Alex Rodriquez, just the name itself should evoke a stream of emotions and memories. For the man himself, he seems to have figured out (at least for now) that perhaps his outsized reputation has preceded him and has taken to let his performance at the plate speak for itself. It seems like a good thing too, as he’s been performing well above expectations for someone playing though their 39 career season. Along with his improved playing time and performance from last playing year in2013 (.244/.348/.423 through 181 Plate appearances and 44 games) he’s also been passing and moving though some historic offensive categories.
Early this May, A-Rod tied and then passed Willie Mays for fourth place all time in Home Runs and last week he passed Barry Bonds (for the sake of decency, I’ll refrain from mentioning him again by name) for second place all time in RBI’s (now behind only Hank Aaron). But as you all know, A-Rod is now at the doorstep of one of Baseball’s most coveted hitting clubs, the three thousand hit mark.
With his expected arrival to this austere group, I thought we’d take a moment and look at the long, checkered (being diplomatic here) and always colorful journey that A-Rod has taken over his two decades of play to mark the many hits that he’s taken to get to this great achievement, and perhaps get an idea of where he’ll be when his career is long over.
From the Minors to the Majors
Considering its draft time for baseball, you could be forgiven if you don’t remember where one of baseball’s greatest young prospect players came from. They all started somewhere, and for A-Rod, his start came as the first pick of the 1993 amateur player draft out of Westminster Christian High School in Miami, Florida by the Hapless (at the time anyway) Seattle Mariners.
The controversy would start almost immediately for the Baseball High School prodigy, when like John Elway, A-Rod expressed disinterest in going to the Mariners considering they were the furthest city from Miami in the lower 48 states. Despite his reservations, A-Rod began his laborious ascent to the Kingdome (remember that place?) where after only 114 minor league games (hitting a prodigious .312/.376/.577 in 475 PA’s and 114 Games) he finally made it to the show. Stroll with me, as we take a walk down memory lane and review the many hits of Alex Emmanuel Rodriguez.
Hit #1
After being called up just after the July 4 weekend, Alex made his debut for Seattle at Fenway Park on July 8. His first hit came the next day in the fourth inning to third base, of Boston starter Sergio Valdez. On first, he promptly stole second, where the inning ended after shortstop Felix Fermin (remember him?) grounded out. He had gone 0-5 before his first two hits. Few could have realized that he had just begun a journey that would be one for the record books, as well as the tabloid covers.
After playing in seventeen games for the strike shortened 1994 season, A-Rod’s performance was un-inspiring for a mid-season call up, (.204/.241/.204 and 11 hits in 59 PA’s). 1995 however, would be the breakout year for this 18 year old as the strike came to an end.
Hit#24
After a short stint in triple A for most of April and May, A-Rod got the call to once again join the show. It would be the last time he would make over 200 plate appearances in the minors ever again. He was ready to stay. Coaches had been working on improving his power game and he did not disappoint. His twenty fourth hit came on June 12, and was the kind of hit he would long be known for; a Home Run off Kansas City starter(and father of current Marlin Second Baseman) Tom Gordon in the bottom of the fourth with no one on and his team trailing the Royals 3 to 8. A-Rod would continue to hit Tom Gordon very well (.316/.409/.579 in 22 PA’s) over the next four years while Gordon would play well for another decade.
As his second strike shortened season came to an end, A-Rod would play only a minor role with the Mariners as they completed their miracle comeback, first catching up to and then winning a one game playoff against the California Angels, then winning against the Yankees in a thrilling five game divisional series. In all, A-Rod didn’t participate in the play-in game and only made two plate appearances in the playoffs; but his spot as regular third-baseman for the Mariners was secured. The next year would be baseballs introduction to the nineteen year old that his agent said would one day “save baseball”.
Our next installment will cover his first of many All-Star caliber seasons of A-Rod Career as he passes 100 and 200 hits. A-Rod now sits on 2,993 hits, so the race is on to have this series close out before he closes in on the magic 3K mark. As for prediction about when and how, my calculations (based on multiple factors of current playing time and batting performance) say that he’ll tie Robert Clemente (3000) on the Sixteenth of June (in Miami, his birth town) at around the second plate appearance. Anyone willing to take pools on this shouldn’t take this as set in stone, because that’s why they play the game!
Early this May, A-Rod tied and then passed Willie Mays for fourth place all time in Home Runs and last week he passed Barry Bonds (for the sake of decency, I’ll refrain from mentioning him again by name) for second place all time in RBI’s (now behind only Hank Aaron). But as you all know, A-Rod is now at the doorstep of one of Baseball’s most coveted hitting clubs, the three thousand hit mark.
With his expected arrival to this austere group, I thought we’d take a moment and look at the long, checkered (being diplomatic here) and always colorful journey that A-Rod has taken over his two decades of play to mark the many hits that he’s taken to get to this great achievement, and perhaps get an idea of where he’ll be when his career is long over.
From the Minors to the Majors
Considering its draft time for baseball, you could be forgiven if you don’t remember where one of baseball’s greatest young prospect players came from. They all started somewhere, and for A-Rod, his start came as the first pick of the 1993 amateur player draft out of Westminster Christian High School in Miami, Florida by the Hapless (at the time anyway) Seattle Mariners.
The controversy would start almost immediately for the Baseball High School prodigy, when like John Elway, A-Rod expressed disinterest in going to the Mariners considering they were the furthest city from Miami in the lower 48 states. Despite his reservations, A-Rod began his laborious ascent to the Kingdome (remember that place?) where after only 114 minor league games (hitting a prodigious .312/.376/.577 in 475 PA’s and 114 Games) he finally made it to the show. Stroll with me, as we take a walk down memory lane and review the many hits of Alex Emmanuel Rodriguez.
Hit #1
After being called up just after the July 4 weekend, Alex made his debut for Seattle at Fenway Park on July 8. His first hit came the next day in the fourth inning to third base, of Boston starter Sergio Valdez. On first, he promptly stole second, where the inning ended after shortstop Felix Fermin (remember him?) grounded out. He had gone 0-5 before his first two hits. Few could have realized that he had just begun a journey that would be one for the record books, as well as the tabloid covers.
After playing in seventeen games for the strike shortened 1994 season, A-Rod’s performance was un-inspiring for a mid-season call up, (.204/.241/.204 and 11 hits in 59 PA’s). 1995 however, would be the breakout year for this 18 year old as the strike came to an end.
Hit#24
After a short stint in triple A for most of April and May, A-Rod got the call to once again join the show. It would be the last time he would make over 200 plate appearances in the minors ever again. He was ready to stay. Coaches had been working on improving his power game and he did not disappoint. His twenty fourth hit came on June 12, and was the kind of hit he would long be known for; a Home Run off Kansas City starter(and father of current Marlin Second Baseman) Tom Gordon in the bottom of the fourth with no one on and his team trailing the Royals 3 to 8. A-Rod would continue to hit Tom Gordon very well (.316/.409/.579 in 22 PA’s) over the next four years while Gordon would play well for another decade.
As his second strike shortened season came to an end, A-Rod would play only a minor role with the Mariners as they completed their miracle comeback, first catching up to and then winning a one game playoff against the California Angels, then winning against the Yankees in a thrilling five game divisional series. In all, A-Rod didn’t participate in the play-in game and only made two plate appearances in the playoffs; but his spot as regular third-baseman for the Mariners was secured. The next year would be baseballs introduction to the nineteen year old that his agent said would one day “save baseball”.
Our next installment will cover his first of many All-Star caliber seasons of A-Rod Career as he passes 100 and 200 hits. A-Rod now sits on 2,993 hits, so the race is on to have this series close out before he closes in on the magic 3K mark. As for prediction about when and how, my calculations (based on multiple factors of current playing time and batting performance) say that he’ll tie Robert Clemente (3000) on the Sixteenth of June (in Miami, his birth town) at around the second plate appearance. Anyone willing to take pools on this shouldn’t take this as set in stone, because that’s why they play the game!
No comments:
Post a Comment