The New York Yankees Ignore Alex Rodriguez’s Home Run Milestone And Withhold $6 Million

The New York Yankees were supposed to pay Alex Rodriguez $6 million once he broke the home run milestone set by Willie Mays. Even Willie Mays acknowledges the achievement. But the New York Yankees no longer see A-Rod as worthy, following the steroid use controversy.

Sporting News shed light on what strategy the New York Yankees are taking with their contractual obligations to A-Rod.

“As others have noted, the Yankees front office seems intent on helping fans and perhaps members of the press begin to feel an inkling of sympathy for Rodríguez as the billion-dollar organization tries to maneuver its way out of its contractual agreement to pay A-Rod his $6 million bonus for passing Willie Mays on the career home run list—the first of several home run markers written into their contract. We will see if A-Rod will encroach on Ruth’s 714, Aaron’s 755 or even Bonds’ 762, and how the Yankees front office responds.”

The Yankees may try to drag this out in court. The deal was that every time Rodriguez met a home run milestone, the New York club would pay him and promote it as the club’s achievements. But the Yankees are suggesting things can’t be looked at in the same way.

Even after a one-year suspension, and presumably time away from steroids, Huffington Post tells how he’s proving himself as one of the Yankees’ best hitters again. So why does New York continue to punish him? Alex Rodriguez can still hit the balls the Yankees need him to hit, and even prove himself worthy of all the love New York has given him over the years.

But his comeback success is bound to have embarrassed the Yankees management staff, who secretly know they are a better New York team with him on it. As things are now, the Yankees can keep winning, and A-Rod can keep his steadily returning dignity.

Another conclusion that the Huffington Post enlightened us to is that Performance Enhancing Drugs may not enhance a player’s performance as much as we are led to believe, and that Rodriguez’s current performance is set to overturn that discussion. Perhaps hard work and skill trump PED use — and A-Rod has had a year on his own to approach baseball drug free.

The Yankees are now at the top of the American League East, and Alex Rodriguez’s role in that is undeniable. They’re on top, even though they’ve had some tough games and committed mistakes on the part of players other than A-Rod. The Yankees need to decide what is more valuable to them. Do they want to win, or do the New York Yankees want to continue to punish a player who can contribute immensely to a winning record?

[Photo by Jonathan Daniel / Getty Images]