A-Rod may have already hit No. 500
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- July
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Here’s a strange one for you: Alex Rodriguez may have already hit his 500th home run.
Tomorrow night in Baltimore, the Yankees will complete the game of June 28 that was suspended by rain in the eighth inning. When the game picks up at 7 p.m., it will be in the top of the 8th inning with Derek Jeter on second, two outs and Hideki Matsui up.
Alex will be on deck, which means he will get at least one at-bat in the game.
If he hits a home run, it would count as a home run in Game 76 on June 28. So that homer he hit against the Royals last night would then become No. 500.
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on Thursday, July 26th, 2007 at 11:29 am by Peter Abraham.
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Chad Jennings
Sam Borden
A strange season would get just a little stranger.
Thanks for clariying that. I thought people were indicating that he already hit a HR in the game. He’ll hit number 500 tonight off the same bum he hit number 400 off and this whole “drama” will me a moot point (joke)…
I don’t think Alex is too worried. He has 400 more homers in him for his career.
Sounds like a scenario from “Twilight Zone” or a book by Harry Turtledove.
Tony NJ….A-Rod could possibly hit 1000….( mind boggling )
1000 total home runs….He finished with 520 this year…and over the next 10 years, he averages 48/year…..1000 on the nosey !!!
It wouldn’t shock me. 50 a year for 10 more years.
Fairly impressive.
Maybe AROD will hit two homers in the suspended game.
Wouldnt that be crazy!
Do you think MLB will ask the Yankees to keep A-Rod out of the suspended game? I know they have no influence on individual lineups, but do you think they might, maybe behind the scenes, try to convince them to keep him out, for history’s sake? I mean, they are numbering his baseballs, seems like MLB is really taking a hand…
Sean
To assault these records, A-Rod at age 36-37 will need to spend time as a DH and cut down time in the field in order to keep healthy. This takes going to a NL team out of the equation.
Sean: You can’t be serious.
I think it would be great if he hit it in the suspended game. It would make this crazy thing with switching out the balls totally moot. that would be great because AROD had said he hates it, and I think its pretty stupid.
I mean last night in his final AB he fouled a ball off to right field. Wouldn’t that ball have the same markings as the next one if he hit that out for #500? Ridiculous.
Did Alex get the ball back last night?
I’m wondering the samething. What is the purpose of number the balls. Anyone who caught one could claim that it is the #500 ball.
I just heard an exciting news from ESPN Radio.I Feel “WOW!” and want to share with you guys.Joba Chamberlain just throw his first AAA game.This is his line:
5 IP around 90 pitches 4 hits 1 BB 10 SO
WoW!!I know.This is just one start and I check others’ pitchers in AAA team.Some of them are good as well.Don’t trade them.This is my opinion.
jennifer-
that would suck if he didn’t.
This is a weird thing to consider. I think he’ll launch one tonight making this story moot, but it is fun to think about.
Pete, why don’t you answer people’s emails?
What was the score for the game suspended, at Baltimore? I forget
it’ll be the most celebrated 493rd HR of all-time
Peter: I am serious. I don’t see why he needs to be in the lineup either, as it seems to me that if the Yankees can’t hold a 2 run lead over 2 innings they don’t deserve the win. I just think keeping him out will let things fall into place. What if he hits number 500 tonight and it turns out to be 501. Then the person who caught it doesn’t have a piece of history, a piece of memorabilia sure to be worth a lot of money, but rather has a worthless ball with all the stuff MLB put on it.
8-6
The person who caught A-Rod’s number 499 is praying very hard for A-Rod to hit one homer in the shortened game in Baltimore. That 499 turned into 500 becomes a rarity, worth a lot of money.
What if the game goes extra innings and he hits 2?? 498 becomes 500. When was 498? This is confusing.
Thanks, luke
Larry, no the point would not be mute. Last nights would still be 500 and if he hit one tonight it would be 501.
Sean- that isn’t Pete, if you look thru other posts, Pete’s name appears with a line under it. It is some kid impersonating him.
Ed- no one caught it, it went to the grass near the fountain.
Pete, you just blew my mind.
“Peter: I am serious. I don’t see why he needs to be in the lineup either, as it seems to me that if the Yankees can’t hold a 2 run lead over 2 innings they don’t deserve the win. I just think keeping him out will let things fall into place. What if he hits number 500 tonight and it turns out to be 501. Then the person who caught it doesn’t have a piece of history, a piece of memorabilia sure to be worth a lot of money, but rather has a worthless ball with all the stuff MLB put on it.”
i’m with Peter, again, you can’t be serious, can you?
you want the yankees to take their best player out of a close game that they desperately need to win so a fan can have a valuable piece of “memorabilia”??
seriously, i don’t mean to sound harsh, but this has to be the nuttiest thing i have ever read on this blog.
EdFl,
There would be no way to verify the authenticity of the ball he hit out last night, so they would probably have a tough time selling it.
As for the special balls, they are all individually numbered, so someone who catches a foul ball won’t be able to claim they have the home run ball.
How is that not Pete? Look at the color of the box, it’s not white or blue…
Baltimore game was 8-6 Yankees top of the 8th 2 outs. Mark Feisand on this blog has a pretty good recap of what is allowed and not alllowed according to mlb rules.
Couple of other off field things that I found of interest this AM.
1. The New York Post had to print a rather large correction in today’s paper saying that Steve Swindal was NOT in the organization meetings the other day. I wonder why it was such a big deal and it must be getting ugly.For someone who seemed to be the heir apparent he really has fallen.
2. Also read a story about the travelling secretary and how some of the information on his issues have come from interviews with players and the articlesuggested that Jason Giambi was one of those players. How many investigations will Jason be involved in this year??
3. Got an email from Yankees.com about Yankee Stadium Scoreboard auction. Basically a row of lights from the scoreboard along with the electrical stuff b ehind it from one that was used 1976 until 2004. I am sorry BUT this game used auction stuff has really gotten out of control and pretty cheesy as far as I am concerned.
“Sean- that isn’t Pete, if you look thru other posts, Pete’s name appears with a line under it. It is some kid impersonating him.”
i’m pretty sure it’s Pete.
That would be great if this happened.
So how come Andy Phillips is listed as having 2 Home Runs this season?
Everyone seems to be counting his Home Run from that suspended game in his season stats.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/.....atsId=7404
The game log for June shows 1 in the total, but there is no entry for June 28th.
Pete has a way of “authenticating” his posts. Our comments alternate with blue and white backgrounds. Pete’s are yellow.
“If the Yankees can’t hold a two run lead oveer two innings they don’t deserve to win”.
If A-Rod hits a 3 run bomb and the bullpen ends up giving up three more runs, the Yankees absolutely deserve to win, 11-9.
Plus, for the guys at the back of the bullpen (read: MO) this is the same thing as a doubleheader. If A-Rod’s “493rd” HR (or a double or a run-scoring single) helps keep Mo from having to pitch two games in one day, that would be huge. These are the kinds of things you should be focused on Sean, not conspiracy theories which Selig would be crazy to pursue anyway, given all of the other scandals that all these Commissioners are dealing with now.
Hmmm: I’m brand new to posting on this blog so I wouldn’t recognize Pete. I am not suggesting they keep him out. I was just asking if MLB might, I repeat might, consider putting some pressure on the Yanks to keep him out. I want A-rod to stay in. I couldn’t care less about the guy who got or gets the ball. However, it is true that if the Yanks can’t hold on to a 2 run lead over 2 innings they don’t deserve the win. Kind of like every other save situation…
i’m pretty sure that is Pete. i think he mentioned having a filter for people who try to post as him.
It’s yellow. Who knows what happened to the underline though.
the alternate universes theory has been around a long time already… nothing new here.
“I was just asking if MLB might, I repeat might, consider putting some pressure on the Yanks to keep him out. I want A-rod to stay in.”
ok, gotcha. i am very relieved to read this.
i still don’t think MLB would ever do this, but i am glad you were not in favor of this idea.
“However, it is true that if the Yanks can’t hold on to a 2 run lead over 2 innings they don’t deserve the win. Kind of like every other save situation…”
yes and no. the yankees have to play another game right after this. they have to weigh the benefits of using Rivera or Vizcaino when they might need them again later that night.
it’s a little more complicated than every other save situation.
It isn’t Pete, Pete’s name appears smaller than ours and has a line under it.
jennifer,
Pete’s posts are yellow. What does your pseudo-Pete post look like? If it’s blue or white it’s fake.
* Ray was placed on the DL tonight, so the Orioles will have a new pitcher when the game resumes on Friday.
damn i wanted us to continue to hit him
Pete, you just sprained my brain.
his post appeared as white. I never realized that petes are yellow too.
I think you absolutely play to win the suspended game. You already know you’re 7/9 of the way there–finish the job. We don’t know if the Yankee starterfor game 2 will get pounded or if the Yankees will score 21 runs in the next game, but we do know there’s a good chance to win now, so if Viz and Mo are needed, use them.
But some more runs in the top of the 1st, I mean 8th, will prevent that, by all means Yankees, step on their proverbial throats.
I doubt A-Rod is too worried about that but again that’s really strange.
I really hope this happens. These kinds of possibilities and quirks are why I love baseball. Now I am sitting at work perma-grinned. Thanks!
Such a trip- I caught Mike and Mike (Timmay K fillin in for the big guy) this AM rapping about this and it struck me as odd. Whoever said it earlier was dead right. The guy holding onto 499 must be praying right now for a HR by A-Rod vs. BAL in the conclusion of the Orioles game.
And Larry, have you ever seen some of the times Pedro posts on this site? 1 am, 2 am, 4 am– and you expect him to answer every single email he gets? Go easy on the fella–
And I’ll answer your email for you– NO, the Yankees won’t be trading a bucket of balls, the hot dog vendor from the box seats, and Chase Wright for Big Mark Tex, Johan Santana or any other big names this July 31.
Think Ty Wiggy, Wilson Betemit, et al.
What would really be cool is if the resulting ripple in the space-time continuum actually changed history, resulting in the Yankees being 6-1/2 games *ahead* of the Red Sox in the AL East…
Some of you guys are just crazy. Pete was being cute with this post, he does not meant that if A-rod hits his 500th homerun in the make-up game it won’t count as his 500th homerun. That homerun will always be his 500th home run, it just gets recording under a game that happend a few weeks back. That ball is still the ball that is worth a fortune.
Okay that is Pete. LOL I emailed him to give him a heads up and he said it’s him.
To everyone saying that there will be no way of telling what ball is #500 (eg. a fan may claim a foul ball hit by A-Rod is #500)
On YES they showed what the balls looked like, and they had an “A” written on it in sharpie (or mechanically printed), and it had the number “30″ beneath it. It also has a hologram printed on the ball.
“30″ has no real significance to A-Rod, so it’s a safe bet that all of his special baseballs are numbered.
I’m not 100% sure if the Umpire looks at the ball before he hands it to the pitcher or not, but if he were to make a mental note of the number on the ball, they would be able to point out which one was the real dinger.
Just my two cents.
There is no one holding 499 – just arod. The homer was hit into the grassy field and officals probably picked it up and gave it to arod. So whether or not he hits a homer on the make up game, he’ll have the ball. If he doesn’t and he hits one out tonight and some fan catches it – *then* that guy will hope and pray Arod doesn’t homer in the Baltimore make up game.
His posts are the only posts that appear with a yellow background. Thats how I tell if its him or not.
Sad, that we even have to be sceptical thanks to the idiot who insists on impersonating him.. badly I might add.
Sunny 615:”There is no one holding 499 – just arod. The homer was hit into the grassy field and officals probably picked it up and gave it to arod. So whether or not he hits a homer on the make up game, he’ll have the ball. If he doesn’t and he hits one out tonight and some fan catches it – then that guy will hope and pray Arod doesn’t homer in the Baltimore make up game.”
I agree. I saw the batboy go up there and retrieve number 499. Now..whether he gave it to A-Rod or not may be discussed, but I truly doubt the batboy was told to get it and give it to someone else.
Most likely, A-Rod has number 499.
So in that case, maybe he DOES want to hit another homerun in tomorrow’s suspended game, because he would guarantee that he has the official #500 ball.
Innntriiiiiiiguing!
My screen doesn’t show Pete’s posts in yellow. Just usually the underline.
In the suspended game, Viz is not available because he was already used. The last pitcher in the game was Myers. They can start with him if they want to.
Doreen it is him. I emailed him to give him a heads up, and he told me it is him posting. He asked if his name was underlined and i told him it wasn’t. I guess he will look into it now.
But Jennifer –
You usually get a yellow background when Pete posts? I never have. Just weird, I guess. I’ve conditioned myself that the underline is what I need to look for. Thanks for taking the initiave and e-mail Pete directly.
I”ve never had a yellow background, but I always had the underline and smaller name. I guess there is a glitch right now.
Since vizciano was already used, and meyers was pitching that day I wonder who joe will use to pitch for the 2 innings I vote for Mo for 2 innings to nail this thing down.
In a weird situation like this I dont want tosee farney anywhere near this game.
also who’s throw day is it?
I can see joe giving one inning pettitte/clemens and one inning to mo
Torre is already known to shy away from using Mo 2 innings, but what if you really need Mo 3 hours later in the 2nd game? He would surely be unavailable to pitch.
I think it was great when they used Pettitte in a relief appearance earlier in the year, and I think it would be perfect to use a starting pitcher (whoever is on their throw day) to pitch two innings. He’s going to throw the pitches in the bullpen anyway, so why not make some use of it?
If Torre doesn’t decide to go that way, I bet he’ll either use Proctor or Villone.
We’ll see if i’m right.
But you win the game you know you can win. YOu don’t know what will happen in the next game. We can blow them away, than you won’t need him. You can’t worry about what might or might not happen.
Thanks Jennifer. You always have a way of getting right down to the problem.
I wouldn’t mind being in Baltimore tomorrow night. I’m so hyped up for the Yankees and they way their playing right now, including A-Rods accomplishments.You can just see the confidence in these guys when they’re at bat and out in the field. I’m just besides myself. Hard to celebrate at school and work when the people there are only two other people that are Yankee fans. A pretty brunette who only roots for Yankees because she likes watching A-Rod and Jeter. An older programmer who still lives in the Yankees past.
I don’t get this whole thing about marking the balls for the last 5 HRs. I understand why they would do it for #500, but are numbers 496-499 really valuable/meaningful for anyone? Now, given this time warp thing that could mess everyone up today, I can understand 499 (and they showed on YES last night the ballboy coming back with that ball), but why the rest??
Ooops, I didn’t mean “today” – I meant that could mess everyone up tomorrow.
“Pete was being cute with this post, he does not meant that if A-rod hits his 500th homerun in the make-up game it won’t count as his 500th homerun.”
actually, i do think that is exactly what he is saying.
officially, it would really be his 493rd HR.
“In the suspended game, Viz is not available because he was already used.”
good point.
that’s really just so stupid… Regardless of when the game started he would sitll be hitting it AFTER 499 others so it would technically be his 500th homerun
you’re right, it is silly.
but let’s say you caught the ball last night and he hit one in the suspended game.
wouldn’t you want to say you had the 500th ball?
Imagine, a team so powerful it can change the past…
A team..so determined on making a comeback, that they risk creating a rift in the time-space continuum in the name of baseball. I live for this.
^ New MLB advertisement
Why do you think they numbered his HR ball 499? Don’t you think MLB knew that about the postponed game and they numbered his ball 499 just in case that was really the 500 ball. Give them some credit
Steve, that makes sense that they would mark it, but A-Rod has the ball, so there really isn’t even a need to mark it. Nobody else will be trying to pass it off as number 500
Steve, they’ve been marking balls since he hit 495 I believe. The announcers (and ARod) has been talking about it for a while now.
This doesn’t begin to make sense. Why would the HR count as 493? If the suspended game’s finish is being played tommorow, then it should count as the HR number where A Rod is up to. It should get counted when it gets hit. This “time machine” thing is unheard of and crazy!
Does Phil Hughes really need another rehab start? Iggy Pop could pitch better than this guy.
YOO ALEX RODRIGUEZ….IS THE GODDDD of Baseball…f**k barry bonds…f**k every1 from da mets…and boston as well…anyone got a problem…suck a d**k…YANKEES IS MAKIN IT TO DA PLAYOFFS…AND WINNING THE WORLD SERIES FOR THE 27th time !!