The surprising A-Rod, Yankees reach post-season

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[October 02, 2015]  By Larry Fine
 
 NEW YORK (Reuters) - The New York Yankees reaching another post-season may seem like one of the most monotonous of baseball storylines, but not in 2015 and not with 40-year-old Alex Rodriguez leading the way.

The Yankees and Rodriguez, seen as over-the-hill heading into the 2015 campaign, returned to the post-season for the first time since 2012 with a 4-1 victory over their arch-rival Boston Red Sox on a rainy Thursday.

"This year was different," said Rodriguez, champagne pouring down his face. "This was probably the first year since I've been here in '04 that we were underdogs.

"With all the stuff that I went through in '14, I talked about how dark those days were, to come back this year and be part of such a special team, such special guys. We truly are a family and we've built a great brotherhood in here."

A crowd much smaller than the announced 40,000 braved a wet, chilly evening to see the Yankees post the win that clinched a wild card berth.

Rodriguez did not supply a home run, leaving that to Carlos Beltran and late-season rookie call-ups Greg Bird and Rob Refsnyder, while Rodriguez had a walk and single.

But it was A-Rod's hitting this season that helped drive the team to the playoffs.

Returning after a one-season ban for violating MLB's drug program, Rodriguez belted 33 home runs and drove in 86 runs in New York's drive back to the playoffs.

"For Alex to come in and have the year that he had this year was outstanding and it was a big lift for us," said manager Joe Girardi.

"I think it's extremely gratifying with what we've went through this year, where people figured we would be at the end of the year.

"We had a lot of injuries, we had age on this team. But they always kept fighting."

Along the way, Rodriguez achieved a clutch of milestones.

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He became the 29th player to amass 3,000 hits and rose to fourth on the all-time home run list behind Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth.

In 2013, Rodriguez hit just seven home runs and drove in 19 in 44 games after a late start following hip surgery.

Rodriguez, who had admitted before the 2009 season that he used steroids while with the Texas Rangers after receiving a record 10-year, $250 million deal, was called A-Roid and A-Fraud in the tabloids and from the stands.

Now he has been embraced as a model of redemption by Yankees fans and on Thursday was announced as a finalist for the Comeback Player of the Year award given by the Players Association.

"I do take a minute to feel extremely grateful for the opportunity that I've gotten," Rodriguez said.

"In January, honestly, my number one goal was to make the team and they gave me an opportunity and I'm thankful for it."

(Editing by Greg Stutchbury)

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