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Amid unprecedented turmoil, Alex Rodriguez returns for Yankees

He likened his return on Monday to his major league debut as an 18-year-old two decades ago. He spoke about the Yankees' "mission to enter the postseason." He

Joe Lemire

He likened his return on Monday to his major league debut as an 18-year-old two decades ago. He spoke about the Yankees' "mission to enter the postseason." He said the Yankees would want him back "if I'm productive." He went on a startling soliloquy about how he's "a huge baseball fan" who wants positive attention paid to the game, almost as if he did so in purposeful contradiction to the commissioner's reported entertainment of the idea that he'd ban Rodriguez under the "best interests of the game" clause.

"At least for a little while."

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Joe Lemire
JOE LEMIRE

Staff Writer, Sports Illustrated Staff writer Joe Lemire is in his seventh year at Sports Illustrated and his fourth season covering baseball full time. Lemire writes features and analysis for SI and SI.com and is responsible for the website's weekly MLB Power Rankings. He has profiled Pirates star Andrew McCutchen and Braves rookie sensation Evan Gattis for the magazine. Lemire's penchant for covering America's pastime is to be expected considering his inspirations, Tom Verducci and Peter Gammons, are among the most well-known writers in the sport. Before his current role, Lemire spent his first three years with SI oscillating between baseball, college basketball, high school football and sports business. This came on the heels of a summer internship with the magazine in 2004 and a tenure as a stringer with SI: On Campus. Born in Richmond, Va., and raised in Lowell, Mass., Lemire graduated from the University of Virginia in 2005 with a B.A. in government and a minor in economics. Before joining SI he covered high school and college sports for the Daily News-Record in Harrisonburg, Va. He earned two Virginia Press Association awards for his work, one while a student writing at University of Virginia's Cavalier Daily and one at the Daily News-Record.

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