Background: In his youth, he spent his after-school hours at the local Boys & Girls Club of America in Miami, and he has become a national spokesman for the organization. The Seattle Mariners made him the No. 1 pick in the 1993 draft. Won the AL batting title in 1996 by hitting .358 but has been a .302 hitter in his eight-plus seasons since. One of only three players (Jose Canseco, Barry Bonds) to have a 40-40 season when he hit 42 homers and stole 46 bases in 1998.
What’s up: Entering the weekend, A-Rod led the majors with 14 homers and 41 RBIs, putting him on pace for 55 and 162.
Stat line: Nearly halfway through his all-sports record 10-year, $252 million contract, Rodriguez has since averaged 49 homers and 132 RBIs a season.
What’s next: Already the youngest player to reach 300 (27 years, 249 days) and 350 lifetime homers (28-282), A-Rod is about to become the youngest player to reach 400. The record is held by Ken Griffey Jr., who was 30 years, 140 days when he belted No. 400 against the Rockies’ Rolando Arrojo on April 10, 2000. A-Rod entered the weekend with 395 homers and 29 years, 297 days.
Klis’ take: He is mega-talented, charming, intelligent, GQ handsome – and widely resented. The Red Sox players took turns insulting him this spring. Yankees fans question his ability to deliver when it counts. Fans everywhere hope he fails. A-Rod is America’s most unfairly targeted athlete for no other reason than he makes too much money. “I think he’s a microcosm of the Yankees,” Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said. “We get our fair share of criticism, not all of it justified and maybe most of it not justified. I think in A-Rod’s case, because he has the largest contract, no one wants to dwell on the attributes that make him such a great player. If he were a second-year player following up what he did for us last year, he would be the prince of the country right now. But instead, once you get established and you’re an everyday superstar and you get the biggest contract in baseball history, people are looking for what’s wrong with him.”
