Alex Rodriguez Ties Willie Mays for 4th Place on MLB's All-Time Home Run List

Alex Rodriguez is officially tied for fourth with Willie Mays on MLB's all-time home run list, per MLB.com's Bryan Hoch, after hitting the 660th home run of his career against the Red Sox on May 1.

There's a clause in A-Rod's contract that is supposed to lead to a $6 million bonus for the historic accomplishment, but on May 2, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said the Yankees don't plan to honor the fee.

ESPNNewYork.com's Wallace Matthews had more from Cashman, speaking before Saturday's Yankees-Red Sox game at Fenway Park:

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We have the right but not the obligation to do something, and that's it. We're going to follow the contract as we follow all contracts, so there is no dispute, from our perspective. ...

We're going to honor our responsibilities of the contract. (But) how it's been reported . . . and what the contract actually says are two different things. It's not "you do this, you get that." It's completely different. It's not all of a sudden, we're choosing not to do something. If we choose to pursue something we'll choose to pursue it. If we choose not to, it's our right not to. In both cases, we're honoring the contract.

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Matthews also laid out more details on the situation and what the contract says:

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According to multiple reports, the deal was drawn up as an addendum to the 10-year, $275 million contract Rodriguez signed with the Yankees after opting out of his previous contract in 2007. It is said to call for five payments of $6 million for reaching the following home run milestones: 660 (Willie Mays' total), 714 (Babe Ruth), 755 (Hank Aaron), 762 (Barry Bonds) and 763, which would break Bonds' all-time record. ...

A source who was involved in the drafting of the agreement told ESPNNewYork.com that the numbers are explicitly spelled out in the contract; the Yankees contend that the bonuses are contingent upon the club's ability to market the accomplishment, which they contend is impossible now due to Rodriguez's admissions of, and punishment for, illegal PED usage.

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MLB.com showed the home run:

Patrick Semansky/Associated Press

Barry Bonds congratulated Rodriguez on the accomplishment:

Katie Sharp of River Avenue Blues reported it was Rodriguez's first home run as a pinch hitter.

Rodriguez spoke about the at-bat and the achievement after the game, via MLB.com:

Alex Speier of The Boston Globe provided more details:

While Rodriguez once seemed a genuine threat to Bonds for the top spot, many wondered over the last year whether A-Rod would even reach Mays. Entering the season, the 39-year-old needed six home runs to tie Mays and seven to pass the legendary outfielder.

Rodriguez's power numbers have declined over the last few years, and there was no telling how he'd perform in 2015 after missing the entire 2014 season.

But then the year started, and the A-Rod of present looked like the A-Rod of old. MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince joked that a lot has changed in the space of a year:

FiveThirtyEight's Nate Silver thinks Rodriguez could present a major litmus test for baseball writers if he continues swinging the bat this well:

Whatever the ruling regarding Rodriguez's contract, the focus will now shift to whether he can pass Babe Ruth for third on the all-time list. The Sultan of Swat had 714 home runs over his illustrious career.

It would take a Herculean effort for Rodriguez to reach that total in 2015, but he could reasonably reach Ruth in 2016.