Like other Yankees fans, Ira Riklis is waiting for the one good swing that will give A-Rod his 600th career home run. He’s been standing at 599 for three days now, so it shouldn’t be too much longer. But he could have been stalled for sometime after being hit in the hand by a pitch during yesterday’s game against the Kansas City Royals. It happened in the 8th inning with the bases loaded. The ball careened off his hand and A-Rod hit the dirt, which led to some anxious moments for the team and fans. But in the end, the damage was limited to a bruise and A-Rod earned a base, which drove in another run in the 12-6 Yankees victory.
When it was all over A-Rod laughed the incident off and expressed his disappointment that he couldn’t have belted his 600th in front of home fans at Yankees Stadium. For now, fans like Ira Riklis are content to know that their team has won 14 out their last 18 games and sit alone atop the Major League standings. Like their team, they’re focused on the future. A-Rod alluded to their main goal when he said: “Hopefully, some of these fans will come back in October and we’ll give them some real moments.”