Born to Dominican immigrants, Alex Rodriguez grew up in Washington Heights in Manhattan with his siblings. Using a rubber ball and plastic bat, he would practice baseball with what little he had. After becoming a part of youth baseball, the obsession with pursuing the sport began generating. Rodriguez played baseball and football in high school and began generating buzz as a successful shortstop long before he graduated college. At 17 years of age, he was signed by the Seattle Mariners to make his debut as a professional baseball player. Over the years, he switched various teams before staying with the New York Yankees until his retirement in 2017. Since retiring, Rodriguez has become a media personality as a broadcaster and businessman.
Over the last five years, A-Rod has built on his brand name to establish successful businesses and become an avid investor in various fields. Rodriguez has also been deemed an intelligent businessman often seen in the public eye for his highly publicized relationships. Let’s look at how Alex Rodriguez went from being a baseball shortstop to a profitable entrepreneur.
Finding Passion In Baseball
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Alex Rodriguez began playing baseball with his friends at an early age and became a part of the Boys and Girls Club, where his team won the National Title. Growing up in New York, he was a fan of the Mets, and his favorite players were Dale Murphy, Cal Ripken Jr., and Keith Hernandez. His high school won the baseball championship, with Rodriguez winning the national student-athlete of the year award. After graduating high school, he received an offer to become the quarterback for Hurricanes in football, but he chose baseball instead. According to Britannica, he was selected as a first overall pick by the Seattle Mariners for MLB in 1993.
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At age 18, Alex Rodriguez made his MLB debut as a shortstop for the Mariners. Three years after signing on, his best season occurred in 1996 when he averaged 36 home runs. He also scored 40 home runs and 40 bases in 1998, becoming the third player in MLB history to achieve the feat. By 2001, Rodriguez became a free agent, and Texas Rangers bagged him for a 10-year contract worth $252 million, the richest contract of its time, as stated by CNN.
An Opportunity With The Yankees
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After achieving great stats with the Rangers and earning the American League MVP in 2003, he was transferred to the New York Yankees a year later. He won his second MVP title in 2005 for his 48 home runs. At 32 years of age, Alex Rodriguez made his 500th home run at Yankee Stadium and became the youngest player to achieve it. His career-best performance occurred in 2007 when he came MVP for the third time and hit 54 home runs. Two years later, his career dwindled a little after admitting that he consumed performance-enhancing drugs.
As mentioned by Celebrity Net Worth, Alex Rodriguez was a part of the Yankees team when they won the 2009 World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies, which remained his only world title. Unfortunately, as a hard-hitting athlete, he suffered knee and hip injuries, leading to surgeries that hampered his fitness. Nevertheless, he became a hitter for the team and played his last game in August 2016 before retiring in 2017.
Career Beyond Sports
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Throughout his professional career, Alex Rodriguez earned $441 million in baseball salary and an additional $40 million from brand endorsements. While many players rest after retirement, Rodriguez decided to invest his money into businesses that would give lucrative returns. As the co-owner of A-Rod Corp, he has invested in over 30 businesses in the last decade, which has a valuation of $1 billion. The company has not only invested as a venture capitalist but also birthed many startups. In 2015, he acquired an equity stake in Artsy and BounceX and invested in Wheels Up, a private jet charter membership.
Along with joining a broadcast team at ESPN to offer his experienced opinions, Alex Rodriguez also invested in an eco-friendly corporate development firm Petros Pace Finance. 2020 was a big year for Rodriguez as he became the chairperson for the Anheuser-Busch brand Presidente, as noted by Forbes. Presidente is a pilsner beer brand that originated from his home country of the Dominican Republic. Some of his other notable projects and investments include investing in Super Coffee and gaining part ownership of the NBA team Minnesota Timberwolves. As a seasoned baseball player and having a background in football, basketball is a new avenue for Alex Rodriguez, who is up for the challenge.
Alex Rodriguez has been one of the most successful players in professional baseball and took his career to great heights during his prime. While he may not dominate the field anymore, Rodriguez continues to make lucrative business investments and offers opportunities to many ventures to grow and build their empires.
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Sources: Britannica, CNN, Celebrity Net Worth, Forbes
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