Alex Rodriguez
Alex Rodriguez is perhaps the single most unique combination of incredible talent and media infamy in sports. The largest MLB stories involve him as centerpieces; his pursuit of the HR record draws attention from the entire world, his contract embodies criticism of players' salaries, his team has the largest payroll and represents the imbalance of team revenues, he is the most noteworthy player in the game to admit use of steroids, and his poker playing evokes MLB's cardinal sin - gambling. On the other hand he switched nationalities no fewer than three times for the World Baseball Classic, had odd baserunning plays involving the Red Sox & Blue Jays, and his closet personal relationships involve many famous people including; Warren Buffett, Madonna, Lenny Kravitz, Derek Jeter, Joe Torre, Jose Canseco, & Pete Rose. Any one of the storylines below would bring fame/infamy for a person's lifetime - the multitude suggests Rodriguez enjoys the attention.
Hall of Fame caliber stats:
3 x AL MVP (runner up twice, placed in top 15 voting every year since 1998)
3 x Major League Player of Year
6 x AL Outstanding Player of Year
4 x AL Hank Aaron Award
12 x AL All-Star (achieved in every season with more than 129 games played)
2 x AL Gold Glove (both at shortstop)
10 x AL Silver Slugger
3 x played every game in the season (runner up twice)
led AL in AB & Plate Appearances in 1998
4 x AL Total bases leader (runner up twice)
1 x AL Batting average leader (runner up once)
4 x AL Slugging Percentage leader
2 x AL OPS leader (runner up once)
5 x AL runs leader (runner up twice)
1 x AL hits leader (runner up once)
1 x AL Doubles leader
5 x AL HR leader
1 x AL AB per HR leader (runner up 5 times)
2 x AL RBI leader (runner up once)
1 x AL Extra base hit leader (runner up twice)
1 of 4 MLB players to reach 40HR and 40 SB in the same season (joining Jose Canseco, Barry Bonds, & Alfonso Soriano)
youngest MLB player to hit 500 HR
Contracts:
winter 1992 - signed a letter of intent for baseball scholarship at the University of Miami.
June 1993 - selected as first pick in the MLB Draft; agent Scott Boras demands $2 million signing bonus.
summer 1993 - practices with Team USA and could have been the first high school player to make the team if not for a conflicting endorsement deal.
August 1993 - signed by the Mariners with $1.3 million signing bonus.
July 1994 - debuted in MLB at the age of 18 years and 11 months.
January 2001 - signed largest contract in MLB history, $252 million for 10 years.
December 2003 - Boston Red Sox offered to trade Manny Ramirez for Rodriguez if he would forfeit $28-30 million. The players union blocked the deal on the principle of disallowing the precedent.
January 2004 - appointed team captain of the Rangers and said I definitely think I'm going to be here for a long time.
February 2004 - traded to the Yankees (with $67 million in cash obligations) for Alfonso Soriano and agreed to move to third base so Derek Jeter could at shortstop. Rodriguez chose uniform number 13.
October 2006 - denied intention to invoke contract clause to terminate remaining years after 2007 and blogged, I am 100 percent committed to being a Yankee now and in the future. I don't want to play anywhere else. I never have (and never will) run away from the responsibility I have to this team. I believe I am part of the solution to winning a championship here. I want to finish my career in New York.
November 2006 - publicly reaffirms he did not intend to void his contract with the Yankees and said Options are there for protection and choices, and my choice is to play for the New York Yankees.
October 2007 - agent Scott Boras voided the remainder of the contract with the Yankees during game 4 of the World Series and Rodriguez became a free agent. MLB Chief Operating Officer responded to the timing and said, There was no reason to make an announcement last night other than to try to put his selfish interests and that of one individual player above the overall good of the game.
November 2007 - consulted with Warren Buffett who encouraged A-Rod to negotiate with the Yankees without agent Scott Boras.
December 2007 - signed largest contract in MLB history,$275 million for 10 years with approximately $30 million in bonuses based on passing all time HR records.
Arrogant quotes:
September 2006 - 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....
February 2007 - I love being the highest-paid player in the game. It's pretty cool. I like making that money. You get crushed, but you know what? It's pretty cool.
Steroids:
winter 1997 - hired Michael Jordan's personal trainer to improve his physical conditioning.
1999 - first major injury; torn cartilage in knee.
July 2000 - second major injury; strained knee.
December 2007 - interviewed by 60 Minutes 3 days after release of the Mitchell Report and denied taking any kind of performance enhancing drugs, and said I've never felt overmatched on the baseball field. I've always been a very strong, dominant position.
March 2008 - book by former teammate Jose Canseco claimed path to steroids introduced by Canseco in the late 1990s, and stated I did everything but inject the guy myself.
April 2008 - third major injury; strained quadriceps.
February 2009 - identified by reports to positive test results for steroids in 2003; admitted using steroids from 2001-2003.
Infidelity:
November 2002 - married Cynthia Scurtis
November 2004 - daughter born; Natasha Alexander
May 2007 - photographed entering a hotel room with stripper Joslyn Noel Morse.
May 2007 - wife Cynthia Scurtis responded to media scrutiny by wearing a t-shirt with a vulgar message written on it.
July 2007 - promoted children's book, called Out of the Ballpark, in toy store appearance with wife and daughter Natasha, said I wrote this book because my daughter loves to read.
March 2008 - book by former teammate Jose Canseco claimed Rodriguez lusted for Canseco's ex-wife during the marriage in the 1990s. At a book signing Canseco said, I believe they had an affair, I'm pretty sure of it.
April 2008 - second daughter born; Ella Alexander.
July 2008 - reports claimed Rodriguez made late night visits to Madonna.
July 2008 - Madonna sat in the front row at Yankee Stadium.
July 2008 - wife fled to Paris to spend time with Lenny Kravitz.
July 2008 - wife filed for divorce
July 2008 - Boston stripper Candice Houlihan admits affair in 2004.
November 2008 - appeared in the front row at a Madonna concert.
Strained MLB relationships:
1993 - met Derek Jeter and received advice for dealing with the MLB draft.
June 1997 - Derek Jeter said in a Sports Illustrated interview, We talk a lot with each other. Like we said before, we have similar situations.
April 2001 - criticized Derek Jeter in article published by Esquire magazine and said, Jeter's been blessed with great talent around him. He's never had to lead. He can just go and play and have fun. And he hits second—that's totally different than third and fourth in a lineup. You go into New York, you wanna stop Bernie and O'Neill. You never say, Don't let Derek beat you. He's never your concern.
May 2007 - admitted he is no longer close with Derek Jeter and said, You don't ask me about Derek anymore, and I promise I'll stop lying to all you guys.
May 2004 - admitted clashes with Rangers manager Buck Showalter and said, His philosophies were a little different from my philosophies.
October 3006 - manager Joe Torre puts Rodriguez 8th in the lineup in a playoff game 4. Reports in 2009 claim, He believed that Torre did that to embarrass him and he knew then what Torre thought of him.
January 2009 - book by former manager Joe Torre publicized the term "A-Fraud" and criticized Rodriguez.
February 2009 - Rangers owner Tom Hicks said, I feel personally betrayed, I feel deceived by Alex.
February 2009 - Commissioner Bud Selig said, On behalf of Major League Baseball, I am saddened by the revelations concerning Alex Rodriguez's use of performance-enhancing substances.
Changing national teams:
1993 - selected USA Baseball Junior Player of the Year.
July 2005 - announced he would play for the Dominican Republic in the 2006 World Baseball Classic and said, I want to say it out loud: I am Dominican.
December 2005 - announced he would sit out the 2006 World Baseball Classic and said, When faced with the decision to choose between my country, the United States of America, and my Dominican heritage, I decided I will not dishonor either.
January 2006 - announced he would play for USA in the 2006 World Baseball Classic and said, In recent weeks, following dialogue with caring friends and players, both Dominican and American, I reached the conclusion that if I played in the Classic, I would play for the United States and honor my American citizenship. I appreciate the support and understanding of my fellow Dominican players and friends who aided me in making this decision
December 2008 - announced he would play for the Dominican Republic in the 2009 World Baseball Classic and said, I am 100 percent sure that I will play for the Dominican Republic team
Unusual plays:
July 2004 - brawled with Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek
October 2004 - tried to slap the ball out of the glove of Red Sox pitcher Bronson Arroyo during a key play in the AL Championship.
May 2007 - yelled at Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Howie Clark while he was trying to catch a pop fly.
September 2008 - HR challenged by opposing manager and for the first time in MLB history instant replay used to uphold the ruling on the field.
Gambling:
October 2005 - spotted at illegal poker clubs in New York City.
November 2005 - online gambling website offered Rodriguez sponsorship and said, playing online is far safer than in an underground poker room.
November 2005 - reports claimed Yankees cautioned Rodriguez about gambling in New York. Rodriguez said on a media conference call, In retrospect, it is probably a place I shouldn't have gone.
November 2006 - hosted charity poker tournament at the 40/40 Club in Manhattan and said, I got in some trouble for poker last year, so why not turn it around and raise some money for the children?
June 2008 - ESPN reported Pete Rose, who is banned from the game because of his gambling, became close with Rodriguez after January 2006. Rose said, Baseball can keep me out of it, but they can't tell me who I can befriend. Texting's not illegal.
November 2008 - reports claimed played poker at the Commerce Casino in Los Angeles.
Hall of Fame caliber stats:
3 x AL MVP (runner up twice, placed in top 15 voting every year since 1998)
3 x Major League Player of Year
6 x AL Outstanding Player of Year
4 x AL Hank Aaron Award
12 x AL All-Star (achieved in every season with more than 129 games played)
2 x AL Gold Glove (both at shortstop)
10 x AL Silver Slugger
3 x played every game in the season (runner up twice)
led AL in AB & Plate Appearances in 1998
4 x AL Total bases leader (runner up twice)
1 x AL Batting average leader (runner up once)
4 x AL Slugging Percentage leader
2 x AL OPS leader (runner up once)
5 x AL runs leader (runner up twice)
1 x AL hits leader (runner up once)
1 x AL Doubles leader
5 x AL HR leader
1 x AL AB per HR leader (runner up 5 times)
2 x AL RBI leader (runner up once)
1 x AL Extra base hit leader (runner up twice)
1 of 4 MLB players to reach 40HR and 40 SB in the same season (joining Jose Canseco, Barry Bonds, & Alfonso Soriano)
youngest MLB player to hit 500 HR
Contracts:
winter 1992 - signed a letter of intent for baseball scholarship at the University of Miami.
June 1993 - selected as first pick in the MLB Draft; agent Scott Boras demands $2 million signing bonus.
summer 1993 - practices with Team USA and could have been the first high school player to make the team if not for a conflicting endorsement deal.August 1993 - signed by the Mariners with $1.3 million signing bonus.
July 1994 - debuted in MLB at the age of 18 years and 11 months.
January 2001 - signed largest contract in MLB history, $252 million for 10 years.
December 2003 - Boston Red Sox offered to trade Manny Ramirez for Rodriguez if he would forfeit $28-30 million. The players union blocked the deal on the principle of disallowing the precedent.January 2004 - appointed team captain of the Rangers and said I definitely think I'm going to be here for a long time.
February 2004 - traded to the Yankees (with $67 million in cash obligations) for Alfonso Soriano and agreed to move to third base so Derek Jeter could at shortstop. Rodriguez chose uniform number 13.
October 2006 - denied intention to invoke contract clause to terminate remaining years after 2007 and blogged, I am 100 percent committed to being a Yankee now and in the future. I don't want to play anywhere else. I never have (and never will) run away from the responsibility I have to this team. I believe I am part of the solution to winning a championship here. I want to finish my career in New York.November 2006 - publicly reaffirms he did not intend to void his contract with the Yankees and said Options are there for protection and choices, and my choice is to play for the New York Yankees.
October 2007 - agent Scott Boras voided the remainder of the contract with the Yankees during game 4 of the World Series and Rodriguez became a free agent. MLB Chief Operating Officer responded to the timing and said, There was no reason to make an announcement last night other than to try to put his selfish interests and that of one individual player above the overall good of the game.
November 2007 - consulted with Warren Buffett who encouraged A-Rod to negotiate with the Yankees without agent Scott Boras.
December 2007 - signed largest contract in MLB history,$275 million for 10 years with approximately $30 million in bonuses based on passing all time HR records.
Arrogant quotes:
September 2006 - 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....
February 2007 - I love being the highest-paid player in the game. It's pretty cool. I like making that money. You get crushed, but you know what? It's pretty cool.
Steroids:
winter 1997 - hired Michael Jordan's personal trainer to improve his physical conditioning.
1999 - first major injury; torn cartilage in knee.
July 2000 - second major injury; strained knee.
December 2007 - interviewed by 60 Minutes 3 days after release of the Mitchell Report and denied taking any kind of performance enhancing drugs, and said I've never felt overmatched on the baseball field. I've always been a very strong, dominant position.
March 2008 - book by former teammate Jose Canseco claimed path to steroids introduced by Canseco in the late 1990s, and stated I did everything but inject the guy myself.
April 2008 - third major injury; strained quadriceps.
February 2009 - identified by reports to positive test results for steroids in 2003; admitted using steroids from 2001-2003.
Infidelity:November 2002 - married Cynthia Scurtis
November 2004 - daughter born; Natasha AlexanderMay 2007 - photographed entering a hotel room with stripper Joslyn Noel Morse.
May 2007 - wife Cynthia Scurtis responded to media scrutiny by wearing a t-shirt with a vulgar message written on it.
July 2007 - promoted children's book, called Out of the Ballpark, in toy store appearance with wife and daughter Natasha, said I wrote this book because my daughter loves to read.
March 2008 - book by former teammate Jose Canseco claimed Rodriguez lusted for Canseco's ex-wife during the marriage in the 1990s. At a book signing Canseco said, I believe they had an affair, I'm pretty sure of it.April 2008 - second daughter born; Ella Alexander.
July 2008 - reports claimed Rodriguez made late night visits to Madonna.
July 2008 - Madonna sat in the front row at Yankee Stadium.
July 2008 - wife fled to Paris to spend time with Lenny Kravitz.July 2008 - wife filed for divorce
July 2008 - Boston stripper Candice Houlihan admits affair in 2004.
November 2008 - appeared in the front row at a Madonna concert.
Strained MLB relationships:
1993 - met Derek Jeter and received advice for dealing with the MLB draft.
June 1997 - Derek Jeter said in a Sports Illustrated interview, We talk a lot with each other. Like we said before, we have similar situations.
April 2001 - criticized Derek Jeter in article published by Esquire magazine and said, Jeter's been blessed with great talent around him. He's never had to lead. He can just go and play and have fun. And he hits second—that's totally different than third and fourth in a lineup. You go into New York, you wanna stop Bernie and O'Neill. You never say, Don't let Derek beat you. He's never your concern.May 2007 - admitted he is no longer close with Derek Jeter and said, You don't ask me about Derek anymore, and I promise I'll stop lying to all you guys.
May 2004 - admitted clashes with Rangers manager Buck Showalter and said, His philosophies were a little different from my philosophies.
October 3006 - manager Joe Torre puts Rodriguez 8th in the lineup in a playoff game 4. Reports in 2009 claim, He believed that Torre did that to embarrass him and he knew then what Torre thought of him.
January 2009 - book by former manager Joe Torre publicized the term "A-Fraud" and criticized Rodriguez.
February 2009 - Rangers owner Tom Hicks said, I feel personally betrayed, I feel deceived by Alex.
February 2009 - Commissioner Bud Selig said, On behalf of Major League Baseball, I am saddened by the revelations concerning Alex Rodriguez's use of performance-enhancing substances.
Changing national teams:
1993 - selected USA Baseball Junior Player of the Year.
July 2005 - announced he would play for the Dominican Republic in the 2006 World Baseball Classic and said, I want to say it out loud: I am Dominican.
December 2005 - announced he would sit out the 2006 World Baseball Classic and said, When faced with the decision to choose between my country, the United States of America, and my Dominican heritage, I decided I will not dishonor either.
January 2006 - announced he would play for USA in the 2006 World Baseball Classic and said, In recent weeks, following dialogue with caring friends and players, both Dominican and American, I reached the conclusion that if I played in the Classic, I would play for the United States and honor my American citizenship. I appreciate the support and understanding of my fellow Dominican players and friends who aided me in making this decision
December 2008 - announced he would play for the Dominican Republic in the 2009 World Baseball Classic and said, I am 100 percent sure that I will play for the Dominican Republic teamUnusual plays:
July 2004 - brawled with Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek
October 2004 - tried to slap the ball out of the glove of Red Sox pitcher Bronson Arroyo during a key play in the AL Championship.
May 2007 - yelled at Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Howie Clark while he was trying to catch a pop fly.
September 2008 - HR challenged by opposing manager and for the first time in MLB history instant replay used to uphold the ruling on the field.
Gambling:October 2005 - spotted at illegal poker clubs in New York City.
November 2005 - online gambling website offered Rodriguez sponsorship and said, playing online is far safer than in an underground poker room.
November 2005 - reports claimed Yankees cautioned Rodriguez about gambling in New York. Rodriguez said on a media conference call, In retrospect, it is probably a place I shouldn't have gone.
November 2006 - hosted charity poker tournament at the 40/40 Club in Manhattan and said, I got in some trouble for poker last year, so why not turn it around and raise some money for the children?
June 2008 - ESPN reported Pete Rose, who is banned from the game because of his gambling, became close with Rodriguez after January 2006. Rose said, Baseball can keep me out of it, but they can't tell me who I can befriend. Texting's not illegal.
November 2008 - reports claimed played poker at the Commerce Casino in Los Angeles.
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