"This organization was my safe space growing up"- Yankees icon Alex Rodriguez spreads holiday cheer to Miami-Dade club where baseball dreams began
Alex Rodriguez has remained in the public eye even after his retirement in 2016. Regarded as one of the most controversial MLB players of the modern age, A-Rod has not allowed the noise to prevent him from giving back.
Born in New York to Dominican immigrants, Rodriguez soon relocated to Florida with his mother. For years, his mother, Lourdes would work tirelessly to support her children. For Rodriguez, baseball provided an escape into something in which he excelled.
With Christmas fast approaching, the 48-year old visited his old stomping grounds. According to the former player's Instagram account, he was recently in Miami-Dade County to help out with a Toy Drive sponsored by the Miami-Dade Boys and Girls Clubs of America.
"So thankful to be back at the annual @bgca_clubs Holiday Toy Drive in Miami. This organization was my safe place growing up, and it's such a special feeling to give back to the kids on the same baseball fields that I grew up playing on" - A-rod
Alex Rodriguez' play on the baseball diamonds of Miami was enough for him to be noticed by some of the top MLB clubs of the day. In the summer of 1993, he was selected by the Seattle Mariners as their first overall pick in that year's draft. Three years later, Rodriguez hit .358 to win the AL batting title as a 21-year old.
A-Rod was highly successful in Seattle. Despite winning multiple All-Star nods and several Silver Sluggers, Alex Rodriguez' cocky attitude got on the nerves of some of his teammates, and is largely blamed for Ken Griffey Jr's exit from the team.
In 2003, he inked a record-setting deal with the Texas Rangers for $325 million over ten years.
Retired since the middle of the 2016 season, Rodriguez has filled his time with other pursuits. Often pictured alongside his daughters Ella and Natasha, he is also busy with various business ventures.
One of his many endeavors is his pending campaign to buy the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves along with billionaire Marc Lore.
Alex Rodriguez still remembers the importance of giving back
After A-Rod was suspended for his role in the 2013 Biogenesis scandal, his reputation took a serious hit. However, instead of wollowing in pity, the former player has continued to serve as an ambassador for the game, and throw himself into his community.
Say what you will about Rodriguez, at least he is helping to make Christmas brighter for the kids in Miami-Dade.