"The first thing I did is I went and bought my mother a house" - Yankees legend Alex Rodriguez reminisced in 2018 interview about spending his million-dollar Mariners contract at age 17
Firsts are always special. For Alex Rodriguez, first professional baseball paychecks meant providing for his family.
During an appearance on "Back in the Game" with CNBC Chairman Mark Hoffman in June 2018, former New York Yankees legend Alex Rodriguez spilled the beans about how he used his first million-dollar contract with the Seattle Mariners.
After a couple of general questions, Mark Hoffman asked Rodriguez about his pre-Seattle Mariners era.
"How about you when you got signed by the Mariners? You had humble beginnings. Your dad left when you were 10. Your mom worked two jobs and all of a sudden you got this contract and you are making 1.3 million dollars a year and a million dollar signing bonus at 17. How did that feel?"
Alex responded by saying:
"It felt great. The first thing I did was I went and bought my mother a house. And, the second thing I did was buy her a Mercedes-Benz. I remember how happy she was.
Rodriguez added :
"I bought myself a Grand Cherokee and it was the coolest thing ever."
"Former New York Yankee Alex Rodriguez, one of the greatest players in the history of the game, reflects on his storied career—the highs and the lows—and how he’s leveraging what he’s learned to mentor a new generation of sports stars." - SXSW
For a 17-year-old teenager, that was a great feat. Kudos, Alex!
Alex Rodriguez revealed he wanted to play football quarterback and baseball shortstop after bagging a college scholarship
On "Back in the Game," Mark Hoffman asked Alex Rodriguez about his time at Westminster Christian School in Miami and his childhood aspirations.
Alex Rodriguez
Drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 1st round (1st) of the 1993 MLB June Amateur Draft from Westminster Christian School https://t.co/YIUABC1NsW
"Drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 1st round (1st) of the 1993 MLB June Amateur Draft from Westminster Christian School." - Scouting Baseball
Hoffman asked:
"Let's turn the clock back 25 years. It is 1993. Do you remember when you were at Westminster Christian School in Miami and Sports Illustrated called you the 'best high school player in the country?' What did that feel like?"
Alex replied:
"It was an interesting time. There was so much uncertainty. You are in this innocent climb hoping to get a college scholarship.
I know my mother could never afford Stanford and University of Miami- the two places I wanted to go. I just wanted to make sure that if I got a scholarship, I wanted to play football quarterback and shortstop."
A-Rod's revelation about wanting to play quarterback and shortstop was the highlight of the interview.
Destiny had other plans for Alex Rodriguez.
Although Rodriguez received a scholarship from the University of Miami, he rejected the lucrative offer. Setting football dreams aside, he accepted a contract with the Seattle Mariners at the age of 17. A-Rod made his MLB debut as the starting shortstop on July 8, 1994.