Ten fun facts about Alex Rodriguez
Fact 1
He previously played shortstop for the Seattle Mariners and the Texas Rangers.
Fact 2
Rodriguez was one of the most prodigious young players scouts had ever seen and is now considered one of the greatest baseball players of all time.
Fact 3
Rodriguez’s favorite baseball players growing up were Keith Hernandez, Dale Murphy, and Cal Ripken, and his favorite team was the New York Mets.
Fact 4
Rodriguez is featured in a commercial for Guitar Hero World Tour, where he plays the guitar along with athletes Tony Hawk on drums, Kobe Bryant on vocals, and Michael Phelps on guitar.
Fact 5
Rodriguez owns a Mercedes-Benz dealership in League City, Texas, and in his free time, Rodriguez buys and collects art.
Fact 6
In 2003, Rodriguez gave $3.9 million to the University of Miami to renovate its baseball stadium.
Fact 7
He is the youngest player ever to hit 500 home runs, breaking the record Jimmie Foxx set in 1939, and the youngest to hit 600, besting Babe Ruth's record by over a year.
Fact 8
In December 2007, Rodriguez and the Yankees agreed to a 10-year, $275 million contract. This contract was the richest contract in baseball history (breaking his previous contract's record of $252 million).
Fact 9
Rodriguez has 14 100-RBI seasons in his career, more than any other player in history.
Fact 10
On Sept. 20, 2013, Rodriguez hit his 24th career grand slam, the most by any player in Major League Baseball history, passing Lou Gehrig's 23.
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