Alex Rodriguez

Alex Rodriguez, known to a core of dedicated fans and the baseball world at large as “A-Rod,” was a proven talent at the end of his high school career. The Seattle Mariners were happy to sign him in 1994, but the feeling wasn’t quite mutual, and Alex Rodriguez departed the lackluster Mariners in search of greener pastures.

While Alex Rodriguez’s 2000 move to the Texas Rangers exposed him only to dusty environs, the Rangers sweetened the pot with a stunning $252 million, 10-year contract—at the time the biggest in sports history. Continuing on his upward trajectory, he signed in 2004 with the winningest team in Major League Baseball history—the New York Yankees.

Alex Rodriguez is more at home with the Yankee sluggers than the dismally performing Rangers. But his career is nothing if not the story of a young man willing to beat the odds to achieve greatness. Despite the Rangers’ poor standing during Rodriguez’s tenure, his personal achievements—including an MVP award—stood him apart from his team’s failure.

Despite the large salary offered by the Rangers, Rodriguez’s primary motivation for his move had been a desire to secure a place on a team that could win championships. This, coupled with the Rangers’ opinion that the money from his pricey salary might better be put into team development, made his trade to the New York Yankees a win-win arrangement.

During this time, Rodriguez had been racking up an impressive batting record. Not merely a power hitter with consistent season-to-season home run performance, A-Rod has proven to be a dynamic infielder. He entered the Major Leagues as a shortstop, but had no trouble at all switching to third base in order to respect Derek Jeter’s position.

Alex Rodriguez’s Latino heritage made him something of a t-shirt player as well as a world-class starter. But hold up, Minutemen! This Dominican’s American made (born July 27, 1975 in New York City). Rodriguez’s move to New York from Texas saw the player completing a circuit around the country to return to his hometown.

Today Alex Rodriguez is a beloved player with impressive numbers, who, out of current players, is a favorite to break the career homerun record.