$252 million U.S. dollars. That’s how much a Major League baseball team agreed to pay Alex
Rodriguez (“A-Rod”) to play
shortstop.
In 2000, it was the highest offer any player in any team sport – baseball, basketball, football, soccer, or hockey – had been given. In the years to come, controversy would surround this All-Star athlete, including his recent admission to using performance-enhancing drugs from 2001-03 while he played for the Texas Rangers. BUT – in the spirit of good sportsmanship, this biography leaves out all of the malicious gossip and rumors. Instead the book paints a portrait of a determined sports hero who knows the importance of hard work and dedication, both on and off the field.
“I’ve always been the underdog who’s gone out and played well and tried to show everybody that I’m worth being the No. 1…” – Alex Rodriguez, AP, 2/21/01 Throughout his life, Alex found himself the “underdog” trying to overcome the odds and become a professional baseball player. Alex first learned how to hit and catch a ball from his father when they lived in the Dominican Republic and later in Miami, Florida. But when Alex was 9 years old his father left the family to find work in New York City. Alex would not see his father again until many years later!
Alex worked so hard he became the best-known high school baseball player in the country. He was drafted to the Seattle Mariners, a professional baseball team, when he was only 17! But the sports euphoria was short-lived. Alex proved to be a strong player in the field, but he struggled at the plate. Finally he begged batting coaches to help him improve his swing. Again his determination paid off. A-Rod became the youngest
shortstop to ever play in an All-Star Game. He became the third player in baseball history to join the 40-40 club, meaning he hit 40 homeruns and stole 40 bases in one season. Not only that, Alex hit 400 homeruns before the age of 30. And he was voted American League MVP - Most Valuable Player - for the New York Yankees (twice).
When not playing baseball, this sports hero donates his time to encouraging children do well in school and to stay fit through organizations such as the Boys and Girls Clubs of Miami and the Grand Slam for Kids program in Seattle. Alex also wrote two children’s books,
Hit a Grand Slam! and
Out of the Ballpark, a great book for any young player who dreams of becoming a star (click on link below to read my Shvoong review about it!).
About the Author
Kim Covert has written other non-fiction books for children, including
Extreme Diving and a biography about baseball player Derek Jeter.