July 27, 1975: The Beginning

Alexander Enmanuel Rodriguez was born on July 27, 1975, in New York. His parents, Victor and Lourdes, owned a shoe store. The family, which included his brother, Joseph, and his sister, Suzy, lived in the same building.

1979-1983: The Dominican Republic

When Alex was 4 years old, his parents moved the entire family to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, where his father ran a pharmacy. Eventually, they moved back to the United States, and settled in Miami.

Victor Rodriguez had been a catcher for a Dominican Minor League Baseball team, and he introduced Alex to the game. Alex immediately embraced the sport, and always jumped at any opportunity to pick up a bat and ball. He showed talent at an early age, and he and his father spent a lot of time playing baseball while they lived in the Dominican Republic.

When Alex was 8 years old, his parents divorced.

1984-1989: Miami

Alex's mother worked two jobs so Alex joined the Boys and Girls Clubs of Miami. He would spend many hours at the Hank Kline Unit, where, upon finishing his homework, Alex would participate in sports and other activities.

This marked a significant turning point in his life, because it was at this club where Alex met Eddie Rodriguez (no relation). Eddie ran the club and coached the baseball program, which was one of the best baseball programs in Dade County. More importantly, he was instrumental in teaching Alex the importance of mastering the fundamentals of baseball. It was not uncommon to see him hitting hundreds of groundballs to Alex, a practice they continue to this day when Alex is getting ready for Spring Training. While Alex was a member of the club, the Miami Club team won two national and three city championships.

In addition to playing baseball, Alex also started to follow Major League Baseball. Miami cable TV broadcast Atlanta Braves and New York Mets games, so Alex became fans of those teams. Dale Murphy and Keith Hernandez were among his favorite players. He looked up to Dale Murphy so much that he wore the No. 3 for the first nine years of his career. Alex religiously followed the 1986 Mets, who won the World Series that year.

On his bedroom wall, however, was a poster of Cal Ripken Jr., another one of his childhood idols. While Alex would play any position on the diamond to get into a game, he really loved to play shortstop. He admired Cal's style of play, and tried to imitate him during his own games. Little did Alex know that one day he would not only get to meet Cal, but he would become friends with him as well. He would also succeed him as the game's premier shortstop, breaking many of his hitting records at that position, and share the field with him at several All-Star Games.

1989-1993: The High School Years

Ironically, Alex almost quit playing baseball altogether as high school approached. He wanted to focus on basketball. His mom urged him to not give up on baseball, but Alex's sights were set firmly on the court. He attended ninth grade at Christopher Columbus High School in Miami, and played Varsity basketball as a freshman.

Alex transferred to Westminster Christian High for his sophomore year. He still continued to play basketball at Westminster, and he became the starting quarterback of the football team as well. In fact, Alex was highly regarded as a top recruit by many top college football programs.

The baseball coach at Westminster was Rich Hofman, and once Alex saw his winning program, his appetite and passion for baseball returned. Alex became the starting shortstop at Westminster his sophomore year.

He earned All-American honors his junior year, when he batted .477 with six home runs, 52 runs scored and 42 stolen bases. Westminster, led by Coach Hofman, went on to win the high school national championship.

In his senior year at Westminster in 1993, Alex was regarded as the top prospect in the country, and met those expectations when he hit .505 with nine home runs, 36 RBIs and stole 35 bases in just 33 games. He was a first team prep All-American, and was selected as the USA Baseball Junior Player of the year and the Gatorade National Baseball Student Athlete of the Year.

View Alex's Milestones Gallery »

June 3, 1993: First Overall Draft Pick

Alex signed a letter of intent to play at the University of Miami.

He was selected as the No. 1 overall draft pick in 1993, however, and signed with the Seattle Mariners instead.

1994: First Professional Season

In his first four months of professional baseball, Alex advanced from Single-A Appleton to Double-A Jacksonville, and he was called up by the Seattle Mariners in July.

He made his Major League debut at age 18 on July 8. He started 17 games at shortstop before being optioned to Triple-A Calgary for the rest of the season. He then played winter ball in the Dominican League for Escogido.

1995: Back and Forth Between Tacoma and Seattle

Alex found himself shuttling between the Seattle Mariners and Triple-A Tacoma all season. He had four stints with the Mariners, totaling 48 games. He hit his first Major League home run on June 12, off Kansas City's Tom Gordon. He got his first taste of postseason play as part of the Mariners' roster for both the American League Division Series and the American League Championship Series.

1996: First full Major League Season

In Alex's first full Major League season as Seattle's starting shortstop, he was the American League batting champion, hitting .358 with 35 homers and 123 RBIs.

He also led the American League in runs scored (141), doubles (54) and total bases (379). He was selected to his first All-Star Game, and was both the Sporting News and Associated Press Major League Player of the Year. He narrowly missed winning the AL MVP, finishing second by just three points. He won his first AL Silver Slugger Award.

1997: First All-Star Start

Alex becomes the first Mariners player to hit for the cycle in a nine-inning game on June 5 at Detroit ( Watch: 56K | 350K). In July, he was voted to start his first All-Star Game as the American League shortstop ( View: All-Star Gallery). In 141 games, Alex batted .300 with 23 home runs and 84 RBIs.

1998: 40-40 Club

In 1998, Alex became the third player in Major League Baseball history to enter the prestigious 40-40 club. He hit 42 home runs and stole 46 bases while batting .310.

He collected a career high 213 hits and picked up his second American League Silver Slugger Award.

1999: Injury Doesn't Slow Alex

Despite missing 32 games after tearing cartilage in his left knee in April, Alex went on to hit 42 homers and post 111 RBIs.

He won his third American League Silver Slugger Award at shortstop.

View Alex's Mariners Gallery »

2000: Final Season with the Mariners

In his final season in Seattle, Alex batted .316 with 134 runs scored, 41 home runs and 132 RBIs. He was selected to start his fourth All-Star Game, but was unable to play due to injury. He was named the Major League Player of the Year by Baseball America, and he finished third in the American League MVP voting. Despite Alex's hitting .409 with two homers and five RBIs in the AL Championship Series, the Mariners fell to the Yankees in six games.

After seven years as a Mariner, Alex became a free agent, and on Dec. 11, he signed a 10-year contract with the Texas Rangers ( Watch press conference: 56K | 350K).

2001: First Season with Rangers

In his first season in Texas, Alex established Rangers single-season records for home runs (52), runs scored (133) and total bases (393). He also led the American League in those categories. His 52 home runs were the most ever by a Major League shortstop ( Watch: 56K | 350K) in a season, surpassing Hall of Famer Ernie Banks (47). He also batted .318 with 201 hits and 135 RBIs. Alex became the fourth player in MLB history to have both 50 home runs and 200 hits in a season. On May 5, Alex recorded his 1,000 career hit.

He won his fourth consecutive (and fifth overall) AL Silver Slugger Award, and started in his fifth All-Star Game. Alex won the AL Hank Aaron Award as the league's top offensive player. He also won his first Josh Gibson Legacy Award from the Negro League Baseball Museum, which recognizes the AL home-run crown.

2002: Major League Home Run and RBI Leader

Alex led Major League Baseball with 57 home runs ( Watch: 56K | 350K), 142 RBIs and 389 total bases. He broke his own Major League record for home runs by a shortstop in a single season ( Watch: 56K | 350K), as well as the most ever for a Major League infielder other than a first baseman. He also hit the most homers in the American League since Roger Maris hit 61 in 1961.

In addition to his sixth AL Silver Slugger Award as the league's top hitter at shortstop, he was rewarded for his defensive excellence with his first Rawlings Gold Glove Award. He was selected as the Major League Player of the Year by The Sporting News, the MLBPA Players Choice Award voting and by Baseball America. He won his second consecutive AL Hank Aaron Award and second straight Josh Gibson Legacy Award. He finished second in the AL MVP voting to Oakland's Miguel Tejada.

November 2002: Wedding Bells

Alex married Cynthia Scurtis in Dallas, Texas, in November.

View Alex's Rangers Gallery »

2003: Final Season with Rangers

In 2003, Alex earned the American League Most Valuable Player Award, batting .298 with 47 homers, 124 runs, 118 RBIs and 364 total bases.

He also won his second consecutive Rawlings Gold Glove Award after committing only eight errors at shortstop. Alex was the MLBPA's Player Choice Award recipient for AL Outstanding Player, and won his third consecutive AL Hank Aaron Award. He won his third Josh Gibson Legacy Award, as well as his first Oscar Charleston Legacy Award, both presented by the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.

He was voted by the fans to start at shortstop for the AL in the All-Star Game for the sixth time (his seventh overall selection). On April 2, he became the youngest player ever to hit 300 career home runs at 27 years, 249 days ( Watch: 56K | 350K).

View Alex's '04 Yankees Gallery »

2004: First Season with Yankees

On Feb. 16, Alex was acquired by the New York Yankees in a blockbuster trade with the Texas Rangers ( Watch the press conference: 56K | 350K). With a new team came a new uniform number (No. 13) and a new position (third base).

In his first season as a Yankee, Alex hit .286, with 36 home runs, 106 RBIs and 28 stolen bases. The 2004 campaign marked his eighth consecutive 100-RBI season, and ninth overall in his career. He joined Hall of Famers Babe Ruth and Jimmie Foxx in becoming one of only three players in Major League Baseball history to tally 35 home runs, 100 runs scored and 100 RBIs for seven consecutive seasons. Alex was also voted the American League's starting third baseman in the All-Star Game, his eighth career selection to the Midsummer Classic.

November 2004: New Addition

In November, Alex and Cynthia celebrated the birth of their first child, Natasha Alexander.

View Alex's 2005 Galleries:   First half » | Second half »

2005: American League MVP

Alex was voted the 2005 American League Most Valuable Player for the second time in his career after batting .321 and leading the AL with 124 runs and 48 home runs while driving in 130 runs in 162 games. He is the first Yankee to win the MVP Award since Don Mattingly in 1985.

He became the first Yankee to win the AL home run title since Reggie Jackson (41) in 1980 and established the franchise record for most home runs in a single season by a right-handed batter (broke Joe DiMaggio's mark of 46 in 1937). Alex also hit 26 home runs at Yankee Stadium, establishing the single-season club record for right-handed batters (previously held by DiMaggio in 1937 and Gary Sheffield in 2004). In July, Alex was selected as an AL All-Star for the ninth time and on June 8, at 29 years, 316 days old, he became the youngest player in MLB history to reach the 400 home-run mark.

Alex was selected AL Player of the Year by the MLB Players Alumni Association, and was co-winner of the Dick Schaap Memorial Player of the Year as MLB Player of the Year, as voted on by baseball broadcasters. The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum also honored Alex with the Josh Gibson Award as AL Home Run Champion, and the Oscar Charleston Legacy Award as the museum's choice for AL Most Valuable Player.