Alex Rodriguez
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- "A-Rod" redirects here. For the tennis player also nicknamed "A-Rod", see Andy Roddick.
| New York Yankees — No. 13 | |
| Third base | |
| Bats: Right | Throws: Right |
| Major League Baseball debut | |
|---|---|
| July 8, 1994 for the Seattle Mariners | |
Alexander Emmanuel "Alex" Rodriguez (born July 27, 1975, in Manhattan, New York), commonly nicknamed A-Rod, is an Dominican-American baseball player. He is the starting third baseman for the New York Yankees, having played shortstop for the Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners.
Rodriguez has led the American League in home runs 4 times. Of all active ballplayers, he is 6th in slugging percentage, 7th in at-bats per home run, 8th in home runs, 9th in batting average, 11th in RBIs, and 12th in runs scored. Of all players in baseball history at age 30, he is 1st all-time in both home runs and runs, 2nd in total bases and extra base hits, 3rd in RBIs, and 4th in hits. In the 2000s, through 2006 he leads the major leagues in runs (628) and RBIs (633), and is 3rd in home runs (233), 6th in hits (916), and 9th in slugging percentage (.593).
He has often been cited as the best all-around player currently in baseball, but his playing woes have also been much analyzed.<ref>Allen Barra (2006-08-29). Alex Rodriguez is one of the greatest Yankees ever. Village Voice.</ref>
Rodriguez is known for signing the richest contract in sports history, a 10-year, $252,000,000 dollar deal.
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[edit] Background
Alex Rodriguez was born in the Washington Heights section of New York City. He is married to Cynthia Rodriguez and they have one daughter, Natasha (born November 23, 2004). When he was four, Rodriguez moved with his parents to their native Dominican Republic. After the family moved to Miami, Florida three years later, Rodriguez's father announced his intention to move back north to New Jersey for a short time. He never returned, leaving his wife and young Alex to struggle in their new environment.
Rodriguez was a star shortstop at Miami's Westminster Christian High School. In 100 games he batted .419 with 90 steals. He was first team prep All-American as a senior, hitting .505 with 9 homers, 36 RBI, and 35 steals in 35 tries in 33 games, and was selected as the USA Baseball Junior Player of the Year and as Gatorade's national baseball student athlete of the year.
Rodriguez signed a letter of intent to play baseball for the University of Miami and was also recruited by the university to play quarterback for its football team. Rodriguez turned down Miami's baseball scholarship and never played college baseball, opting instead to become eligible for the amateur draft at the age of 17.
[edit] Seattle Mariners
Alex Rodriguez was drafted first overall by the Seattle Mariners in 1993. He was signed by Roger Jongewaard right out of high school. Rodriguez rose rapidly through the Mariners organization, and made his major league debut as the starting shortstop on July 8, 1994 in Boston at 18 years, 11 months, and 11 days of age, just the majors' 3rd 18-year-old shortstop since 1900. He was also the majors' 1st 18-year-old player in 10 years and the youngest position player in Seattle history. His 1st major league hit was a single off Sergio Valdez on June 9 at Fenway Park. Alex Rodriguez's first major league campaign lasted just one month; the season was cut short by the 1994 baseball strike. While he was in the major leagues in 1994, he was the youngest player in baseball.
Rodriguez then split most of 1995 between the Mariners and their AAA club, the Tacoma Rainiers. He connected for his 1st major league home run off Kansas City's Tom Gordon on June 12. Rodriguez joined the major league roster permanently in August, and got his first taste of postseason play, albeit in just two at-bats. Again, he was the youngest player in baseball.
The following year, Rodriguez took over as the Mariners' regular shortstop and emerged as a star player, hitting 36 HR (home runs), driving in 123 RBI (Runs Batted In), and pacing the AL (American League) with a .358 batting average, the highest for an AL righthanded batter since Joe DiMaggio hit .381 in 1939 and the 3rd highest ever for a shortstop. At 21 years, one month, he was the 3rd youngest American League batting leader ever behind Al Kaline (20) in 1955 and Ty Cobb (20) in 1907, and the 3rd youngest player in history with 35+ homers. He was also the 1st major league shortstop to win a batting title since 1960 and the 1st in the AL since 1944 and at 20 years, 11 months, was the youngest shortstop in All-Star Game history. He also led the AL in runs (141), total bases (379), and doubles (54) and ranked among the league leaders in hits (2nd, 215), extra base hits (2nd, 91), multi-hit games (3rd, 65), slugging (4th, .631), rbi (8th, 123), and on-base percentage (8th, .414). Rodriguez posted the highest totals ever for a shortstop in runs, hits, doubles, extra base hits, and slugging and tied most total bases and established Seattle club records for average, runs, hits, doubles, and total bases, in a season that statistical analysts consider is the best ever by a SS. <ref>Joe Sheehan (2001-09-07). Aurilia makes sure Giants aren't one-man show. ESPN.com.</ref> He was selected by both The Sporting News and Associated Press as the Major League Player of the Year and came close to becoming the youngest MVP (Most Valuable Player) in baseball history, finishing second to Juan González in one of the most controversial MVP voting in recent times.<ref>David Schoenfield (2003-11-17). The List: Most controversial MVPs. ESPN.com.</ref> He finished three points behind González (290-287), matching the 2nd closest A.L. MVP voting in history.
In 1997, Rodriguez's numbers fell somewhat, hitting 23 HR with 84 RBI and a .300 batting average that year. He hit for the cycle on June 5 at Detroit becoming the 2nd Mariner to ever accomplish the feat and at 21 years, 10 months, was 5th youngest player in history to do it. He was the fan's choice to start the All-Star Game at shortstop for the AL team, ending Cal Ripken, Jr.'s string of 13 consecutive All-Star starts, it was the 1st All-Star start of his career and his 2nd All-Star Game in two years. Rodriguez rebounded in 1998, setting the AL record for homers by a shortstop and becoming just the third member of the 40-40 Club, (with 42 HR and 46 SB) and one of just 3 shortstops in history to hit 40 home runs in a season. He was selected as Players Choice A.L. Player of the Year, won his 2nd Silver Slugger Award and finished in the top 10 in the MVP voting. In 1999 he again hit 42 HR, despite missing over 30 games with an injury and playing the second half of the season at Safeco Field, a considerably less hitter-friendly ballpark than the Kingdome.
Rodriguez entered 2000 as the cornerstone player of the Mariners franchise, which had recently dealt superstars Randy Johnson and Ken Griffey, Jr.. Rodriguez put up great numbers as the team's remaining superstar; he hit 41 HR with 132 RBI and had a .316 batting average. He set a career high for walks (100) and became the first and only shortstop to have 100 runs, rbi, and walks in the same season. He hit well in the playoffs too (.409 batting average and .773 slugging percentage), but Seattle lost to the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series. Alex was selected as the Major League Player of the Year by Baseball America and finished 3rd in the BBWAA AL MVP voting.
[edit] Texas Rangers
Rodriguez became a free agent after the 2000 season. He eventually signed with the Texas Rangers, who had fallen to last in their division in 2000. The contract he signed is the most lucrative contract in sports history: a 10-year deal worth $252 million. The deal is worth $63 million more than the second-richest baseball deal.
Rodriguez's power hitting numbers improved with his move to Texas. In his 1st season with the Rangers, Alex produced one of the top offensive seasons ever for a shortstop, leading the American League with 52 HR, 133 runs scored, and 393 total bases. He became the 1st player since 1932, with 50 homers and 200 hits in a season, just the 3rd shortstop to ever lead his league in homers and was just the 2nd AL player in the last 34 seasons (beginning 1968) to lead the league in runs, homers, and total bases; his total base figure is the most ever for a major league shortstop. His 52 homers made him the 6th youngest to ever reach 50 homers and were the hightest total ever by a shortstop, surpassing Ernie Banks' mark of 47 in 1958 and also the most ever for an infielder other than a 1st baseman breaking Phillies 3B Mike Schmidt's record of 48 in 1980. It was his 5th 30-homer campaign, tying Banks for most ever by a shortstop. He also tied for the league lead in extra base hits (87) and ranked 3rd in RBI (135) and slugging (.622). Alex was also among the AL leaders in hits (4th, 201), average (7th, .318), and on-base percentage (8th, .399). He established Rangers club records for homers, runs, total bases, and hit by pitches, had the 2nd most extra base hits, and the 4th highest rbi total. He led the club in runs, hits, doubles (34), homers, rbi, slugging, and on-base percentage and was 2nd in walks (75), stolen bases (18), and game-winning rbi (14) while posting career highs for homers, rbi, and total bases. Rodriguez started 161 games at shortstop and one as the DH, the only major league player to start all of his team's games in 2001. He followed that with a major league-best 57 HR in 2002 (the most ever for a shortstop), while also winning his first Gold Glove Award, awarded for outstanding defense. However, the Rangers finished last in the AL Western division in both years, a showing that likely cost Rodriguez the MVP award in 2002 when he finished second to fellow shortstop Miguel Tejada, whose 103-win Oakland A's won the same division.
Rodriguez's last season with Texas, 2003, was another productive year. He hit .298 with 47 HR, led the AL in slugging and runs scored, and won his second consecutive Gold Glove Award. He led the league in fewest at bats per home run (12.9). Following five top-10 finishes in the AL Most Valuable Player voting between 1996 and 2002, Rodriguez won his first MVP trophy.
The Rangers, however, remained mired in last place. Some laid the blame on Rodriguez's contract, which allegedly monopolized the team's resources, leaving them with little chance to pay other quality players. Others attributed that same criticism to Rangers owner Tom Hicks' "buyer's remorse", and general jealousy of the record-setting contract.
Following the 2003 season, Texas set out to move Rodriguez and his expensive contract. The Rangers agreed to a trade with the Boston Red Sox, but the MLBPA (Major League Baseball Players Association) vetoed the deal because it called for a voluntary reduction in salary by Rodriguez. Despite the failed deal with the Red Sox, the Rangers named him team captain during that off-season. This designation did not last long, however, as the New York Yankees had taken notice of the sudden trade availability of Rodriguez. Alex Rodriguez was traded to the New York Yankees in exchange for second baseman Alfonso Soriano.
[edit] New York Yankees
New York's third baseman, Aaron Boone, suffered a knee injury while playing a game of pickup basketball which sidelined him for the entire 2004 season. On February 15, 2004 Rodriguez was successfully traded to the New York Yankees for second baseman Alfonso Soriano. The Rangers agreed to pay $67 million of the $179 million left on Rodriguez's contract.
In his first season with the Yankees, Rodriguez's numbers dipped from his numbers with Texas. He hit .286 with 36 home runs, 106 runs batted in and 112 runs scored, becoming one of only three players in Major-League history to compile at least 35 home runs, 100 runs and 100 RBI in seven consecutive seasons (1998-2004). The 112 runs marked the 9 straight season in which he scored at least 100 runs, the longest such streak in the Major Leagues since Hank Aaron did it in 13 straight seasons from 1955-1967, and the longest in the American League since Mickey Mantle did it also in nine straight seasons from 1953-1961. During the 2004 season he also became the youngest player ever to reach the 350 HR mark and the third youngest to reach the 1,000 RBI plateau. He was elected to the 2004 American League All-Star Team, the eighth All-Star selection of his career and the first as a third baseman. On July 24, 2004, after being hit by a pitch, Rodriguez and Boston Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek scuffled, leading to a brawl between both teams. For the time being, the incident endeared Rodriguez in the hearts of Yankees fans.[citation needed]He finished 14th in balloting for the AL MVP Award.
In the 2004 ALDS, Rodriguez was a dominant hitter against the Minnesota Twins, batting .421 and slugging .737 while delivering two key extra-inning hits. Following the series win, Rodriguez's first season with the Yankees had culminated in a dramatic playoff series against the team he had almost ended up playing for: the Yankees' bitter rival, the Boston Red Sox. In that series (ALCS) he equaled the single-game post-season record with five runs scored in Game 3 at Boston.
One of the most controversial plays of Rodriguez's career occurred late in Game 6 of the 2004 ALCS (American League Championship Series). With one out and Derek Jeter on first base in the bottom of the 8th inning, Rodriguez hit a slow roller between the pitcher's mound and the first base bag. Red Sox pitcher Bronson Arroyo fielded the ball and ran towards Rodriguez to apply a tag. As Arroyo reached towards him, Rodriguez slapped the ball out of Arroyo's glove. As the ball rolled away, Jeter scored all the way from first as Rodriguez took second on the play, which was initially ruled an error on Arroyo. However, the umpires quickly huddled, then ruled that Rodriguez was out for interference. Jeter was sent back to first base, his run nullified. The Red Sox escaped the inning with no further damage and eventually won the game 4-2, tying the series at 3-3. Rodriguez's behavior, perceived as unprofessional, inspired much derision from Red Sox fans.
In 2005, his second season with the Yankees, Rodriguez's numbers improved, as he hit .321 with 48 HR and 130 RBI. An offensive highlight of his season came on April 26, when Rodriguez hit 3 HR off Angels' pitcher Bartolo Colon and drove in 10 runs. Rodriguez also set several marks for power during the 2005 season. He set a new team record for home runs by a right-handed hitter in a season, surpassing Joe DiMaggio and Gary Sheffield. His 48th and final home run tied him for the most homers by a third baseman (along with Mike Schmidt and Adrian Beltre). Rodriguez now holds the records for most HRs in a single season at two positions, shortstop and third base, becoming the only major leaguer ever to accomplish this feat. 2005 also marked the tenth straight season that Rodriguez scored at least 100 runs.
Rodriguez beat out Boston's David Ortiz for his second AL MVP Award in three seasons. He became the fifth player to win an MVP award with two different teams, joining Mickey Cochrane, Jimmie Foxx, Frank Robinson and Barry Bonds. Rodriguez was also named the shortstop on the Major League Baseball Latino Legends Team. However, Rodriguez hit .133 without an RBI as the Yankees lost in the Division Series to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. It was argued that since Rodriguez played in the field he was more valuable than the MVP runner up David Ortiz, a designated hitter.
On July 27, 2005, Rodriguez turned 30 years old. In his career to that point, Rodriguez had more home runs, more runs batted in, more runs scored, and more base hits than all-time leaders Hank Aaron (HR and RBI), Rickey Henderson (runs scored), and Pete Rose (hits) did prior to their 30th birthdays.
Rodriguez's 2,000th hit, on July 21, 2006, was also his 450th home run. Six days shy of his 31st birthday, Rodriguez became the youngest player in baseball history to reach 450 home runs (surpassing Ken Griffey, Jr. by 267 days). He also became the 8th player to reach 2,000 hits before turning 31. Ty Cobb reached the mark while still 29, while Rogers Hornsby, Mel Ott, Hank Aaron, Joe Medwick, Jimmie Foxx and Robin Yount all got their 2,000th hits at age 30. All 7 of the players are members of baseball's Hall of Fame.
In 2006 Rodriguez was again an All-Star, and was 4th in the league in RBIs (121), 5th in runs (113), 8th in home runs (35) and walks (90), and 9th in obp (.392).
After the 2006 season, of all active players lifetime Rodriguez was 6th in slugging percentage, 7th in at bats per home run (14.6), and 8th in home runs (468) and batting average (.309). He was one of only 4 players with at least 1,300 runs scored and driven in, 450 home runs, a .380 on base percentage, and a .550 slugging percentage, along with Barry Bonds and Frank Thomas.
[edit] Criticisms
Despite Rodriguez's outstanding numbers, he has become one of the most criticized players on the Yankees line-up. His successful history and continued production as a player is often discounted because he has yet to make a World Series appearance.[citation needed] While Rodriguez won AL MVP in 2005 and played a pivotal role in the Yankees defeat of the Minnesota Twins in the 2004 ALDS, his recent postseason struggles have left fans with much to be desired. Rodriguez was very good in the earlier half of the 2004 postseason, hitting .320 with 3 home runs and 5 doubles in 50 at bats, but—as was the case with the team in general—he ceased to pose an offensive threat during the final four games of the ALCS against the Boston Red Sox. The following postseason, Rodriguez went 2-for-15 in five games, and most recently, in the 2006 postseason, his offensive output and defensive performance suffered with Alex going for 1-for-14 against the Tigers in 2006.
Much of the criticism surrounding Rodriguez is focused upon his inability to produce hits with runners in scoring position[citation needed] and other clutch situations. However, during the 2003-2005 regular seasons, Rodriguez posted a .371 batting average with the bases loaded and maintained an on base percentage of .422. In 2006, his numbers improved to .474 and .500 respectively. Additionally, Rodriguez's other batting lines during this period included a .432 average with a runner on third (.333 in 2006), .381 with a runner in scoring position (.302 in 2006), and .392 with a runner in scoring position and 2 outs (.313 in 2006).<ref>Alex Rodriguez Player Card. ESPN.com.</ref> In an attempt to lend an element of objectivity to the debate over performance in the clutch, Bill James' definition of "clutch" concluded that Rodriguez outperformed David Ortiz in 2006 with a 3.2 "clutch factor" compared to Ortiz's -6.2.<ref>Alex Rodriguez THT Stats. The Hardball Times.</ref><ref>David Ortiz THT Stats. The Hardball Times.</ref> The issue became the focal point of speculation during the 2005 race for AL MVP[citation needed]; an honor that was ultimately awarded to Rodriguez (16 votes) over Ortiz (11 votes). Although Rodriguez's overall statistics proved superior to that of Ortiz's, it has been alleged that the latter's performance was considered simply due to its flair for the dramatic[citation needed], which involved several memorable game-tying or game-winning hits. The drama of Ortiz's at bats were frequently contrasted with Rodriguez's statistics, leading at least a few critics to claim that Rodriguez posted his best offensive numbers when they were least needed.[citation needed] Nonetheless, Rodriguez's impressive regular season records are still overshadowed by his lackluster postseason performance.[citation needed] However, over the course of Rodriguez's career, his postseason numbers are otherwise statistically indistinguishable from his regular season record.<ref>Alex Rodriguez Career Stats. Baseball-Reference.</ref> Furthermore, his career postseason statistics are comparable to that of Reggie Jackson, Derek Jeter, and David Ortiz. In 14 American League Champion Series games, Rodriguez has hit .315 and slugged .611, superior numbers that contrast with usual media perception. With the Yankees, however, Rodriguez is batting just .241 with 8 RBIs in 20 games. Since 2005 his numbers have slumped even further with a batting average of .103 with no home runs or RBIs and 9 strikeouts in 29 plate appearances.
In May 2006, Rodriguez finally responded to the criticism directed at him. He said: {{quote|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. I don't take anything personally; I enjoy it, it motivates me and I think it's comical. I think [for] anyone that drives in over 130 runs numerous times in his career, it's impossible not to be clutch. <ref>Mark Feinsand (2006-05-24). A-Rod sticks it to Sox. MLB.com.</ref> In an issue of Sports Illustrated, Rodriguez surmised new reasons why he has become an apparent magnet for criticism, "When people write [bad things] about me, I don't know if it's [because] I'm good-looking, I'm biracial, I make the most money, I play on the most popular team."<ref name="Sports">Tom Verducci (2006-09-25). A-Rod Agonistes. Sports Illustrated.</ref>
Nonetheless, sportswriters, fans, and teammates have continued to debate Alex Rodriguez's performance in the clutch. Some writers such as the New York Post's Joel Sherman have asked, "How do you disregard your eyes completely? How do you ignore that at the most intense moments Rodriguez seems to be carrying his 32-ounce bat and the weight of the world into each at-bat?"<ref>Joel Sherman (2006-06-12). Time to Face Facts: A-Rod Simply Doesn’t Have 'It'. New York Post.</ref> Other sportswriters including ESPN's D.J. Gallo openly mocked Rodriguez's harshest critics while discussing an off-day in the Yankee schedule: "Typical A-Fraud -- the Yankees manage to win back-to-back games against the Red Sox and he needs a day off. Pathetic."<ref>DJ Gallo (2006-11-08). An embarrassing week for A-Rod. ESPN.com.</ref> In the same issue of Sports Illustrated cited earlier, teammate Jason Giambi also criticized Rodriguez, remarking: {{quote|...you've got to get the big hit. ... You call those hits? You had two dinkers to rightfield and a ball that bounced over the third baseman! Look at how many pitches you missed! When you hit three, four or five [in the order], you have to get the big hits, especially if they're going to walk Bobby [Abreu] and me. I'll help you out until you get going. I'll look to drive in runs when they pitch around me, go after that 3-and-1 pitch that might be a ball. But if they're going to walk Bobby and me, you're going to have to be the guy.<ref name="Sports"/> He also told Yankees manager Joe Torre, "It's time to stop coddling him."<ref name="Sports"/> However, Rodriguez and Giambi implied that the story was taken out of context, with Giambi claiming that his comments were part of a "pep talk", and not an argument, because he "was just trying to find a way to help him out."<ref>Tyler Kepner (2006-9-20). As Yankees March On, a Reminder Of Rodriguez's Summertime Swoon. The New York Times.</ref> Rodriguez agreed, "This is the most support I've ever gotten from any team. I couldn't be more proud."
[edit] Miscellaneous
- He married Cynthia Scurtis on November 2, 2002. The couple's first child, Natasha Alexander, was born on November 18, 2004.
- In 2003, Alex Rodriguez gave $3.9 million to the University of Miami to renovate its baseball stadium. The new facility will be named 'Mark Light Field at Alex Rodriguez Park.' Rodriguez remains an ardent University of Miami fan and can frequently be found at Hurricane sporting events, as well as working out at the school's athletic facilities in the off-season.
- In 2005, The Sporting News published an update of its 1999 book Baseball's 100 Greatest Players. Rodriguez did not make the original edition, but for the 2005 update, with his career totals considerably higher, he was ranked at Number 70.
- After vacillating between playing for the Dominican Republic and the United States, Rodriguez, on January 17, 2006, declared he would play for the U.S. in the World Baseball Classic.
- On October 13, 2006, Rodriguez's plane overshot a runway at Burbank's Bob Hope Airport -- a mere two days after his Yankee teammate, Cory Lidle died when his plane crashed into a high-rise building in New York City, a tragic event which itself invoked ghostly images from 3 decades earlier when former Yankee Captain Thurman Munson died in a plane he was piloting in Ohio. The plane was not significantly damaged and no one was injured thanks to a special surface designed to stop planes that overshoot the runway.
[edit] Awards
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[edit] Career statistics
| Games | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Career | 1746 | 6767 | 1358 | 2067 | 364 | 26 | 464 | 1347 | 241 | .305 |
[edit] Quotes
"Always follow your dreams; don't let anyone tell you that you can't be something." - Alex Rodriguez
"I'd rather have a Gold Glove (Award) than a Silver Slugger (Award). Defense is so much more of a team game, and one of my goals this year was to make fewer than 25 errors." - Alex Rodriguez
"I'm having a hard time finding a date. I don't trust any women I meet. I'm very skeptical." - Alex Rodriguez
"Keep reading books, stay in school. I encourage kids to read as much as they can; I challenge you to read a book every two weeks, like I try to." - Alex Rodriguez
"Like I say, it's almost embarrassing to talk about. I don't know if Michael Jordan or Bill Gates or Alexander the Great or anyone is worth this type of money, but that's the market we're in today. That's what Mr. Hicks decided to pay me, and now it's time to pay him back and win a couple championships." - Alex Rodriguez
"Why do people sing Take Me Out to the Ballgame when they're already there?" - Alex Rodriguez
"The great thing is that he's always looking to improve. How good can he be? Well, we're talking about a guy who is Hall of Fame caliber." - Lou Piniella
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes and references
<references/>
[edit] External links
- AROD.com - Alex Rodriguez's official website
- Player Information from Yankees.com
- Alex Rodriguez at ESPN.com
- Baseball-Reference.com - career statistics and analysis
- Alex Rodriguez at The Internet Movie Database
fr:Alex Rodriguez it:Alex Rodriguez ja:アレックス・ロドリゲス sv:Alex Rodriguez
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