I hope you heard this. The shouts, chants…the applause before, during and after the home run. I hope you saw it too. The hugs from his teammates (including Jeter)…the curtain call…the applause when he ran out to his position. Dare I say it? … this place …um, loves A-Rod…

What a difference a few months, a few clutch home runs and MVP-like numbers make. He may even take down Roger Maris’ club record (or the non-juiced, MLB, single-season home run record). And now that the stress of hitting this home run is off, A-Rod and the Yankees can get on with their season.

Yes, the place shook like it was October up here in the Bronx. And perhaps this is just A-Rod’s honeymoon until then. But for now, it’s enough to buy him a little peace and quite.