Alex Rodriguez-Baseball’s Golden Boy
Alexander Emmanuel Rodriguez was born on July 27th, 1975 in New York City, the son of Dominican Republic natives. The family returned to the Dominican Republic when Rodriguez was only four, but it was back in the United States four years later, this time relocating to Miami, Florida. Alex’s father told the family he needed to go to New York City on business, and when he left he never returned, abandoning his family.
Alex Rodriguez starred at Miami’s Westminster Christian High, winning a baseball scholarship to the University of Miami. Seattle selected him with the first pick in the 1993 amateur draft; the seventeen year old Rodriguez would never play in college. He flew through the minors so rapidly that he was able to make his major league debut when he was still only eighteen, as a shortstop, on July 8th, 1994. He only played in seventeen games before the player’s strike ended the season. Seattle shuttled him between Triple A Tacoma and the big club in 1995. He hit five home runs in 142 at bats and
seemed to be adjusting to major league pitching as the year came to an end, a playoff loss to the Indians.
Rodriguez became the full time shortstop in 1996 and his career took off. He led the league in runs, total bases, a .358 average, and doubles. He smashed 36 home runs and had 123 RBI, but because a pair of Seattle sportswriters listed Alex Rodriguez way down on thier ballots he just missing becoming the youngest MVP in baseball history. His 1997 season was the worst of his twelve so far, if you can describe a .300 average, 23 homers, and 84 RBI as bad production for a shortstop. Rodriguez rebounded from 1997 with a tremendous 1998 campaign, as he hit 42 home runs and stole 46 bases, becoming a member of the 40/40 club. He hit .310 and knocked in 124 runs, following that with a 42 home run, 111 RBI 1999 which established Alex Rodriguez as a legitimate superstar.
He was given the nickname of A-Rod, and when superstars Randy Johnson and Ken Griffey Jr were traded away because of the huge salaries they would have commanded to re-sign with Seattle, Alex became the face of the franchise. He didn’t disappoint, delivering another 40 homer, 100 RBI season, but the Yankees took the Mariners out in the playoffs. He became a free agent after the 2000 season and signed a mega-millions contract with the Texas Rangers. He got a ten year deal for an unheard of $252 million dollars, the biggest pro sports contract ever until the one signed by soccer star David Beckham topped it.
Although he put up even more gaudy numbers in Texas, the Ranger’s lack of any semblance of quality pitching doomed the team to the cellar. Alex Rodriguez, with tremendous power to center field and right center, hit 51 and 57 home runs respectively in 2001 and 2002, the 57 being the most ever by a shortstop in one year. This time, Alex Rodriguez was named the American League MVP in 2003, despite another last place finish, with 47 home runs and 118 RBI. He won Gold Gloves for fielding excellence in 2002 and 2003.
Texas looked to get out from under Rodriguez’s huge contract at the end of 2003, figuring it could finish last without him as well as with him. The Player’s Association vetoed a trade to the Red Sox that would have called for a reduction in Alex’s salary, so the New York Yankees stepped in and on February 15th, 2004 they traded slugging second baseman Alfonso Soriano to Texas for Alex Rodriguez. Texas even took up $67 million of the remaining contract to make the deal, and Rodriguez switched to third base, since New York already had perennial All-Star Derek Jeter at short. He switched from number 3, long since retired by the new York Yankees in honor of Babe Ruth, to his current 13.
He hit 36 round trippers and had 106 RBI in 2004, but after the Yankees coughed up a three games to none lead to despised Boston in the League Championship Series, the focus was on Alex Rodriguez. His repeated failures to deliver a big hit in the four games that Boston won brought loads of criticism from fans and media alike. His MVP season the next year quieted everyone for a while, as he hit .320 with 48 homers and 130 RBI. But his 2 for 15 showing in a five game series loss to the Angels brought out the boo birds and sports radio calls once more, letting Alex Rodriguez know that he won’t truly be accepted until he wins a World Series title.
A-Rod holds the record for most home runs in a season by a shortstop and a third baseman, the only player to have the distinction of having the record at two positions. He is the youngest player ever to 400 home runs, and if he stays on pace and healthy, could potentially eclipse the all time mark. His lifetime batting average is .307 and he has hit 431 homers to this point of his career. If he were to average 40 home runs a year over the next ten seasons, not an unlikely feat in today’s baseball, he would crack the unfathomable 800 plateau before he was done playing.
Rodriguez married Cynthia Scurtis in November of 2002 and the couple has one child, Natasha, who was born two years later. Rodriguez is very generous with his time and money, actually donating almost four million dollars to the University of Miami in 2003 to renovate its baseball stadium. The sure-fire future Hall of Famer has everything he could possibly want, except that elusive World Series ring. If he succeeds and gets it in New York, he will be placed on the same pedestal as past Yankee greats. Until then, he will rack up statistics that can only be marveled at, knowing the most important thing is if he can bring a 27th crown to the New York Yankees.
