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Alex Rodriguez launches home run in first spring at-bat

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Alex Rodriguez wastes little time in showing off his home run swing at spring training.Justin K. Aller/Getty Images

Alex Rodriguez wastes little time in showing off his home run swing at spring training.

TAMPA — Alex Rodriguez certainly hasn’t lost his flair for the dramatic.

A-Rod smacked a two-run home run on his first swing of the spring Thursday, one of the few highlights in the Yankees’ 13-4 loss to the Phillies in front of 7,897 fans at Steinbrenner Field.

“That was the last thing I was (expecting),” Rodriguez said. “I hadn’t taken a swing on live pitching. That was my first one. It caught me by surprise.”

“I hope it happens a lot more,” Joe Girardi added.

The home run — which came on a 1-0 changeup from left-hander Adam Morgan — was a sharp liner that cleared the left-field fence, delighting the home crowd.

It also delighted A-Rod, who is experiencing as stress-free a spring as a player could have. That’s a stark contrast from the demanding and hectic camp he faced a year ago as he came back from an 18-month layoff and one-year drug suspension.

“It’s fun, no doubt about it,” A-Rod said. “Obviously you’re not looking to hit home runs this early in spring or even to drive the ball; you’re looking to see the ball well and put good swings on it. There are going to be some good days and some bad days. For me, the biggest thing is I don’t have any distractions. I’m clear-headed, I’m coming in with a good attitude every day and I understand I have a purpose.

A-Rod seems to be rejuvenated after his fatigued end to last season.Chris O’Meara/AP

A-Rod seems to be rejuvenated after his fatigued end to last season.

“I don’t think I can compare last spring to any spring in my career. There were just so many unknowns, so many question marks. This year, I’m just clear.”

That clarity can be a game-changer according to Girardi, who has noticed a difference in A-Rod’s demeanor since he arrived in camp.

“It’s how you want all your players to feel. You don’t want something weighing them down from a mental standpoint,” Girardi said. “For him, there were so many questions coming into last spring, from how he would be received to how he would play at 39 years old to everything. He answered all those questions and now he doesn’t have to.”

Although A-Rod is no longer out to prove to the world — and himself — that he can still play the game, he knows that, at the age of 40 with two surgically repaired hips, he’ll have his doubters as long as he continues to lace up his spikes.

“As long as I play, I’m always going to have questions,” he said. “This is a results-oriented business. The team needs me to be productive in the middle of the lineup and bring some added value both in the clubhouse and on the field.”

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The doubts of a year ago may be gone, but A-Rod views this season as “a new challenge.” The primary issue is simply staying healthy, something that should be aided by his DH-only status.

“It certainly helps,” Rodriguez said. “I think just having one focus, to go out and be productive and create damage in the lineup versus having to play third base and maybe a little first base, that can be taxing, too, mentally, physically.

“I think with me, health is of the essence. Pacing yourself. I understand the job that I have to do and I know how to get it done. Health is key.”

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So are home runs, which the Yankees are counting on from the man that’s hit 687 of them in his career, more than anyone not named Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron or Babe Ruth.

“It’s been a long time since I hit a home run,” A-Rod said. “It was fun. Felt good.”

Tags:
alex rodriguez ,
new york yankees ,
mlb

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