Watch: A-Rod hits 660th HR, ties Willie Mays for 4th on all-time list

Yankees DH Alex Rodriguez hits 660th career home run, ties Willie Mays for fourth on all-time list

Author:
SI Wire
Publish date:
Apr 24, 2015

New York Yankees designated hitter Alex Rodriguez has tied Hall of Famer Willie Mays for fourth on baseball’s all-time list with the 660th home run of his career.

Rodriguez tied the historic mark as a pinch-hitter after driving a 3-0, 94 MPH fastball from Boston Red Sox reliever Junichi Tazawa over Fenway Park's Green Monster in left field in the eighth inning of Friday's game. The Yankees won 3–2.

Rodriguez’s sixth home run of the season broke a 2–2 tie in the opening game of the weekend series.

The 39-year-old, three-time American League Most Valuable Player, will likely have a fight on his hands with the Yankees concerning milestone bonuses tied to him breaking some of MLB’s most hallowed records.

A marketing contract that Rodriguez signed in 2007 called for him paid $6 million upon tying Mays on the home run list.

He is to receive another $6 million if he ties Babe Ruth’s 714 home runs, $6 million if he ties Hank Aaron (755) and another $6 million if passes Barry Bonds (762) to become baseball's all-time home run leader.

How many home runs would A-Rod have if he had stayed healthy, clean?

The Yankees reportedly refuse to pay any of that money after Rodriguez admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs and was suspended for the entire 2014 season because of his ties to a now-defunct South Florida clinic that distributed PEDs to dozens of major league players.

If the Yankees don’t pay him, Rodriguez will likely file a grievance with the Major League Baseball Players Association that will likely end up in arbitration, according to a report from the New York Post.

The Yankees did acknowledge Rodriguez's home run on Twitter Friday night:

GALLERY: The 500 Home Run club

The 500 Home Run Club

Barry Bonds | 762

Bonds became the 17th member of the 500 club on April 17, 2001, in San Francisco with a two-run homer off Los Angeles' Terry Adams. Bonds passed Hank Aaron as baseball's all-time home run king in his final season, although many believe Aaron still remains the king.

Hank Aaron | 755

Hammerin' Hank never hit as many as 50 homers in a season, but he did hit 40 or more eight times. He became the eighth member of the club on July 14, 1968, in Atlanta with a three-run homer off San Francisco's Mike McCormick.

Babe Ruth | 714

Mark Rucker/Transcendental Graphics/Getty Images

Ruth was the first man in major league history to hit 30, 40, 50 and 60 homers. The Bambino became the charter member of the 500 club on Aug. 11, 1929, in Cleveland with a solo homer off Willis Hudlin.

Alex Rodriguez | 685 (through Sept. 13, 2015)

On August 4, 2007, just eight days after his 32nd birthday, Alex Rodriguez became the youngest player in major league history to hit 500 homers, joining the club with a three-run, first-inning homer on the first pitch he saw from Kansas City right-hander Kyle Davies.

Willie Mays | 660

Bob Gomel/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images

The Say Hey Kid led the NL in homers four times and posted 11 30-homer seasons. He became the sixth member of the club on Sept. 13, 1965, in Houston with a solo homer off Don Nottebart.

Ken Griffey Jr. | 630

Long seen as a lock to overtake Hank Aaron's all-time home run mark, Griffey was slowed by injuries and his march reduced to a crawl. The Kid hit only 43 home runs in three seasons -- 2001, '02 and '03 -- before finally reaching the 500 mark on June 20, 2004, in a 6-0 win at St. Louis, with his father in attendance.

Jim Thome | 612

Jim Thome's 500th home run came in style. On Sept. 16, 2007, with the score tied 7-7 in the bottom of the ninth, Thome blasted a two-run, walkoff shot off Dustin Moseley to beat the Angels 9-7.

Sammy Sosa | 609

The only player with three 60-homer seasons, Sosa holds the record for most home runs over a five-year span (292 between 1998-2002). Sosa became the 18th member of the club on April 4, 2003, with a solo shot at Cincinnati off reliever Scott Sullivan.

Frank Robinson | 586

Robinson was the first player to hit 200 home runs in both leagues and is the only man to win MVP awards in both leagues. He became the 11th member of the club on Sept. 13, 1971, in Baltimore with a two-run homer off Detroit's Fred Scherman.

Mark McGwire | 583

McGwire topped 50 homers in four consecutive seasons (1996-99) and reached 500 the quickest in terms of games (1,639) and at-bats (5,487). Big Mac became the 16th member of the club on Aug. 5, 1999, in St. Louis with a solo homer off San Diego's Andy Ashby.

Harmon Killebrew | 573

Killebrew hit 40 or more homers eight times and led the AL in homers six times. Killer became the 10th member of the club on Aug. 10, 1971, in Minnesota with a solo homer off Baltimore's Mike Cuellar. Killebrew hit No. 501 in the same game, also off Cuellar.

Rafael Palmeiro | 569

The only player in history to post eight consecutive 38-homer seasons, Palmeiro is the second member of the 500-home run club born outside the U.S. (also Sammy Sosa). Palmeiro became the 19th member on May 11, 2003, with a three-run homer off Cleveland's David Elder.

Reggie Jackson | 563

Jackson hit 23 or more home runs in 13 consecutive seasons between 1969-80. He became the 13th member of the club on Sept. 17, 1984, in Anaheim with a solo homer off Kansas City's Bud Black.

Albert Pujols | 555 (through Sept. 13, 2015)

With a pair of home runs against Washington in Los Angeles' 7-2 win on April 22, 2014, Pujols became just the 26th player in baseball history to reach 500 career homers. Pujols is the first player to hit his 499th and 500th career homers in the same game and joins Alex Rodriguez as the only active players in baseball to be a part of that group.

Manny Ramirez | 555

Manny Ramirez connected for career homer No. 500 on May 31, 2008, hitting a drive off Orioles righty Chad Bradford to become the 24th major leaguer to reach the milestone.

Mike Schmidt | 548

A three-time MVP, Schmidt led the NL in home runs eight times. He became the 14th member of the club on April 18, 1987, in Pittsburgh with a three-run homer off Don Robinson.

Mickey Mantle | 536

Mantle, who also hit a record 18 home runs in the World Series, led the American League in homers four times. The Commerce Comet became the sixth member of the club on May 14, 1967, in New York with a solo homer off Baltimore's Stu Miller.

Jimmie Foxx | 534

Foxx hit 30 or more homers in 12 consecutive seasons between 1929-40. Double X became the second member of the club on Sept. 24, 1940, in Philadelphia with a solo homer off George Caster.

Ted Williams | 521

Williams led the American League in home runs four times and won the Triple Crown twice. The Splendid Splinter became the fourth member of the club on June 17, 1960, in Cleveland with a two-run homer off Wynn Hawkins.

Willie McCovey | 521

McCovey led the National League in home runs three times (1963, '68 and '69). Stretch became the 12th member of the club on June 30, 1978, in Atlanta with a solo homer off Jamie Easterly.

Frank Thomas | 521

Frank Thomas joined the 500 home run club when he drilled a three-run shot in the first inning on June 28, 2007. The homer off a 1-2 pitch by Minnesota's Carlos Silva traveled an estimated 396 feet and into the left-field stands of the Metrodome. The Big Hurt hit 52 career homers against the Twins, his most against any team and the most by any player against Minnesota.

Eddie Mathews | 512

Mathews hit 30 or more home runs in nine consecutive seasons (1953-61), a National League record. He became the eighth member of the club on July 14, 1967, in San Francisco with a three-run homer off Juan Marichal.

Ernie Banks | 512

Mr. Cub topped the 40-homer mark five times while playing shortstop. He became the ninth member of the club on May 12, 1970, in Chicago with a solo homer off Atlanta's Pat Jarvis.

Mell Ott | 511

Ott hit 30 or more home runs eight times and led the NL in home runs six times. Master Melvin became the third member of the 500 club on Aug. 1, 1945, in New York with a solo homer off Boston's Johnny Hutchings.

Gary Sheffield | 509

After eight teams and 22 years, Gary Sheffield joined the 500 home run club on April 17, 2009, with a solo shot in the seventh inning off Brewers' reliever Mitch Stetter. It was Sheffield's first homer -- and hit -- after signing with the Mets.

Eddie Murray | 504

Murray, who never hit more than 33 homers in a season, is one of four players with 500 homers and 3,000 hits. Eddie Murray became the 15th member of the 500 club on Sept. 6, 1996, in Baltimore with a solo homer off Detroit's Felipe Lira.

David Ortiz | 500 (through Sept. 13, 2015)

Chris O'Meara/AP; Brian Blanco/Getty Images

Ortiz homered twice to become the 27th player in major league history to reach 500 homers, as the Red Sox beat the Rays 10-4 on Sept. 12, 2015. Big Papi has 50 multi-homer games in a 19-year career. He joined Albert Pujols as the only players to hit both 499 and 500 in the same game.

- Scooby Axson