| When I Was A Kid . . . As told to George Castle Alex Rodriguez, known as "A-Rod," is one of the most popular baseball players today. And it's no wonder! In his first full year in the majors (1996), the then 21-year-old Seattle Mariner shortstop led the American League in five categories: batting average (.358) runs (141), total bases (379), doubles (54) and grand-slam homers (3). Overall, he slugged 36 homers, drove in 123 runs and collected 215 hits! Alex played on the All-Star team (the youngest shortstop ever), was named The Sporting News Major League Player of the Year, and came in second t Juan Gonzalez in the American League MVP vote. Wow! Last year, Alex followed up with a solid .300 batting average. But even better than Alex's great numbers is his personality. He's polite, humble young man who's graciously handled his sudden success. And he realizes that the learning process never stops-even when you're a superstar. When talking to the media, Alex is known to ask questions about the great players of the game. Alex also has formed the "Grand Slam for Kids" educational program to encourage elementary school students to work on their reading, math, physical fitness and good citizenship. As part of the program, he visits schools and holds assemblies. While A-Rod had a great amateur playing record before the Mariners drafted him No. 1 in the country in 1993, his amazing talent was not all that evident when he first started playing ball. Alex talked to Junior League Baseball about how he developed his abilities, and more! JLB: How old were you when you first started playing baseball? AR: I started when I was 4 years old. When I was 6, I started playing Khoury League baseball, sponsored by the Boys Club in Coconut Grove (Miami). I've always been close with the league, and I recently donated $25,000 to it. I have fond memories, and I think back about those days all the time. JLB: Were you always a shortstop? AR: I was a shortstop all my life. Sometimes I caught because my best friend, who now plays for the University of Miami, threw too fast and no one else could catch him. I was the only guy willing to go back there and try to stop the ball. As a player, from Khoury League on, fielding was my strength. Hitting came as a bonus to me. I've always been a good fielder. JLB: What are your best memories of playing youth baseball? AR: I was 11. We went on a national tour in PONY League. We went to Tampa, Orlando, New Orleans, and San Francisco for the World Series. We lost the first game, but we won 25-1 in the second game. JLB: You made headlines with your hitting. At what age did that develop? AR: I was very weak at first. My birthday's in the summer, so I always had to play with kids older than I was. I always missed the cut. That (age difference) is huge. So my strength wasn't really developed. I was very lanky and skinny, and I didn't have the bat speed to compete at that level. But because I was good at defense, I always started. I either hit No. 1 or No. 9. Finally, when I was a sophomore in high school (Westminster Christian, Miami), I went to the U.S. Junior Olympic team. That was a huge boost of confidence for me. To be able to compete at the international level was significant factor in my life. I knew I had a chance to play in the majors someday. I began to lift weights and started to develop, and finally I had a chance to play with kids my own age. Then I started dominating. I was a .450 high school hitter. JLB: Would you advise youth league players to work on their fielding or hitting first? AR: To play in the big leagues, you've got to field. Everybody talks about hitting. But if you can't field, you can't play Major League Baseball. For the most part, fielding is overlooked. JLB: What's the best way to learn the strike zone as a young hitter? AR: So many kids don't know what bat to use, don't know the strike zone and are over aggressive. It's hard when you play just once or twice a week. In a nutshell, once you step into the batting cage, your first 15 or 20 swings should go the other way. You should really try to stay inside the ball and hit it hard the other way. And when you have two strikes, you should try to make an adjustment. I choke up two inches on the bat in that situation. People think it's funny, but I'm confident I can make contact on every pitch. I have a little more bat control and I cut down on my swing. Two strikes, you just try to stroke the ball, it's better than striking out! JLB: Should kids concentrate on baseball or play all sports? AR: I would encourage kids to play every sport. Football has helped my baseball skills and so has basketball. You have to keep your mind out there. You don't want to focus on baseball too much, too early. Play every sport, enjoy them, and get the most out of your athletic abilities. Football, for instance, gives you mental toughness. To many parents over-push kids (in one sport), so the kids rebel. JLB: Do you recommend players pass up the draft to go to college? AR: College, 100 percent! They should let go of the high school draft. There should be only one round for college. All kids should go to college unless you're a No. 1, 2, 3, top-ten pick. I was a No. 1 pick, but I still wanted to go to college. My brother and sister went to college. JLB: Who were the top coaches who influenced you? AR: Rich Hoffman at Westminster High School and Eddie Rodriguez at the Boys Club. I owe all my success to them. They gave me the confidence early on that I could play. They came to my all-star game, they came to opening day. They're my buddies. JLB: Do you appreciate the great shortstops who played before you? AR: Yes. A lot of times, I've heard guys come up and say, "I'm the man, I don't need to thank anybody." I hope that when I'm 35 and a 21-year old comes up, he gives me the respect that I've earned. I feel there is a responsibility with young players to really give thanks back to guys who have been around awhile: the Ernie Banks, the Cal Ripkens, the Ozzie Smiths. Without those guys, I wouldn't be where I am today. JLB: As a person of Latin-American background, were you taught about the late Roberto Clemente, who died 25 years ago last year on a mercy mission to help earthquake victims in Nicaragua? AR: We're all taught about Roberto. I learned about him at age 7 from my brother. He was Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio and Jackie Robinson (to Latin players). I have watched tapes of him playing and looked up his record. He will live forever for us. JLB: Thanks, Alex |