The lightning rod of attention, Alex Rodriguez celebrates his 39 birthday today quietly and without much fanfare. Since his highly criticized fight with MLB and Bud Selig over the Biogenesis scandal, A-Rod has done a good job of lying low and staying out of the media this year. In taking the proper steps to return to the Yankees next year, Rodriguez has dropped all his lawsuits and is mending the fences for the 2015 season. “He has full intentions on playing in 2015,” A-Rod spokesman Ron Berkowitz said after Rodriguez dropped his final lawsuit against Yankee team doctor Chris Ahmad in June.
The only A-Rod blip we’ve seen this summer is from the new book that came out this month, Blood Sport: Alex Rodriguez, Biogenesis and the Quest to End Baseball’s Steroid Era. The book reveled that A-Rod received a special exemption from Major League Baseball to use testosterone during his 2007 MVP season. It just adds another twist in the already dramatic baseball career of A-Rod. Lets be honest he has gotten a raw deal, and there is no denying that Bud Selig has a personal vendetta against A-Rod, but that still has not changed the minds of some people. But when it’s all said and done the Yankees will look to embrace his return next year. Rodriguez is coming up on few huge career milestones, he is 61 hits away 3000 career hits, a rare milestone in today’s game. He is also six home runs away from passing Willie Mays (660) on the all-time home run list. Both will be huge selling points for the Yankees next year, who continue to struggle with ticket sales. For the good, the bad, and ugly bringing A-Rod back next year might be the best financial move the Yankees can make, because 61 million dollars is a lot to eat even for Hal and Hank. With that being said Happy birthday Alex and we hope to see in the spring, ready to play.
