A-Rod got a pretty big hand from the Yankee Stadium crowd when he was introduced:

“I was actually surprised that I got an invitation. Honored and very happy. I obviously told my daughters right away, and it’s a great thrill,” A-Rod said about his Old Timers’ Day debut”… It’s nice to be back in the fold. I’m excited to be back. I’m very proud of my time in New York, and I’m very proud of being part of a championship team. So happy to be back.”

A-Rod’s time with the Yankees was complicated, to say the least. Undeniably a great player — Rodriguez is top 10 in Yankees history in home runs, WAR, etc. — he also served a yearlong performance-enhancing drug suspension in 2014, and threatened to sue MLB, the Yankees, and their team doctor as part of the appeal process. The litigation was later dropped.

The Yankees do not win the 2009 World Series without Rodriguez, who hit .365/.500/.808 with six home runs and 18 RBI in 15 games that postseason. A-Rod was not named ALCS MVP (that was Sabathia) or World Series MVP (Hideki Matsui), but he was New York’s best player that October. Celebrating the 2009 World Series without him would have been kind of silly.

Rodriguez has been to Yankee Stadium as a broadcaster for ESPN and Fox several times over the years, but Saturday was his first time back in a ceremonial capacity with the Bombers. To some extent, the fences are being mended. Could that lead to Rodriguez one day being inducted in Monument Park? That’s up to Yankees brass. He said it would be an honor though.

“I’ve thought about it,” Rodriguez said about the possibility of Monument Park (“I would love to be in, but obviously, that’s not my decision. I honor everything about the New York Yankees, and it would be an honor.”

Several Yankees Old Timers, including David Cone and Lou Piniella (A-Rod’s first MLB manager with the Seattle Mariners), said Rodriguez belongs in Monument Park. Others ducked the question, including Sabathia, Derek Jeter, and Jorge Posada. “I don’t make those decisions, man,” Jeter said ).

A-Rod would not be the only person in Monument Park with a complicated history with the Yankees. Billy Martin, for example, had five stints as Yankees manager and once said Reggie Jackson and George Steinbrenner deserved each other because “one’s a born liar, the other’s convicted.” That prompted his resignation in 1978. Martin’s No. 1 was retired in 1986.

The Yankees could honor A-Rod in Monument Park without retiring No. 13. Goose Gossage, Tino Martinez, Willie Randolph, and others have plaques in Monument Park but have not had their numbers retired by the Yankees. It doesn’t have to happen right away either. Paul O’Neill last played in 2001. His plaque was dedicated in 2014, and his No. 21 was retired in 2022.

The Monument Park decision will be made by chairman Hal Steinbrenner and other high-level executives. For now, A-Rod made his first Old Timers’ Day appearance with the Yankees on Saturday, potentially opening the door for him to be recognized by the organization in a more long-lasting capacity.