ALEX RODRIGUEZ HALL OF FAME SPEECH
Commissioner John “Stray” Corrado’s Introduction Speech for Alex Rodriguez:
Born Alexander Emmanuel Rodriguez in Manhattan, NY. Nickname: “A-Rod”
Detroit ‘67 Riots 1997; Los Angeles Riots 1998-2000; Northridge Quakes 2001; Severn Express 2002-2012; Hollywood Werewolves 2013; Roseville Thorns 2014; Bethesda Bandicoots 2016
Played 19 seasons for six franchises. While he played 11 seasons for Severn, playing in six of his 11 postseasons there, his most successful season was his first, 1997, with the Detroit 67 Riots. In his debut season in the MWBL, he won the MVP with astonishing stats: a .401 average, 1.189 OPS, 249 hits, 147 runs, 158 RBI, 45 HRs, 69 doubles in 621 at-bats
Career stats: .287 batting average, .912 OPS, 1876 runs, 2862 hits, 627 HRs, 1861 RBI, 528 doubles, 41 triples, 179 stolen bases. He was an 11-time All-Star, starting eight times, and a Gold Glove winner.
Fifteen times, he hit 30 or more homers, including 13 times in a row. From 1999-2004 he clubbed 40 or more home runs every year, with a high of 51 in 2004. He also had a streak of 100-RBI seasons from 1999-2004.
A-Rod was a frequent visitor to the playoffs, participating in 11 postseasons (six with Severn), including five Championship Series, and three World Series. He was a member of the 2007 Severn Express Championship team, for which he hit .417 with five HRs in the World Series.
It is my honor to introduce the newest member of the MWBL Hall of Fame, Alex Rodriguez
Alex Rodriguez‘s Speech:
Thank you very much, Mr. Commissioner. Thank you very much.
I’m very proud to be standing here before you, surrounded by these legendary players, and honored to join my fellow inductees, Jason Giambi, Ken Griffey Jr., and David Ortiz. It is truly an honor to be recognized as one of the best of all time at what you do.
Anyone who reaches a position of success doesn’t do it alone, they’ve had so much help and support along the way, and I am no exception. First of all, I want to thank my parents, Victor and Lourdes, and my brother Joe and sister Suzy, for always supporting my dreams and ambitions. I grew up playing a lot of football and baseball, and they were always rooting me on.
I’m so happy to be able to share this day with my fiancée Jennifer Lopez, and my children, Natasha and Ella. I love you!
I must thank Brian Mazurek for drafting me and bringing me into the league. I hope my first-year stats indicated how happy I was to get a chance to play.
I also have fond memories of my three seasons in Los Angeles, and my year in Northridge, where I worked to hone my abilities and further establish myself as a consistent player. Thanks to all the coaches and players with whom I shared a field and clubhouse. They all helped advance me in my journey.
I spent the bulk of my career with Severn, where I played for one of the greats, Mike Roberts. I had some great seasons there, and we were able to get to the postseason six times. And we took it all in 2007. Nothing beats playoff baseball! The pressure, the spotlight, the knowledge that any play could change the course of the whole series.
I wasn’t always perfect, as a player or a person, and I made some mistakes. I’ve said and done some things that I regret and wish I’d done differently. But I hope people will look at my career and appreciate that I always played as hard as I could, gave a 100% effort, and played to win for my team.
Thank you.