Infield single to opposite-field HR: Watch Alex Rodriguez's first and 3,000th hits
A-Rod's 3,000th hit was a HR off Justin Verlander
On July 9, 1994, an 18-year-old shortstop beat out a ground ball to third base at Fenway Park for his first career MLB hit. That kid was Alex Rodriguez:
On Friday night in the Bronx, A-Rod got another hit: his 3,000th, a home run into Yankee Stadium's right-field seats.
That familiar face you see on the mound is former AL Cy Young Award winner and 2011 AL MVP Justin Verlander in his second start of 2015.
As for the homer, it was the 667th of A-Rod's career. Coincidentally, A-Rod's former teammate Derek Jeter also homered at Yankee Stadium for his 3,000th hit.
The more the merrier?
In case you were wondering what's gonna happen to the ball A-Rod launched into the seats for No. 3,000 ... well ... it landed in the hands of noted ball hawk Zack Hample, who has written several books on how to catch baseballs at MLB games.