The Soon To be MVP

Year 1994 sitting at my first baseball draft with a buddy glancing through our magazine the Commish announces the Cleveland Big Bats are on the clock.

Finally the draft has started and we are four picks away from making our pick. Jeff points to Griffey Jr.
when I told him “he wont be available he had 45 HR’s and 109 RBI’s” he says “I think” a brief interruption as the Cleveland Big Bats make there selection “with the 1st pick in the 1994 inaugural season the Big Bats select Alex Rodriguez Seattle Mariners” I look at Jeff he looks back with one of those raised eyebrows what the f were they thinking looks. Skimming through the magazine I couldn’t fin this Rodriguez guy until I saw the deep sleepers list. He was in the middle of the pack and the magazine said “could be one of the greatest shortstops of all time”. I still thought it was a little early for a rookie shortstop in a dynasty league.

Being intrigued by the selection I just had to keep on track with this guy. His first season with the Mariners was cut short by the MLB strike and his second year he was up and down between the Mariners MLB team and there AAA affiliate. I was beginning to think what I originally thought what was that owner thinking. Until 1996 when Alex broke out by the end of the year he had 36 HR’s and had driven in 136 runs oh yeah he threw in a .358 batting average. This is when the Big Bats pick made me realize that it was a correct one. I began following Alex and becoming a fan he never seemed like a bad guy ever and always had that smile on his face.

Following his career in Seattle was great I bought a hat a cheap kmart jersey you know one of the ones you could make yourself with an iron? He became my favorite player. Every game that I could see with the Mariners I was tuning in. During the 1996 season he was the youngest person in the All Star game, was selected by the Associated Press and Sporting news for the MVP award being the youngest ever to accomplish this. The more and more I watched the more and more I thought this kid was going to be something special and at the same time he was about a year older than me.
Alex was becoming one of the most liked players in baseball. Until he signed one of the craziest deals on the planet going to the Texas Rangers.

This deal was insane a 10 year deal worth $252 Million dollars…. Scratches head. I can not even begin to think how much money that is but it’s a lot. I am not sure at this point fans were falling off the A-Rod train because of this. Let them I said I would have taken the money as well but it just seemed like A-Rod was loosing that smiling face when he was on the field. I still went out and got a Texas hat and a Jersey. Still my favorite player and thinking to me he is turning out to be one of the greatest players to play the game.

A-Rod just kept getting better in Texas though and I still followed him. IN 2003 his final year as a Ranger A-Rod had 345 HR’s and he was 28 years old. Let’s take this in to consideration here.

Barry Bonds – 34 Years Old – 337 HR’s
Willie Mays – 33 Years Old – 366 HR’s
Alex Rodriquez – 32 Years Old – 345 HR’s

Is it not amazing to you that A-Rod is on Pace to take both of these guys out at the end of his career? Its funny how Yankees fans can boo this guy for not having a perfect season, they are witnessing probably the best player to play the game right in front of them.
Although since A-Rod signed with the Yankees to me it’s just not the same. I am not sure if it is my hate of the Yankees or what it is, just does not seem the same seeing him hit HR’s in pin stripes.

After looking deeper into A-Rod and his career there are just some things that just blow my mind about this player. He is 830 hits away from 3000 will join 27 other players to do this. He has 250 stolen bases out of the top 5 HR hitters in baseball there are only 2 players that are over 250. His award case is rather large as well.

* 1993 1st High Schooll All-American (IF)
* 1994 Seattle Mariners Minor League Player of the Year
* 1994 Midwest League All-Star (SS)
* 1995 Baseball America 1st Team Minor League All-Star (SS)
* 1995 Triple-A All-Star (SS)
* 1996 AL All-Star (SS)
* 1996 AL MVP (Voting Rank: # 2)
* 1996 AL Silver Slugger Award (SS)
* 1996 The Sporting News Player of the Year
* 1997 AL All-Star (SS)
* 1998 AL All-Star (SS)
* 1998 Seattle Mariners Player of the Year
* 1998 Baseball America 1st-Team Major League All-Star (SS)
* 1998 AL Silver Slugger Award (SS)
* 1998 AL MVP (Voting Rank: # 9)
* 1999 AL Silver Slugger Award (SS)
* 1999 AL MVP (Voting Rank: # 15)
* 2000 AL All-Star (SS)
* 2000 AL Silver Slugger Award (SS)
* 2000 AL MVP (Voting Rank: # 3)
* 2000 Baseball America MLB Player of the Year
* 2000 Baseball America 1st-Team Major League All-Star (SS)
* 2000 Seattle Mariners Player of the Year
* 2001 AL All-Star (SS)
* 2001 AL Hank Aaron Award
* 2001 Baseball America 1st-Team Major League All-Star (SS)
* 2001 Texas Rangers Player of the Year
* 2001 AL Silver Slugger Award (SS)
* 2001 AL MVP (Voting Rank: # 6)

* 2002 AL All-Star (SS)
* 2002 AL Gold Glove Award (SS)
* 2002 AL MVP (Voting Rank: # 2)
* 2002 AL Silver Slugger Award (SS)
* 2002 AL Hank Aaron Award
* 2002 Baseball America MLB Player of the Year
* 2002 Baseball America 1st-Team Major League All-Star (SS)
* 2002 Texas Rangers Player of the Year
* 2002 The Sporting News Player of the Year
* 2003 AL All-Star (SS)
* 2003 AL Gold Glove Award (SS)
* 2003 AL Hank Aaron Award
* 2003 Baseball America 1st-Team Major League All-Star (SS)
* 2003 Texas Rangers Player of the Year
* 2003 AL MVP
* 2003 AL Silver Slugger Award (SS)
* 2004 AL All-Star (3B
* 2004 AL MVP (Voting Rank: # 14)
* 2005 AL All-Star (3B
* 2005 AL MVP
* 2005 AL Silver Slugger Award (3B
* 2005 Baseball America 1st-Team Major League All-Star (3B
* 2006 AL All-Star (3B
* 2006 AL MVP (Voting Rank: # 13)
* 2007 AL All-Star (3B

And to top all of this off the guy is never in trouble off the field.

My hate towards the Yankees is never going to go away and I will accept that but I think I am going to continue to follow A-Rod like I used to. We are witnessing one of the greatest players to ever play the game and one that you never hear in trouble off the field. I will be proud to say to my grandkids that I got to see Alex Rodriguez the HR champion and all around good player play the game.