Yankees fans thrilled to witness Alex Rodriguez's 600th home run

Yankees fans thrilled to witness Alex Rodriguez's 600th home run

 

 

Fans celebrate Alex Rodriguez's 600th home run.

 

 

 

NEW YORK — Keith Till and Julie Kirtland arrived just in time to see history.

After doing some online research on where Rodriguez’s historic homer would likely land, Till bought a pair of $75 seats in Section 136, in hopes of snagging the historic ball. The plan hit a snag when Kirtland, an A-Rod fan since his days in Seattle, insisted on buying a 600th homer T-shirt from a vendor in the subway.

Till and Kirtland, both of Hoboken, didn’t enter the ballpark until Nick Swisher was hitting in the first inning.

They jogged the concourse, showing their tickets to Section 136 just as the umpires switched out regular baseballs for marked ones that have been used during A-Rod’s at-bats. And within moments, they were on their feet again, watching as Rodriguez made a jog that only six other men have made, rounding the bases after home run No. 600.

“It was amazing,” said Kirtland, who wore a shirt that declared “I Heart A-Rod.” “It’s my first game of the season. It was really exciting to be here for his 600th home run, very exciting.”

Said Till: “We were lucky enough to get here at the right time.”

But Till and thousands of others, missed out on catching the historic home run ball, as did the bulging crowds who were on hand during the Yankees’ recent road trip.

 

In Cleveland, fans flooded the left-field home run porch for each of his at-bats, standing shoulder-to-shoulder from the railing atop the outfield fence all the way back to the iron stadium gates.

In St. Petersburg, Fla., the Yankees played before three sellout crowds. Fans crammed into the left-field stands, unfurling homemade targets whenever Rodriguez came to bat, just one swing from history. Between plate appearances they debated what they would do if they were to catch the ball, valued by some at $100,000.

Today, back in the Bronx, fans watched the ball sail into the netting that protects Monument Park in center field, where 23-year-old Yankee Stadium employee Frankie Babilonia retrieved the ball.

“I was like speechless,” said Babilonia, who received a signed bat from Rodriguez. “I was like, ‘Wow! There goes the ball!’ ”

Joe Dellaccio, of Totowa, had hoped to catch the ball. He broke from his routine. Instead of buying his regular seats in Section 117 down the first-base line, he bought tickets to Section 136. He felt so confident that it was Rodriguez’s time that he brought his 2-year-old son, Antonio, to his first baseball game.

“I knew (A-Rod) was due today,” said Dellaccio.

Marc Carig: mcarig@starledger.com