Editing Alex Rodriguez (section)

====2007====
When Rodriguez reported to camp in 2007, he had reduced his [[body fat]] from 16% the year before to 9%. He made light of this fact during a ''[[Late Show with David Letterman]]'' sketch that was filmed during Spring training, which featured him shirtless being rubbed down with suntan lotion. He revealed to the press that he and Jeter were no longer close friends.<ref>{{cite news|date=February 20, 2007|title=A-Rod: friendship with Jeter has cooled|url=http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/17227890|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101101034524/http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/17227890|archive-date=November 1, 2010|access-date=May 30, 2010|website=[[NBC Sports]]|agency=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref> Rodriguez also reduced his high leg kick at the plate, increasing his bat speed, making him less-apt to strike out and a more dangerous hitter.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Heyman|first=Jon|date=April 23, 2007|title=Fun while it lasts|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/jon_heyman/04/23/scoop.monday/index.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070427211846/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/jon_heyman/04/23/scoop.monday/index.html|archive-date=April 27, 2007|access-date=April 27, 2007|magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]]}}</ref>

In the Yankees' fourth game of the season, Rodriguez hit two home runs against the [[Baltimore Orioles]] at [[Yankee Stadium (1923)|Yankee Stadium]], including his 14th-career [[grand slam (baseball)|grand slam]] to end the game. The [[walk-off home run|walk-off]] grand slam was the third of his career, tying the major league mark for game-ending grand slams shared by [[Vern Stephens]] and [[Cy Williams]].<ref>{{cite web|author=Hoch|first=Bryan|date=April 7, 2007|title=A-Rod rescues Yanks|url=http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/news/gameday_recap.jsp?ymd=20070407&content_id=1884768&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=nyy|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070409021943/http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/news/gameday_recap.jsp?ymd=20070407&content_id=1884768&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=nyy|archive-date=April 9, 2007|access-date=April 9, 2007|website=[[New York Yankees]]|publisher=[[MLB.com]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=April 7, 2007|title=A-Rod blasts two homers, has six RBIs in Yankees win|work=[[ESPN]]|agency=[[Associated Press]]|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=270407110|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070423165400/http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=270407110|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 23, 2007|access-date=April 7, 2007}}</ref> Rodriguez also began the season by becoming the ninth major leaguer—and first Yankee—to hit six home runs in the first seven games of the season. Rodriguez also became the first Yankee to hit seven home runs in the first ten games of the season.<ref>{{cite news|date=April 10, 2007|title=A-Rod sets tone early with sixth homer of season|work=[[ESPN]]|agency=[[Associated Press]]|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=270410109|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120526225511/http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=270410109|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 26, 2012|access-date=April 10, 2007}}</ref>

On April 23, Rodriguez became the first player in major league history to hit 14 home runs in a span of 18 games, and also tied the MLB record for most home runs in April. His total of 34 RBIs in April was one short of [[Juan González (baseball)|Juan González]]'s AL and MLB record.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com.au/mlb/news/story?id=5188282|title=New York 500 Club: Alex Rodriguez|work=ESPN.com|date=May 15, 2010|accessdate=June 1, 2024}}</ref> In a game against the Toronto Blue Jays on May 30, Rodriguez sparked controversy when he shouted during a routine play and an infielder let a pop fly drop, costing the Blue Jays three runs. The Yankees went on to win the game, 10–5.<ref>{{cite news|last=Picker|first=David|date=July 17, 2007|title=Rodriguez's Shouts Are History to Toronto|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/17/sports/baseball/17jays.html|access-date=May 30, 2010}}</ref> On July 12, Rodriguez hit his 150th career home run in a Yankees uniform. This made him the first, and so far only, player in major league history to ever hit 150 home runs for three different teams.<ref>{{cite web|last=Hoch|first=Bryan|date=August 5, 2010|title=A-Rod's homers blaze trail across baseball|url=http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?c_id=mlb&content_id=13058148&fext=.jsp&vkey=news_mlb&ymd=20100805|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105184441/http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?c_id=mlb&content_id=13058148&fext=.jsp&vkey=news_mlb&ymd=20100805|archive-date=November 5, 2013|access-date=August 18, 2012|website=[[New York Yankees]]|publisher=[[MLB.com]]}}</ref> He became the third player to hit at least 100 home runs for three teams, following [[Reggie Jackson]] and [[Darrell Evans]].<ref>{{cite web|date=May 8, 2014|title=Rangers' Adrian Beltre Becomes 5th Player to Hit 100 Home Runs with 3 Teams|url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2055966-rangers-adrian-beltre-becomes-5th-player-to-hit-100-home-runs-with-3-teams|access-date=December 1, 2018|website=[[Bleacher Report]]}}</ref>

Rodriguez hit his 500th career home run against pitcher [[Kyle Davies (baseball)|Kyle Davies]] of the [[Kansas City Royals]] on August 4. Rodriguez became the youngest player ever to [[500 home run club|reach 500 home runs]] at 32 years, 8 days.<ref name="youngest500">{{cite news|date=August 4, 2007|title=Rodriguez becomes youngest in baseball history to hit 500 home runs|url=https://www.espn.com/espn/wire/_/section/mlb/id/2961185|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170309175625/http://www.espn.com/espn/wire/_/section/mlb/id/2961185|archive-date=March 9, 2017|access-date=March 9, 2017|website=[[ESPN]]|agency=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref> He surpassed the nearly 67-year record held by [[Jimmie Foxx]], who hit his 500th home run at 32 years, 338 days during the final week of the 1940 major league baseball season.<ref name="youngest500"/> On September 25, Rodriguez became the fifth Major League player to record a 50-home run, 150-RBI season when he hit a grand slam.<ref>{{cite news|date=August 5, 2007|title=A-Rod Hits 500th HR As Yanks Beat Royals|url=http://channels.isp.netscape.com/sports/story.jsp?flok=FF-APO-2011&idq=/ff/story/0001%2F20070805%2F1015972261.htm&sc=2011&floc=NI-sp2|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090110184335/http://channels.isp.netscape.com/sports/story.jsp?flok=FF-APO-2011&idq=%2Fff%2Fstory%2F0001%2F20070805%2F1015972261.htm&sc=2011&floc=NI-sp2|archive-date=January 10, 2009|access-date=August 4, 2010|website=Netscape Sports|agency=Associated Press}}</ref> As of {{currentyear}}, Rodriguez is the most recent player to have recorded at least 150 RBIs in one season.<ref>{{cite web|title=Yearly League Leaders & Records for Runs Batted In|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/RBI_leagues.shtml|access-date=June 22, 2021|website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]}}</ref>

[[File:A-Rod3.jpg|thumb|right|Rodriguez batting in 2007]]
In 2007, Rodriguez became the first player in major league history to have at least 35 home runs, 100 runs, and 100 RBIs in 10 consecutive seasons, surpassing Jimmie Foxx (nine consecutive seasons). He led the AL in home runs (54), RBIs (156), slugging percentage (.645), [[On-base plus slugging|OPS]] (1.067), total bases (376), and times on base (299), and was second in hit by pitch (21), extra-base hits (85), and at bats per home run (10.8), fourth in on-base percentage (.422) and sacrifice flies (9), seventh in walks (95) and plate appearances (708), eighth in intentional walks (11), and ninth in games (158).<ref name="b-r" /> He led MLB in home runs and won his third Babe Ruth Home Run Award.<ref>{{cite news|date=June 21, 2008|title=Giese Error Leads To Four-Run Seventh As Reds Blank Yanks|work=[[WPXI]]|publisher=[[The Sports Network (wire service)|The Sports Network]]|url=http://www.wpxi.com/mlb/16674416/detail.html|url-status=dead|access-date=November 8, 2011|archive-url=https://archive.today/20111108215938/http://www.wpxi.com/mlb/16674416/detail.html|archive-date=November 8, 2011}}</ref>

After the season, Rodriguez was named the AL MVP for the third time in his career, receiving 26 first-place votes out of a possible 28.<ref>{{cite news|date=November 19, 2007|title=A-Rod wins third MVP but denied unanimous selection|url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=3119020|access-date=August 4, 2010|website=[[ESPN]]|agency=Associated Press}}</ref> He also won the Silver Slugger Award for his position,<ref>{{cite web|title=MLB – awards|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/awards/pa|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100616041016/http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/awards/pa|archive-date=June 16, 2010|access-date=August 4, 2010|website=[[Yahoo!]]|publisher=}}</ref> the Players Choice Award for Outstanding AL Player, and the Players Choice Award for Player of the Year.<ref>{{cite web|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071109113047/https://mlb.mlb.com/pa/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071027&content_id=2284247&vkey=mlbpa_news&fext=.jsp|url=https://mlb.mlb.com/pa/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071027&content_id=2284247&vkey=mlbpa_news&fext=.jsp|title=A-Rod, Hunter earn top awards|work=MLB.com|date=October 27, 2007|archivedate=November 9, 2007|accessdate=June 1, 2024}}</ref>