'''Alexander Emmanuel "Alex" Rodríguez''' (born July 27, 1975, in New York City), is an American baseball player. He is currently the starting third baseman for the New York Yankees, after having played shortstop for the Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners.
He has won two MVP Awards, also finishing second in the voting twice. He has led the American League in home runs 4 times. He has often been cited as the best all-around player currently in baseball, but his playing woes have also been much analyzed
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Rodríguez is known for signing the richest contract in sports history, a 10-year, $252 million dollar deal.
Background
Rodríguez was born in the Washington Heights section of New York City. When he was four, Rodríguez moved with his parents to their native Dominican Republic. After the family moved to Miami, Florida three years later, Rodríguez's father announced his intention to
return to New Jersey for a short time. He never returned, leaving his wife and young Alex to struggle in their new environment.
Rodríguez was a star player at Miami's Westminster Christian High School. Rodríguez 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. Rodríguez 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.
He was drafted first overall by the Seattle Mariners in 1993. Rodríguez rose rapidly through the Mariners organization, and made his major league debut in July of 1994 as the youngest player in the major leagues at the age of 18.
Seattle Mariners
Alex Rodríguez's first major league campaign lasted just one month; the season was cut short by the 1994 baseball strike. Rodríguez then split most of 1995 between the Mariners and their AAA club, the Tacoma Rainiers. Rodríguez joined the major league roster permanently in August, where he got his first taste of postseason play, albeit in just two at-bats.
The following year, Rodríguez 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. He also led the AL in runs, total bases, and doubles. Rodríguez came close to becoming the youngest MVP (Most Valuable Player) in baseball history, finishing second to Juan González in the voting by three points, 290-287.
In 1997, Rodríguez's numbers fell somewhat, hitting 23 HR with
