A-Rod Speaks to Media Throng

BALTIMORE -- Alex Rodriguez rejoined the Yankees Friday afternoon, taking his customary No. 4 spot in the lineup.

He homered on the first pitch he saw, a 97 mph offering from Jeremy Guthrie, giving New York an early 3-0 lead.

The only thing less surprising than the home run or the fans booing and holding up foam syringes was the small army of scribes, television reporters, microphones and cameras that awaited him before his first at-bat. (FanHouse counted more than 30 reporters in the visitor's clubhouse just after 4 PM ET, and that number swelled as Rodriguez's address of the media grew closer.)

After the jump are the highlights of A-Rod's session with the media.

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• Rodriguez on if there is enough time for him to "reclaim" his good name with nine years left on his contract with the Yankees: "I don't know, I really don't know," the slugger said, pausing dramatically. "Look I've made a lot of mistakes in my career. They've been well documented. I think I've paid my price, but I'm really excited about the present and future, and those are the only things I can control from here on out.

"I think it's important for me to play baseball and do what I do. ... I can't control [public perception]. I have nine more years to make a difference."

• On if he took steroids in high school: Rodriguez initially refused to answer questions about Selena Roberts' book A-Rod. When pressed on if he took steroids or other performance-enhancing drugs in high school, he said: "The answer to your question is no."

• On the pressure to perform and be a "savior," in the words of one probing reporter, for a slumping Yankees team: "I'm excited to ... help the team win," he said. "I think the time off was nice. I was able to rethink a lot of things, refocus on baseball and I'm very excited about this year.

"If we don't win and I do great, it doesn't matter. If I stink and we win, that's the only thing that matters."

• On him helping the slumping lineup: "I hope it helps everybody. When you have a full deck, a full lineup, I know that having guys like Johnny [Damon] and Jetes [Derek Jeter] and Tex [Mark Teixeira] in front of me helps me," he said. "I think it's gonna be very helpful for all of us."

• On his injured hip: Rodriguez said in a "perfect world" doctors would have given him a few more weeks to fully heal, but said the Yankees "don't have that luxury."

He said there is a 50-50 chance that surgeons will have to do a second procedure on his hip after the season and that he has closely monitored the progress of Mike Lowell and Chase Utley, two players who had a similar surgery done in the offseason.

• On the reception he expects to receive from fans tonight in Baltimore. "Considering we have Tex and I batting back-to-back, hopefully by the ninth we wear 'em down a little bit."

• On his communication with the club and teammates during his time on the disabled list: Rodriguez said he had stayed in contact with almost everyone on the roster during his absence and talked to manager Joe Girardi "almost daily."

• The bookends to his briefing: "I'm excited. I've been waiting for this day for a long time. It's been a long road," Rodriguez said. "I'm worried about my book. I think I still have an opportunity with nine years remaining to have a happy ending."