Rodriguez, Alex

Alex Rodriguez

1975-

American baseball player

At a very young age, Alex Rodriguez was being compared to the greatest shortstops in baseball history. Few if any shortstops had ever combined consistent and slick fielding with powerful offensive production the way Rodriguez did in his early years. At age 26 he established a new all-time record for home runs by a shortstop in a single season, and the following year he broke his own record. He also set new standards for athletic compensation. Rodriguez's $252 million, ten-year contract with

the Texas Rangers in December 2000 was the most lucrative in the history of professional sports, and it caused headlines worldwide. Rodriguez became the foremost example of the well-paid modern athlete, as well as a popular and handsome celebrity. Entering his prime years and steadily increasing his power production, Rodriguez was considered a candidate to eventually become baseball's all-time career home run champion.

Great Expectations

The son of immigrants from the Dominican Republic, Alex Rodriguez was born in New York City in 1975. His parents moved him and his two siblings, Joe and Susy, to the Dominican Republican when Alex was four, and then moved again to the Miami, Florida, area when he was eight. When Alex was in fifth grade, his father, Victor, a shoe salesman and a catcher in the Dominican pro baseball league, left the family, and his parents divorced. His mother, Lourdes Navarro, worked two jobs, as a secretary and a waitress, so that she could send Alex to private school. She and the three children lived in Kendall, Florida, a suburb of Miami.

Having learned baseball from his father, Rodriguez as a child idolized major league players Dale Murphy of the Atlanta Braves and Cal Ripken, Jr. of the Baltimore Orioles. At Westminster Christian High School in Miami, he was an honor roll student, devoutly religious, popular, and a sharp dresser—as well as an exceptional sports star, playing quarterback on the football team, point guard on the basketball team, and shortstop on the baseball team. In his junior year, Rodriguez batted .450 and his team won the national championship. He later credited coach Rich Hofman with teaching him to stop swinging at bad pitches. Rodriguez's baseball teammate Doug Mientkiewicz, who went out to play with the Minnesota Twins, told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune in 1999 that Rodriguez's greatness was already obvious in high school: "He would hit a ball hard enough to kill people." While Rodriguez was still a sophomore, scouts were projecting him as an eventual number one pick. As a senior, he hit .505 and stole 35 bases without being caught once.

The Seattle Mariners had the first pick in the amateur draft in June 1993, and they selected Rodriguez because he was the most exciting "five-tool" prospect in years: he could hit for average, hit for power, run fast, throw well, and play great defense. Agent Scott Boras, who represented many of the major league's top players, took charge of negotiations. It took more than two months to get a contract signed, a $1.3 million, three-year deal that included a stipulation that Rodriguez be called up to the major leagues no later than September 1994.

In 1994, Rodriguez played in 65 games at Class A Appleton, hitting .319, and 17 games at Class AA Jacksonville, batting .288. In mid-season, at the urging of Mariners manager Lou Piniella , he went directly to the major leagues. Still only 18 years old, he debuted on July 8, 1994, the youngest player in an American League starting lineup since Toronto's Brian Milner in 1978. Superstar Ken Griffey, Jr. insisted that Rodriguez be given a locker next to his, and from that time on Griffey both teased and advised Rodriguez. At 6 foot 3 and 195 pounds, the new kid was unusually big for a shortstop and exuded incredible confidence. "I know I'm ready," he revealed to Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated. A right-handed batter, Rodriguez was hitless in three at-bats in his debut but had his first two major league hits the following day. Later that year Rodriguez was sent down to Class AAA Calgary. After the 1994 season, he played winter ball in the Dominican Republic and hit only .197, later describing it to Verducci as "the toughest experience of my life." Rodriguez returned for another call-up in 1995 after spending most of the year at Class AAA Tacoma. The Mariners knew he could play great defense, but he showed no signs of being a powerful hitter in his first two partial seasons, and when the Mariners played in two post-season series, Rodriguez stayed on the bench except for two at-bats.

Breakthrough to Stardom

In 1996, his first full year, Rodriguez put together an incredible season, becoming the youngest player since Detroit's Al Kaline in 1955 to win a batting championship. He hit .356, the highest batting average by a right-handed batter in the major leagues in 57 years, and scored 141 runs, with 23 home runs and 54 doubles, a new single-season record for two baggers by a shortstop. On August 29, he had five hits in a game. His 379 total bases for the season tied the all-time record for shortshops set by Ernie Banks . Rodriguez won the Silver Slugger Award as the best-hitting shortstop in the league, an honor he would get almost annually thereafter. Because of his earlier stints in the two previous seasons, Rodriguez was not eligible for the American League Rookie of the Year award, which went to the New York Yankees' shortstop Derek Jeter. He also narrrowly lost the Most Valuable Player Award to Juan Gonzalez of Texas but was named Major League Player of the Year by the Sporting News.

Baseball pundits proclaimed that Rodriguez's ceiling was unlimited, and magazines gushed over his posterboy good looks. Well-mannered, well-read, and quiet, he still made his home with his mother, and made it clear that his goal was to treat people with respect, like his idol Ripken. In the off-season, Rodriguez took classes in writing and political science at Miami-Dade Community College. He also played golf regularly.

The following year Rodriguez—who had acquired the nickname "A-Rod" to distinguish him from other players with the same last name, such as Texas's Ivan Rodriguez—experienced a "sophomore slump." But a subpar year for Rodriguez would be considered a career year for most players: he hit .300 with 23 homers and 84 runs batted in. On June 5 he became the first player in Seattle Mariners history to hit for the cycle in a nine-inning game.

Chronology

1975	Born in New York City
1979	Family moves from New York City to Dominican Republic
1983	Family moves from Dominican Republic to Miami, Florida
1992	Leads Westminister Christian High School to national baseball championship
1993	Drafted by Seattle Mariners as first pick overall
1994	Makes major league debut with Seattle Mariners
1996	First full season in majors is one of best ever for a shortstop
2000	Signs record $252 million, 10-year contract with Texas Rangers
2001-02	Establishes new single-season records for home runs by a shortstop

In 1998, "A-Rod" became the third player in major league history up to that point to hit at least 40 home runs and steal at least 40 bases in a season, with 42 home runs and 46 steals to go with a .310 batting average and 124 runs batted in. He set an American League single-season record for home runs by a shortstop, and he became the fourth-youngest player in history to hit 100 career home runs. In April, he equaled the American League record of eight extra base hits in three consecutive games. On August 18, he had another five-hit game.

During spring training in 1999, Rodriguez tore cartilage in his knee doing an agility exercise. He underwent knee surgery and missed the first month of the regular season, yet he still managed to equal his previous high of 42 home runs and also drove in 111 runs. In August he homered in five consecutive games. However, the knee injury and a subsequent second knee injury slowed down Rodriguez on the bases, and his stolen base totals declined dramatically from 46 in 1998 to only nine in 2002.

Griffey, threatening to leave Seattle as a free agent, was traded to Cincinnati over the off-season, and in 2000 opposing pitchers refused to give Rodriguez much to hit. For the first time in his career Rodriguez had 100 walks, but he still managed 41 home runs and 132 RBI. On Sept. 30, Rodriguez had five hits, including two home runs, and drove in seven runs.

Record Contract

Rodriguez made $4.3 million in 2000 for the Mariners and was eligible to become a free agent after the season ended. Negotiations in which Rodriguez reportedly asked for perks such as the use of a private jet tarnished his image as a wholesome, hard-working player. Seattle could not afford to keep Rodriguez, and he used Boras to negotiate the richest contract in sports history, signing a $252 million, ten-year deal with the Texas Rangers in December 2000. It was more money than any baseball player had earned in an entire career and more than the assessed value of 18 of the 30 major-league teams. The quarter-billion-dollar contract became international news and fueled countless commentaries about how salaries for professional sports indicated priorities were misplaced in the United States. The deal also became a rallying cry for baseball executives who wanted to institute contract changes to get spending under control.

Seattle felt betrayed, and its fans expressed their unhappiness with Rodriguez's decision to forsake the team that had given him his start. When Texas played the Mariners in Seattle on April 16, 2001, fans threw phony dollar bills all over the field.

"I never dreamed I'd be making this kind of money," said Rodriguez. "I'm embarrassed to talk about it." He was not too embarrassed, however, to make lucrative endorsement deals with Nike, Armani, and Radio Shack. But he also did public service announcements in a national campaign for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America; as a child, Rodriguez had spent a lot of time at Miami's club after his parents' divorce.

Ironically, without its best player, Seattle won the most games of any team in baseball in 2001, while the Rangers finished in last place. Rodriguez expressed no regrets about leaving Seattle and spoke about his admiration for previous players who broke baseball's old reserve clause which bound players to one team for life. "Not one day goes by when I don't remind myself how grateful I am for those who came before me over the last 25 years," Rodriguez explained to Verducci.

The Lone Ranger

[Rodriguez's $252 million contract] is the symbol of his generation's prosperity and of the game's emphasis on finances. His contract is the smoking gun for disillusioned fans in their case against overpaid ballplayers.

And yet he is also the poster boy for those who cherish the game". According to to Rangers owner Tom Hicks, the man who enriched him: " …Why is it that people want to criticize our best player when he should be celebrated?"

Since Hicks gave him the 10-year contract, Rodriguez has played 298 straight games while hitting .317 with 100 home runs. Moreover, he is the unchallenged team leader who upbraids rookies and veterans alike and is such a baseball junkie that he watches games and highlights until 3 a.m.

Source: Verducci, Tom. Sports Illustrated, September 9, 2002: 34.

Awards and Accomplishments

1996	American League batting champion
1996	Sets all-time single-season records for doubles, matches record for total bases by a shortstop
1996	Leads American League in doubles
1996, 1998-2001	Leads American League in runs
1996, 2001-02	Leads American League in total bases
1996, 2002	Sporting News Major League Player of the Year
1996-2002	Silver Slugger Award, best-hitting American League shortstop
1996-1998, 2000-02	American League All-Star Team
1997	Hits for the cycle in game against Detroit
1998	Leads American League in hits
1998	Leads American League in at-bats
1998	Sets American League single-season record for home runs by a shortstop
2001	Leads American League in extra-base hits
2001	Sets major league single-season record for home runs by a shortstop
2001-02	Leads American League in home runs
2001-02	Leads American League in games played
2002	Leads American League in runs batted in
2002	Sporting News Major League Player of the Year
2002	Gold Glove, American League
2002	Hank Aaron Award, American League's top batter
2002	Breaks own major league record for home runs by a shortstop
2002	Player of the Year, Players' Choice Awards
2003	Wins Ted Williams Award as the major league's top hitter in 2002

While he was skewered among fans and non-baseball commentators, among those in the game Rodriguez continued to be held in high regard. "Every big league player should aspire to be like Alex Rodriguez, and I'm not just talking about his talent," Baltimore manager Mike Hargrove told Verducci. "I'm talking about the way he goes about his business, his attention to detail and his respect for the game." And Texas manager Jerry Narron said in the same article: "He is without a doubt the best player in baseball, but that's not what impresses me the most. I only hope that someday he might be as good a player as he is a person."

With Texas, Rodriguez continued to expand his power while playing in all 162 games in each of his first two seasons as a Ranger. On May 12, 2001, he hit his 200th home run, becoming the fifth-youngest player to reach that mark. In 2001, Rodriguez set a new major league single-season record for home runs by a shortstop. He finished with 52 home runs and 135 RBI while batting .318. Rodriguez became a clubhouse leader, trying to inspire the lesser talents around him into better performances. He also deferred several million dollars of his salary to try to help Texas become a more competitive team.

In 2002, Rodriguez had another great, batting .300 with a league-leading 57 home runs and 142 RBI despite a slow start. He finished the season with 298 career home runs. At age 27, he had established himself as probably the best all-around player in baseball, winning his first Gold Glove in 2002 despite stiff competition from the league's other premiere shortstops, such as Jeter, Nomar Garciaparra of the Boston Red Sox, Omar Vizquel of the Cleveland Indians, and Miguel Tejada of the Oakland As. Though having clearly the finest offensive season in the league, A-Rod finished second in the Most Valuable Player voting to Tejada, because many of the baseball writers who vote on the MVP refused to give top honors to players from teams with losing records.

Career Statistics

Yr	Team	AVG	GP	AB	R	H	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	E
SEA: Seattle Mariners; TEX: Texas Rangers.
1994	SEA	.204	17	54	4	11	0	2	3	20	3	6
1995	SEA	.232	48	142	15	33	5	19	6	42	4	8
1996	SEA	.358	146	601	141	215	36	123	59	104	15	15
1997	SEA	.300	141	587	100	176	23	84	41	99	29	24
1998	SEA	.310	161	686	123	213	42	124	45	121	46	18
1999	SEA	.285	129	502	110	143	42	111	56	109	21	14
2000	SEA	.316	148	554	134	175	41	132	100	121	15	10
2001	TEX	.318	162	632	133	201	52	135	75	131	18	18
2002	TEX	.300	162	624	125	187	57	142	87	122	9	10
TOTAL		.309	1114	4382	885	1354	298	872	472	869	160	123

Rodriguez was one of many players of his era to change the image of shortstop from that of a light-hitting, slick-fielding player to an overall offensive and defensive powerhouse. Despite all his remarkable batting feats, Rodriguez insisted to Baseball Digest 's Evan Grant: "The way I can most help my team win is with defense." Studious, movie-star handsome, quiet, and hard-working, Rodriguez might have been held in higher regard as a model athlete if he had not also been the symbol of the modern athlete's apparently unbridled greed. No matter the size of his contract, however, it appeared certain that Rodriguez would fulfill the greatness that had been predicted for him since he was in high school.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Books

The Baseball Encyclopedia. Macmillan, 1997.

Periodicals

"Alex Rodriguez (The 25 Most Intriguing People 2000." People. 54 (December 25, 2000): 75.

Antonen, Mel. "Alex Rodriguez: Master of Baseball Arts."Baseball Digest. 59 (December 2000): 60.

"Baseball: A-Rod at the Double as Players' Votes Make Him Baseball's No. 1."European Intelligence Wire. (October 18, 2002).

Berardino, Mike. "Looks Like A-Rod Can't Win for Losing."Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service (South Florida Sun-Sentinel, (September 9, 2002): K6848.

Callahan, Gerry. "The Fairest of Them All."Sports Illustrated, 85 (July 8, 1996): 38.

Coppola, Vincent. "At Bat for the Boys & Girls Clubs." Adweek. 23 (February 18, 2002): 4.

Grant, Evan. "Texas'Alex Rodriguez: A Complete Package of Talent."Baseball Digest. 61 (March 2002): 24.

Hein, Kenneth. "Radio Shack Shacks Up with New Pitchmen." Brandweek, 42 (July 2, 2001): 8.

Hickey, John. "Mariners' Shortstop Alex Rodriguez Not a Typical Superstar." Baseball Digest. 59 (July 2000): 40.

Kaplan, Ben. "Boy Wonder!"Sports Illustrated for Kids, 9 (July 1997): 36.

Knisley, Michael. "All A-Rod All the Time."Sporting News, 223 (June 28, 1999): 12.

Morrissey, Rick. "Seattle Fans Go Too Easy on Rodriguez."Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service (Chicago Tribune), (July 9, 2001): K7804.

Rains, Rob. "A New Standard."Sporting News, 220 (October 14, 1996): 19.

"Ready for His Close-Up: After Signing his Megadeal, A-Rod is Living like a Megastar." Newsweek, (April 9, 2001): 54.

Verducci, Tom. "Early Riser." Sports Illustrated, 81 (July 18, 1994): 39.

Verducci, Tom. "The Lone Ranger."Sports Illustrated, 97 (September 9, 2002): 34.

Other

"Alex Rodriguez." Baseball Library.com, http://www.pubdim.net/baseballlibrary/ballplayers/R/Rodriguez_Alex.stm (December 26, 2002).

"Alex Rodriguez." CNNSI.com Baseball, http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/players/3099/latest_news.html (December 26, 2002).

baseball-reference.com, http://www.baseball-reference.com (December 26, 2002).

"Ken Griffey Jr." Baseball Library.com, http://www.pubdim.net/baseballlibrary/ballplayers/G/Griffey_Ken.stm (December 27, 2002).

Sketch by Michael Betzold