4. Aug. 4, 2007 — No. 500
In an MVP season which saw the third baseman undoubtedly dominate American League pitching, there was one plateau to overcome. Of his 54 homers in 2007, no home run was larger than the one that made him the youngest man to reach 500 career round-trippers.
On a sizzling August afternoon in the Bronx, A-Rod stepped up in the first inning and saw a pitch he liked from Royals starter, Kyle Davies. With the offering right in his wheelhouse, he hooked it just inside the left field foul pole, admiring it as a packed Yankee Stadium crowd went into a frenzy.
Not only did they witness a milestone but they witnessed history. Rodriguez became a full-time player in 1996. It only took him a little more than a decade to reach 500 long balls.
Incredible.
