A Dwindling Band Proudly Dons Rodriguez Jerseys Alex Rodriguez drew cheers when he hit a home run Sunday. It was early enough Sunday that Michael McCann could have been one of the first fans to enter Yankee Stadium, take a seat and let his white jersey glisten in the sun. After 10 months of inactivity, it was dazzlingly clean and bright. "I couldn't wait to wear this today," said McCann, 19, referring to the authentic-looking No. 13 on his back. Alex Rodriguez's No. Once one of the top-selling pieces of merchandise in baseball, now a relic sprinkled in among the Jeters, Riveras and Thurman Munsons in the crowd. It is one thing to cheer when Rodriguez homers (as fans did in the second inning Sunday). Or boo when he makes an error (as they did in the third). But wearing garb to denote allegiance to the Yankees" vilified slugger? The fans who did so Sunday were few but fervent in their support of Rodriguez and his fight against Major League Baseball's allegations that he used performance-enhancing drugs. "I support New York," said Chris Lala, 23, of Wayne, N.J. "It's a sad situation, and it's not what I would wish happened. But at the end of the day, he still puts on that uniform. And thus, so did Lala, proudly donning his No. 13 jersey, already almost 10 years old and fraying - somewhat symbolic of the aging player he came to cheer for. On a beautiful morning, Lala was one of thousands in all types of Yankees paraphernalia. Vendors hawked Andy Pettitte jerseys. There was even a man dressed to look like Ichiro Suzuki, complete with the sideburns and cleats. But the number of outward Rodriguez supporters, displaying his apparel, was relatively small. They seemed saddened to look around and notice their own dwindling numbers. Few people posed in front of Rodriguez's billboard-size visage fastened to the eastern exterior of the stadium. Those fans who brought their apparel into the sunshine, however, did not waffle about it. "Why single out A-Rod?" asked Howie, 68, of Fairlawn, N.J., who asked that his last name not be included. Sitting with his wife outside the Stadium, Howie took issue with M.L.B. for pinning Rodriguez as the poster boy for steroid use, while he believed hundreds of others had used and are using performance enhancers. He also blamed fans who judged Rodriguez. "People are hypocrites," Howie said. "It's ridiculous to say, "Oh I wouldn't do it." That's baloney. It's easy to say when it's somebody else and not you. On Thursday, Mark Cuban, the owner of the Dallas Mavericks, criticized baseball's commissioner, Bud Selig, on "The Tonight Show" for what he believed was a heavy-handed suspension of Rodriguez: 211 games. Rick Boerman, 45, of Plymouth, Mass., heard the interview and could not help agreeing. "They're trying to make a centerpiece out of him," said Boerman, wearing a sleeveless Rodriguez T-shirt. They're trying to set the standards with him. About an hour later, Rodriguez homered for the first time this season. The boos that greeted him when he stepped to the plate were replaced with loud cheers. He made an error on a ground ball in the third and heard more boos. He singled in another run - cheers. Can Yankees fans even come to grips with their own feelings? A fan since 1967, Rich Budnick of Paramus, N.J., wearing a Paul O'Neill jersey, may have been speaking for many in the crowd when he justified things this way: He does not like Rodriguez personally. But can he hit? "As a Yankee fan, I want A-Rod to hit four home runs today," Budnick said. If he strikes out three or four times, I'll boo him. But only because he struck out, not because of anything else.