The Good, the Bad and the Life After Baseball
Alex Rodriguez explains his success on TV after a controversial career in the MLB
Before Alex Rodriguez was a Fox Sports’ Analyst, he was a 14-time All-Star shortstop who spent more than 22 years in Major League Baseball (MLB). While that may seem like his claim to fame, A-Rod, as he’s commonly known, told students and staff at USC Annenberg during a Journalism Director’s Forum that since his TV debut, amongst a few fans,
“No one remembered my career or the bads and goods.”
Having been a polarizing figure in the MLB, A-Rod was happy to know that there was life after his remarkable, and sometimes controversial, career. A three-time American League Most Valuable Player Award recipient, A-Rod set records playing for the Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, and most notably the New York Yankees.
Since the beginning of his career, A-Rod, raised by a single mother from the Dominican Republic, was poised for success as the first overall selection of the 1993 MLB Draft at the age of 17. After playing for the Seattle Mariners from 1994 to 2000, A-Rod spent three years playing for the Texas Rangers before signing with the New York Yankees in 2004, making headlines for two record-breaking multi-million dollar contracts, along with various awards and accolades for his successes in the MLB.
Despite the victories on the field, A-Rod’s off-the-field antics began to overshadow his baseball accomplishments. Following his 2008 divorce, A-Rod made tabloid headlines regularly for his high-profile girlfriends and companions, such as Cameron Diaz and Madonna.
A-Rod’s career then took a sharp turn in 2013 when he made headlines for his involvement in the Biogenesis scandal.
After setting a new record for the longest suspension for using performance-enhancing drugs (steroids), A-Rod returned to the Yankees as one of the league’s most reviled players in history before retiring from the MLB in 2016. Since then, A-Rod has been able to almost rebrand himself completely alongside retired (and equally controversial) MLB player Pete Rose.
So how was this rise from disgrace possible? Communication, as A-Rod explains. “Communicating skills [are] the greatest investment you have.” A-Rod added,
“This career, for us, especially in a place like New York where there’s so many potential pitfalls — you’re looking for trust.”
Despite the public scandals and ongoing media frenzy throughout his career, A-Rod shares an insightful outlook on the media, “I put too much gasoline and as a result they used it against me, so I blame myself more than I blame them.” By reflecting and holding yourself accountable, A-Rod explains, you can shape your narrative.
Now, A-Rod’s relationship with the media seems to have made a 180 degree turn with positive reception and an opportunity to show a different side of himself, providing expert analysis and insights during pregame and postgame shows. Having lived the good and the bad during his years in baseball, A-Rod now has the good life after baseball.
