Alex Rodriguez Cheered by White Sox Fans for First Time After Getting Hit by Pitch (Video)

Alex Rodriguez has found a way to baseball fans’ hearts, and he’s taking it all in stride.

The crowd at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago has been booing Rodriguez heavily during the Yankees-White Sox series this week after Rodriguez returned to baseball Monday despite being suspended 211 games by Major League Baseball for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy (he’s appealing).

But on Tuesday, Rodriguez finally got some cheers — when he was hit by a pitch.

Rodriguez was facing a 1-0 count when an offering from White Sox pitcher Chris Sale sailed a little inside. The pitch didn’t appear to do much more than graze Rodriguez’s shirt, but he flipped his bat and trotted to first.

What was sort of funny, though, was how much A-Rod enjoyed the process. He was talking toward his dugout all the way up the first base line, and he had a nice, long conversation with Yankees first base coach Mick Kelleher.

Rodriguez said after the game that he was joking around because he forgot to wear his elbow pad out for the at-bat.

“It was the weirdest thing,” Rodriguez said. “Probably the first time in 2,000 at-bats. And walking up to the plate, I said, ‘Whatever you do, just don’t get hit in the elbow.’ Second pitch, I get hit in the elbow. I couldn’t believe it.

“I love the fans in Chicago.”

Those fans seemed to enjoy the moment just as much as A-Rod.

Take a look in the video below.