Known as A-Rod to fans and teammates, Alex Rodriguez plays third base for the New York Yankees. Born in New York City's Washington Heights neighborhood, Rodriguez moved to the Dominican Republic at the age of four. However, the family soon returned to the US and settled in Miami. Soon after, is father abandoned Alex and his mother, moving to New Jersey.
It was while living in Florida that A-Rod began to excel at the sport, becoming the star player on his high school team. He was an All-American player while in his senior year and was the first high school player ever to try out for Team America.
Upon finishing high school, Rodriguez signed a letter of intent to play for the baseball team at the University of Miami - but he decided to pursue a professional career in baseball instead, entering the amateur draft.
He was quickly picked up by the Seattle Mariners, where he played as the third 18 year old short stop since the turn of the century. His star was rising, but the season was cut short due to the Major League strike of 1994.
As a result, it wasn't until 1996 that5 Rodriguez really came into his own. In this season, he batted a very impressive .358, scoring 36 home runs and 123 RBIs, the highest average for any right hand batter in the AL since Joe Di Maggio. This was also the 3rd highest batting average for a short stop in any league - Rodriguez would finish out the season with the Major League's highest total of hits, runs, doubles and extra base hits, earning him the Major League Player of the Year title.
Rodriguez continued with the Mariners until becoming a free agent and playing with the Texas Rangers for a short time. In 2004, Rodriguez was signed by the New York Yankees, where he still plays today. He has continued to play at a level few others can match, winning the MVP titles in 2005 and 2007. He has been criticized by sportswriters and fans for sometimes failing to hold up under pressure, something which has not bothered him; says Rodriguez: "I could care less. In my career, I've been hearing it for a long time. It will never stop until you win five or six World Series in a row, and hit a Joe Carter home run. I've done a lot of special things in this game, and for none of that to be considered clutch, it's an injustice." The Yankees apparently do not agree with this criticism, having signed him to a 10 year, $275 million contract. If Rodriguez breaks the home run record while on the team, he stands to make millions more.
A-Rod's personal life is also controversial; he has been seen with another woman and his marriage is reputed to be on the rocks. There have also been rumors that Rodriguez has had an affair with Madonna, something lent more credence by the singer's own troubled marriage to filmmaker Guy Ritchie.
It was while living in Florida that A-Rod began to excel at the sport, becoming the star player on his high school team. He was an All-American player while in his senior year and was the first high school player ever to try out for Team America.
Upon finishing high school, Rodriguez signed a letter of intent to play for the baseball team at the University of Miami - but he decided to pursue a professional career in baseball instead, entering the amateur draft.
He was quickly picked up by the Seattle Mariners, where he played as the third 18 year old short stop since the turn of the century. His star was rising, but the season was cut short due to the Major League strike of 1994.
As a result, it wasn't until 1996 that5 Rodriguez really came into his own. In this season, he batted a very impressive .358, scoring 36 home runs and 123 RBIs, the highest average for any right hand batter in the AL since Joe Di Maggio. This was also the 3rd highest batting average for a short stop in any league - Rodriguez would finish out the season with the Major League's highest total of hits, runs, doubles and extra base hits, earning him the Major League Player of the Year title.
Rodriguez continued with the Mariners until becoming a free agent and playing with the Texas Rangers for a short time. In 2004, Rodriguez was signed by the New York Yankees, where he still plays today. He has continued to play at a level few others can match, winning the MVP titles in 2005 and 2007. He has been criticized by sportswriters and fans for sometimes failing to hold up under pressure, something which has not bothered him; says Rodriguez: "I could care less. In my career, I've been hearing it for a long time. It will never stop until you win five or six World Series in a row, and hit a Joe Carter home run. I've done a lot of special things in this game, and for none of that to be considered clutch, it's an injustice." The Yankees apparently do not agree with this criticism, having signed him to a 10 year, $275 million contract. If Rodriguez breaks the home run record while on the team, he stands to make millions more.
A-Rod's personal life is also controversial; he has been seen with another woman and his marriage is reputed to be on the rocks. There have also been rumors that Rodriguez has had an affair with Madonna, something lent more credence by the singer's own troubled marriage to filmmaker Guy Ritchie.
About the Author:
How much do you know about baseball? Nothing But Sports is a great place to brush up on your sports trivia and learn how to swing that bat.
0 comments:
Post a Comment