many steroids did he take before he went to the plate?
dude–don't be such an angry little fat boy. what happened? you sit on the bench when you were a kid? go to sleep now.
Agreed, you are a moron.
yawn
No DROAN, golf is a weak 'sport', bowling is a weak 'sport', darts are a weak 'sport', etc. etc. Believe it or not, there are far more boring things to watch than baseball.
I like baseball but come on at least there is parity in the NFL, NBA and NHL. The elite teams in the MLB are bought and smaller markets cannot compete making it boring for a good chunk of teams and fans not affiliated with the "have" teams. Have you noticed attendance figures of late?
Add to that intolerable gaps in play while a batter adjust his gloves, helmet, pants, shirt, jock on nearly every pitch and you have the recipe for boring. MLB needs adjustments such salary cap and speeding up play (just to start) to make this sport resemble anything exciting except for the pennant race and that is for the "have" teams anyways.
As for the remark that the NHL encourages fighting is a joke, there hasn't been a bench clearing fight in the NHL in 17 years how many has MLB had just this year (if you call the slapping matchs a fight)?
droanisretarded, you're defeating you're own argument. When at the top of a professional sport teams can handle a 162-game season that says something. "droanisretarded" You better get to bed. Grade school starts early.
whatnext- you really sound like you know less than droanisretarded. I dont see where he defeated his own argument?? to me it seems like you are the person who needs to go to bed. his argument is that it is a lot harder to have a better win percentage in a sport that plays a large amount of games compared to a sport where you play 16 or so. argument makes perfect sense you need to think before you talk. something in your brain isnt working if you think his argument is defeating it self.
And, this is news? Why? Do we really care? Does it affect how people are suffering in this country? Please, do us the favor of reporting real news!
He probably juiced up before hitting this HR
Insert Don Henley 'Dirty Laundry' lyric here.
Masochist trolls.
Yeah, I prefer news were there is at least some suffering involved as well!
You are so right!
CNN - The world doesn't care about home runs, and the majority of your target audience doesn't care about baseball. Ahmadinejad was almost assassinated a few hours ago. If that's not a breaking news, I don't know what is.
not all news has to be about suffering. good lord..
Actually yes, the Yankees fans of the world care.
Baseball has been a popular sport in America for a very long time...yes I do care about all the tragedy that is happening too but if you open up a newspaper they have a whole sports section for a reason
@deb0155,
I like to hear about this BECAUSE of the other news, not INSTEAD of the other news...like the story about some guy walking into work and gunning down his friends and coworkers yesterday. Do you really want to hear more about that? The reason it happens so often is that we hear about it so often. Sickos trying to get famous. Why not have some joy in your life and take a break and hear about a guy hitting a ball over a fence? Oops...somebody just killed their baby...I better let you go so you can "read all about it."
Yea, we need to hear more about Twilight instead.
Isn't it nice to hear news OTHER than war, murder, politics, shootings, the recession, unemployment and Lindsey Lohan?!?! I'd much rather see this
"war, murder, politics, shootings, the recession, unemployment and Lindsey Lohan"
Yes, lets hear about an admitted steriod using cheater instead, on one of the biggest joke of a team and payroll in the history of sports.
Great take.
Not news, huh?
Maybe you're right, but you did click on the story and took the time to comment on it. CNN thanks you!!!!
WHO CARES?!!!! Did he do it without the use of enhancement drugs? Is he overpaid well over the standards for basic living here? Is he on a team with more heart, honesty or moral character than any other team in the MLB? WHO CARES?!!!!
Seriously if you want everyone to live at the basic then go live in a communist country, let see you go out there and hit 600 home runs, bet you can't even hit 1.
Why do people hate the rich and famous so much. It really makes no sense to me. Envy is deadly and most of you are already dead within.
this is more important that BP killing the well? (rolls eyes..) AWESOME.
why did you click this article if you knew you wouldn't care? yah i think about bp stopping the oil everyday(rolls eyes). honestly, that will be dealt with. the oil will be removed. everyone will forget. they will keep drilling and you will keep using oil. there are actually way worse things going on than some oil flowing into the ocean, if you really want to get into what is important.
Another dumb comment... If you want to read about BP, then go click on it. You have the option to not click on this story!
Then don't read it loser!
CNN did also run stories about BP killing the well. And to all of you who think CNN should not report this, why did you click on the story in the first place. I guess it really is of interest to people.
Why does everything have to be more or less important, more or less relevant, more or less news worthy than whatever? Can't we read about all the disaster and strife and ALSO read about the joy some people get out of silly stuff like baseball? I like apples. You like pears. So, does that make me more relevant than you because apples are more popular than pears? And yes, I also have to wonder why are you are even reading this article...and writing about it...if it's so 'not important'? Why not just read about some disaster and wallow in your sorrow? Oh that's right...you're more relevant than the rest of us.
Finally !! Great Job Alex!
Thank you Robert! Finally some sanity! Imagine making us feel guilty about enjoying the accomplishments of a great baseball giant instead of wallowing 24 hours a day in the depths of despair. The world is still going and I can wait to get depressed later! Right now I'm happy for A-Rod's 600th Home Run. If I am guilty of being happy and being an escapist then so be it. Go Yankee's
Hank Aaron was is greatest home run hitter. He never used steriods. These guy who are using are dangerous to pitchers.
What about the pitchers who are using steroids?
how do you know Hank never did steriods. Maybe he did, maybe he didn't. There were a lot of scientic experiments performed throught out the country. What is it to say, that he might have taken something to help with his swing. Also, don't blame the player for trying to make himself better. If the MLB decided to ban a substance, then should have started testing and enforcing the rules then. It took almost five years before, they did anything about it. Can't we just move past the HGH, for crying out loud. I'm sick of it and would like to talk baseball fans without mentioning this stupid topic.
Actually they are 66-39 not 56-48. More like 7-4, just saying....
i stand corrected...still the fact remains they have too many games in a season, too easy to take 30-40 games off...
@DROAN – So don't watch. No one makes you. You must have so much better things to do with your time, like post on articles about how you don't like the article. Man I wish I could be you!
@js i bet you do...
Best part is DJ was on base too. Awesome!! WOO HOO!! GO BOMBERS!
A-rod hits his 600th injection.
Don't you mean A-roid?
Boy....several one track minds here. Congratulations Alex! Stay strong, be proud...Americas game!
dont care. from the list i see printed three of the six have used roids! great job. there should be an astrik next to three names.
Great job and good news to hear about. It takes away for a moment all the bad news thats on the air 7/24....LETS GO YANKEES!!!!!!!!!!
Who cares what A-Roid does? He, along with McGuire, Bonds, Sosa, Palmiero and other PED users have cheapened the home run record. It means nothing now.
I agree.
The guy us a steroid junky so why this makes breaking news I don't know. If it has to be news then is should at least have an asterisk associated with it.
While I've been a Yankee's fan since I was a little girl, I hardly thinks this qualifies as being a breaking headline.. ok 600 HR's? Great good for him and awesome for the Yankee's franchise.. but really? Give him his gold star sticker.. and be done with it.