A-Rod, Cont.

I've noted a few times the Yankees front office fighting A-Rod on his home run #660 milestone. They are not pleased. You know who are? Actual Yankees:

The Yankees front office might have a contractual score to settle, but the Yankees players and coaches seem to have fully embraced No. 13 in his pursuit of No. 660. I can’t assume that everyone in that clubhouse is willing to overlook his past mistakes, but the vibe around Rodriguez is far more positive than negative these days. One player who’s not particularly close to Rodriguez told me just the other day that Rodriguez has been a terrific presence in the clubhouse ever since he returned in spring training.

The front office might want to ignore the upcoming milestone, but it seems the players want to celebrate it.

“One of the greatest parts of my day is listening to those guys laughing,” Joe Girardi said. “I’m in my office, and the food room’s about a block away, and I can hear them. And a lot of times it’s the people around Alex, whether they’re laughing with him or at him, or however it might be. They’re having fun down there, and I think that’s important in our game, when you do this every day, that you really enjoy it. And he’s a big reason that happens.”