A-Rod returns but the New York Yankees Lose
Alex Rodriguez, who during his 20-year career, has amassed a 299 batting average, 654 home runs, 1,969 runs batted, and 2,939 hits. He is a 14-time All-Star and has won three American League (AL) Most Valuable Player (MVP) Awards, ten Silver Slugger Awards, and two Gold Glove awards and after having missed 1 year due to a drug ban returned to the playing field and received a loud ovation at Yankee Stadium before walking and singling in the first plate appearances of his return to the major leagues. Rodriguez was New York’s designated hitter and batted seventh against Toronto on Monday, his first time that low in the order at the start of a regular-season game since May 1996. This time around he went 1 for 2 in the Yankees’ 6-1 loss. New York trailed 5-0 when he came to the plate leading off the third inning. Rodriguez worked the count full against Drew Hutchison, who was three when A-Rod made his big league debut in 1994. On the eighth pitch of the plate appearance, Rodriguez took a 91 mph fastball and became New York’s first base runner. He singled to right-center on another full-count fastball leading off the fifth and flied out in the seventh against reliever Aaron Loup. Rodriguez was greeted with mostly cheers and some boos when introduced before the game as players lined up on the field and a top baseball tipster suggests that this will be the scenario for much of the season.
The Bleacher Creatures, a group of fans of the New York Yankees who are known for their strict allegiance to the team and their merciless attitude to opposing fans, the most distinguished of which is the Roll Call, which is done at the beginning of every home game, loudly chanted “A-Rod!” several times from their right-field seats during their first-inning roll call, even though they don’t normally include the DH. “It’s not typical,” Creatures leader “Bald Vinny” Milano wrote in an email. “Just figured he could use a bit of support. It’s always good to know someone is in your corner. ”Watching from the dugout, Rodriguez waved his cap twice and nodded his head. The 39-year-old Rodriguez had not come to the plate since he struck out against Tampa Bay’s David Price on 25 September 2013. He missed 2014 while serving a suspension for violations of baseball’s drug agreement and labour contract. He had tried to sue Major League Baseball, the players’ union and the Yankees’ team physician, heightening acrimony between himself and the team, but then dropped the litigation and served the penalty which many sports betting experts consider should have been his choice of action from day one.