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CLEBURNE, Texas (AP) — Rafael Palmeiro still has power, even at 53.
After hitting more than 500 home runs in the major leagues, Palmeiro went deep Monday night for the first time in his return to baseball with an independent team.
He connected in the fifth inning for the Cleburne Railroaders , who went on to a 4-3 loss in 11 innings against the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks.
Starting for the first time this season at first base, where he spent the majority of his 20-year big league career, Palmeiro batted sixth in the lineup, right behind his son, Patrick. The elder Palmeiro got his first two hits of the season after going 0 for 8 in his first two games for the second-year American Association team.
Rafael Palmeiro hit the last of his 569 major league home runs on July 30, 2005, while playing his final season for Baltimore. He was suspended for using steroids two days later and has never come close to Hall of Fame induction despite being one of only six players in MLB history with 3,000 hits and 500 home runs.
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