Yankee camp tranquil no more: A-Rod has landed

TAMPA -- The rumbling began Monday morning, slowly building into a crescendo, sending fans into a tizzy, reporters scurrying, and everyone pushing and shoving to take a look for themselves.

The New York Yankees, after four dull days of spring-training camp, drawing paltry crowds and interest, reverted back to being the Yankees again.

The Bronx Zoo was restored.

The good ol' days are here again.

Alex Rodriguez is back.

He even managed to irritate the Yankees on his first day in camp.

"There were plenty of mistakes I made along the way,'' Rodriguez said in his first public comments since his 162-game suspension that spanned the 2014 season. "I cringe when I look at some of the things I did. I paid my penalty.

"And I'm grateful for having the opportunity to play.

"Obviously, it was a rough year.''

The Yankees, who did not have a single employee assist Rodriguez during his press briefing, conducted in the middle of a driveway, suddenly had a buzz in camp.

This is a team that may have won 27 World Series championships, but is drawing the same interest these days as the Houston Astros. They've had the fewest fans show up to their workouts in decades, longtime observers say, and still have not sold out a single spring-training game.

Strangely enough, one year after they got all they could out of Derek Jeter's final season, their brightest attraction may well be a 39-year-old steroid-stained slugger.

On this glorious afternoon, they had fans hanging over the fences at their minor-league facility, clamoring for a mere peek of A-Rod, trampling over one another for home-run souvenirs.

These same fans, who barely have bothered the Yankees for autographs, unable to recognize anyone outside 305-pound starter CC Sabathia to even ask, lined up on the Himes Avenue sidewalk for five hours waiting for A-Rod's autograph.

There were 22 reporters staked outside the Yankees' minor-league complex for nearly three hours awaiting Rodriguez's arrival. There were just nine reporters attending Yankee manager Joe Girardi's post-workout press conference Monday.

Rodriguez, who irritated the Yankees by not notifying their front office that he planned to work out at their minor-league complex at 11 a.m., was denied access until he first underwent a physical. Delayed two hours, he pulled up at 12:57 p.m. and, with no parking spot reserved for him, found a spot in the back, hauling his own bats to the clubhouse nearly a football field away.

The media is not permitted inside the minor league complex, but it didn't stop reporters, photographers and TV camera crews from standing atop tables outside the outfield fence, chronicling his every move.

Let's see, there was 10 minutes on the medicine ball. Grounders at third base. Then at shortstop. Hitting in the indoor cages. And then batting practice on the field, hitting six homers out of 57 swings, for those who are counting.

When he finished, and showered, he pulled out of the lot at 3:14, and wearing a green University of Miami sweat suit, got out and signed autographs for 7 minutes, 24 seconds.

He signed balls. Uniform jerseys. Caps. Helmets. Gloves. Took pictures. He even posed for a picture with a fan holding the sign:

"Apology. Accepted. A-Rod.''

Fans kept telling Rodriguez throughout the autograph procession: "Welcome back!'' We missed you so much! Great to see you.''

Reporters then took their turns through an eight-minute interview session: "Are you on any illegal performance enhancing drugs right now? Do you have need to talk to the team? Do you think the Yankees are on your side?''

Rodriguez, who calmly answered, never showing any signs of agitation or discomfort, reiterated how grateful he is for another opportunity.

Of course, it's pretty easy to get an opportunity when you're owed $61 million over the next three years. The Yankees' only chance of recovering most of the money is if Rodriguez retires, or flunks his physical.

He may have considered it, but certainly isn't retiring now.

Rodriguez feels great, he says, saying the year off finally gave his body a chance to heal.

For the official clip-and-save: Rodriguez says he is clean. He no longer is taking performance-enhancing drugs.

That's hardly the news the Yankees were hoping, but hey, it's a long spring.

"I've created a big headache for a lot of people,'' Rodriguez said. "I don't blame whoever is mad at me.''

Let's see, Rodriguez sued Major League Baseball. He sued the players union. He sued the Yankees' team doctors. And he accused Yankees president Randy Levine of trying to sabotage his surgery.

"No mistake that I've made,'' Rodriguez said, "has any good answer, no justification. It's unexplainable. And that's on me. I've dug a big hole for myself. Paid a price.

"And I'm fortunate for a lot of people, especially the commissioner's office, the players union, the Yankees, to give me an opportunity to play the game that I love."

Rodriguez, who has played just 44 games the last two years, says he's certainly not in position to ask for favors from the Yankees. The Yankees are planning no press conferences Thursday for Rodriguez after their first official workout. If Rodriguez wants to talk to the media, fine, but he'll have to do it at his locker, as if he's an anonymous non-roster player with a major-league invite.

Rodriguez may take all of the groundballs he wants in the infield, but the Yankees have no position available for him in the field. He can compete for the DH spot. He's got to earn it.

"He's on our roster,'' Yankees manager Joe Girardi says, "but I think you have to prove yourself in a sense for playing time, how you fit in. Because we really haven't seen him play for two years and we really don't know where he's at.''

If Rodriguez is upset about being treated like any other pimple-faced kid, he's not going to show it. He may be angry, but has to remain cool. He may have served his punishment with MLB, costing himself $25 million, but the Yankees wish he never came back.

This isn't Billy Martin taking on Reggie Jackson. Or George Steinbrenner taking on Dave Winfield.

This is A-Rod taking on the whole Yankee organization.

The Bronx Zoo is alive and well.

Go ahead, mark your calendars: Opening Day is 41 days away.

"It's always an adventure,'' Rodriguez says. "You guys will be there. I'll be there.

"The first day I'm definitely going to be a little nervous. But hopefully, there'll be energy in the building.''

If A-Rod happens to be on the Yankees' opening-day roster, you can be assured of that.

GALLERY: A-Rod's road back