Alex Rodriguez had his own personal doubleheader on Friday, first with an agreement that will allow him to take possession of the baseball he smacked for his 3,000th hit and then with a deal that resolved his longstanding dispute with the Yankees over a $6 million home run bonus. In both cases, the biggest beneficiaries will be designated charities.
First, the baseball. The Yankees announced that Zack Hample, the fan who grabbed Rodriguez’s 3,000th hit after it soared into the right-field stands for a first-inning home run at Yankee Stadium on June 19, had reached an agreement to present the ball to Rodriguez before Friday night’s game in the Bronx between the Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays.