Alexander Emmanuel Rodriguez was born on July 27, 1975. Nicknamed "A-Rod", he currently plays third base for the New York Yankees. He had played shortstop previously for both the Seattle Mariners and the Texas Rangers.

A-Rod’s favorite baseball players when he was growing up were the Mets Keith Hernandez, the Braves Dale Murphy, and the Orioles Cal Ripken. As a kid, his favorite team was the New York Mets

A-Rod is considered by most to be one of the best all–around baseball players in the history of the game. He was the youngest player in baseball history to ever hit 500 home runs, breaking the record that was held since 1939 by Jimmie Foxx.

In 2007, A-Rod and the Yankees agreed to a 10 year, $275 million contract making him the highest paid player in baseball. The contract was the richest contract in baseball history and broke the previous record of $252 million.

A-Rod was originally drafted first overall by the Seattle Mariners in 1993. In 1994, A-Rod played for Seattle's Triple-A affiliate, the Calgary Cannons. A-Rod rose quickly through the Mariners minor leagues, and he made his major league debut as the starting shortstop on July 8, 1994, at a shade less then 19 years old. Since 1900, he was just the third 18-year-old Major League shortstop.  He was the youngest position player in Mariners history and was also the first 18-year-old Major League player in 10 years.

In 2000, he was selected as the Major League Player of the Year by Baseball America and finished third in the American League MVP voting.

After the 2000 season, A-Rod became a free agent and he signed a contract with the Texas Rangers. The contract he signed was at the time, a 10-year deal worth $252 million, was the most lucrative contract in sports history. The deal was $63 million more than the next highest paid player was getting.

In 2003, A-Rod led the American League in home runs, runs scored, and slugging percentage, and won his second consecutive Gold Glove Award. He also led the league in fewest at bats per home run, hitting one every 12.9 at bats, and became the youngest player in Major league history to hit 300 homers.

In February of 2004, the Rangers traded A-Rod to the New York Yankees for second baseman Alfonso Soriano and a player to be named later. In the deal, the Rangers also agreed to pay $67 million of the $179 million left on A-Rod’s contract.

Because fan favorite Derek Jeter was already established at shortstop for the Yankees, A-Rod agreed to switch positions from shortstop to third base. A-Rod also had to switch uniform numbers. He had worn number 3 throughout his entire career, but seeing that Babe Ruth formally wore it, the Yankees have obviously retired that number.

In 2005, A-Rod hit .321; lead the American League with 124 runs scored, 48 home runs, and 130 runs batted in. He became the first Yankee to win the American League home run title since Reggie Jackson did in 1980 with 41 dingers. He also became one of only two players in Major League history to accumulate at least 35 home runs, 100 runs scored and 100 RBIs in eight consecutive seasons. He became the fifth player to win an MVP award with two different teams.

In 2007, A-Rod was named the AL MVP for the third time in his career, receiving 26 out of 28 first-place votes.

Due to the unsuccessful nature of the Yankees postseasons since he joined the team, along with his sub .200 batting average in the postseason, A-Rod has drawn a lot of criticism in New York. Because of the Yankees' successful history, he is often unfavorably compared to other Yankees greats of the past who have performed beyond expectations in the postseason, such as Mr. October, Reggie Jackson.

In May of 2006, A-Rod responded to the criticism directed at him by saying:

"I could care less. In my career, I've been hearing it for a long time. It will never stop until you win five or six World Series in a row, and hit a Joe Carter home run. I've done a lot of special things in this game, and for none of that to be considered clutch, it's an injustice. I don't take anything personally; I enjoy it, it motivates me and I think it's comical. I think anyone that drives in over 130 runs numerous times in his career, it's impossible not to be clutch."

In 2009, after it had been reported that A-Rod had tested positive for two anabolic steroids, testosterone and Primobolan, he admitted to using banned substances from 2001 to 2003, citing "an enormous amount of pressure" to perform.

Ironically, this is the same season in which he captured his first American League Most Valuable Player award, broke 300 career home runs, and earned one of his ten Silver Slugger Awards.

The information had been part of a government-sealed report detailing 104 major league players, out of 1200 players tested, who tested positive for performance enhancers during a 2003 drug survey. Approved by the players themselves with the promise of anonymity, the survey was conducted by Major League Baseball to see whether a mandatory drug-testing program might be necessary.

At the time, as a result of the collective bargaining union agreement, there was no penalty or punishment to any of the players with a positive test. However, because more than 5% of the samples taken from players in that test came back positive, mandatory testing of major league baseball players began the following year, with penalties for any players who tested positive.  

The 2003 test results were supposed to remain anonymous and the samples destroyed.

Because of the tests being revealed, A-Rod admitted to using banned substances, and had this to say:

"All my years in New York have been clean, back then, baseball was a different culture," A-Rod said. "It was very loose. I was young, I was stupid, I was naïve. And I wanted to prove to everyone that I was worth being one of the greatest players of all time. I did take a banned substance. And for that, I am very sorry and deeply regretful."

He also said that he could not be sure of the names of the substances he had used.

In April of 2009, a story broke that A-Rod may have taken steroids or performance enhancers as far back as high school. After initially refusing comment, Rodriguez denied the accusations upon his return to the Yankees roster from the disabled list.

As much as his professional life has been filled with controversy as of late, A-Rod’s personal life has not been all peaches and cream either.

He married Cynthia Scurtis, a psychology graduate, in 2002. The couple's first child was born in November of 2004. In April of 2008, the couple second child was born.

In May of 2007, A-Rod was seen at a Toronto strip club with a blonde woman, who was later identified as an exotic dancer who was featured in a Playboy 2001 magazine.

In July of 2008, shortly after the birth of their second child, A-Rod and his wife separated, after having "problems". The problems stem from rumors that were published in Us Weekly magazine, about a possible affair between A-Rod and pop singer Madonna. Madonna later denied any truth to the rumors.

A-Rod’s wife filed for divorce only days after the separation, citing "emotional abandonment" and marital infidelity by her husband. Even though Mrs. Rodriguez signed a prenuptial agreement, she sought alimony, distribution of assets, child support including private school tuition, life and health insurance, and retention of the couple's $12-million home in Coral Gables, Florida.

At the present time, A-Rod has been dating actress Kate Hudson, daughter of actress Goldie Hawn.

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