Inspiring Words: Alex Rodriguez
The home-run hero talks about his new children's book, Out of the Ballpark.
Alex Rodriguez, superstar third baseman for the New York Yankees, is the highest-paid player in the Major Leagues. Why? Because the 25-million-dollar man makes baseball seem like child's play. But there's more to A-Rod's magical mystique than meets the eye. During practice, he is constantly trying to perfect his craft.
"I've always been a hard worker," Rodriguez writes in Out of the Ballpark, his new children's book. Sales of Out of the Ballpark benefit the AROD Family Foundation, a non-profit organization started by Rodriguez and his wife, Cynthia. The foundation raises money through charity events and donates to families in need." We wanted to [help] children who have been neglected," A-Rod says.
Rodriguez's book is based on his own childhood. It tells the tale of an over-eager young ball player who strikes out and makes errors. Through determination, he overcomes his frustrations and leads his team to the championship. A-Rod hopes the book will inspire young readers, just as it did him after his disappointing play in the 2006 postseason. In the first round of the playoffs against the Detroit Tigers, he got just one hit in 14 times at bat, and the Yanks lost the series. "I stunk," Rodriguez said later.
In the off-season, A-Rod reflected on his early baseball days and worked hard to learn to take his failures more in stride this season. The pay-off: He hit his 500th career homer on August 4, becoming the youngest Major Leaguer to reach that milestone. "No matter what your dreams and goals, you can never go wrong if you give them all you've got."
