Alex Rodriguez once credited Sylvester Stallone's iconic character 'Rocky' for teaching him resilience after failures
Alex Rodriguez is a shortstop and third baseman for MLB. He is also a philanthropist and a businessman. Rodriguez participated in 22 MLB seasons for the Seattle Mariners (1994–2000), Texas Rangers (2001–2003), and New York Yankees. He spent the most of his baseball career with the Yankees.
Rodriguez, who is regarded as one of the best baseball players of all time, began his professional career as one of the sport's most highly regarded prospects.
Though being an outstanding MLB player, A-Rod's illustrious baseball career was marred by his participation in the 2013 Biogenesis PED controversy.
In a video interview by The Pivot Podcast, Rodriguez once said how Sylvester Stallone's legendary character "Rocky" taught him how to persevere in the face of setbacks:
"I always want to be like Rocky...you can punch me...but man that's fuel to my soul"
"My first year, I got demoted five times, fifth time I called my mom....i said..i can't play baseball... and she said you better toughen up and that's not the boy I raised"
A-Rod Opens Up on the Highs & Lows of his Career to Becoming a Business Mogul | -The Pivot Podcast
"One of the best things that happened to me was my suspension in 2014. I had to make a paradigm shift. I really had to understand why I would self-implode with no reasons. I served the longest suspension in Major League Baseball history."
On The Pivot Podcast, Alex talked openly about his suspension and how it made him more aware of his environment and his genuine friends.
Alex Rodriguez's MLB career
With a batting average of.295 throughout the course of his career, Rodriguez collected 3,115 hits, 329 base stealers, 696 home runs, 2,086 RBIs, and 2,021 runs scored. He has also won three American League MVP awards, 10 Silver Slugger awards, and two Gold Gloves throughout his 14 years as an All-Star.
Rodriguez was traded by the Rangers to the New York Yankees. Rodriguez's deal has $179 million remaining to run, and the Rangers also committed to pay $67 million of that. He reached 350 home runs and 1,000 RBIs during the 2004 season, making him the third-youngest player to do it.
On August 4, 2010, three years after hitting his 500th home run, Rodriguez hit his 600th, making him the eighth player in big league history to reach that milestone.