Born:
July 27, 1975
Alex Emanuel Rodriguez was born in New
York City where he lived until he was four. When he was four his family
moved back to his parents' native land - the Dominican Republic. Alex
learned to play baseball in the Dominican Republic. Shortly after
the family had returned to the United States to live in Miami, Florida
Alex's parents divorced. Alex's mother worked two jobs to support
Alex and his brother and sister. As Alex watched his mother struggle
to support the family, he decided he would become a professional baseball
player so he could earn a lot of money to help his Mom.
Alex practice long hours and worked very
hard as he attended the Westminister Christian High School. Rodriguez
finished his high school career with a .419 average and 17 homers
in 100 games. Baseball scouts noticed that Alex was a very good player
and Rodriguez was picked in the first round by the Seattle Mariners
in the 1993 entry draft.
In his first full season with the Mariners,
Alex Rodriguez hit 36 homeruns and became one of the youngest players
to make the All-Star team. People also started to call him A-Rod.
Over the next two years, A-Rod made a name for himself as one of the
first shortstops who could also hit the ball with power. At the end
of 1996, Alex Rodriguez was named Sporting News Major League Player
of the Year. In 1999, he became just the third player in MLB history
to hit 40 homers and steal 40 bases in a season.
After the 2000 season, Alex Rodriguez
left the Seattle Mariners to sign a ten-year contract with the Texas
Rangers for a whopping $252 million! He had reached his goal to become
a professional baseball player and earn a lot of money!
Learn
more about Alex at the following websites: