Alex Rodriguez joins 600 home run club

NEW YORK, Aug. 4 (UPI) -- New York Yankee Alex Rodriguez became the seventh player in Major League Baseball history to hit 600 home runs with a first-inning shot Wednesday.

Rodriguez hit a 2-0 offering from Toronto's Shaun Marcum to dead center in Yankee Stadium in reaching the milestone. He hit home run No. 599 July 22 against Kansas City.

He is the youngest player to reach the 600 home run mark. He turned 35 last week. Babe Ruth hit his 600th when he was 36.

"It's an amazing accomplishment," Yankees Manager Joe Girardi told MLB.com. "I'm sure he's happy to be through it. I know how much Al just wants to get down to baseball and winning games and not be the talk right now, about when he's going to hit 600."

Yankees Managing General Partner Hal Steinbrenner issued a statement saying: "Congratulations to Alex on this great achievement and on adding another highlight to Yankees history. We are especially proud he accomplished this feat as a Yankee and here before the most loyal fans in baseball."

Rodriguez hit his first home run in 1995 while with the Seattle Mariners. He also played for Texas before joining the Yankees. He's in his 17th major league season.

The other players in the MLB 600 home run club (and their career home run totals) are: Barry Bonds (760), Henry Aaron (755), Babe Ruth (714), Willie Mays (660), Ken Griffey Jr. (630) and Sammy Sosa (609).

Rodriguez, however, has many critics who contend his accomplishment is tainted because of his admitted use of banned performance-enhancing substances while with the Texas Rangers.

Yankees broadcaster the YES Network reported that the home run ball was retrieved by a stadium security worker and handed over to the employee's supervisor.