Suprise, suprise… After all the whining and complaining by New York Yankees fans over him not meeting expectations attached to signing the richest contract in sports history, Alex Rodriguez is dishing it out to Yankees fans and critics alike by leading the major leagues in home runs and RBI’s this season. Currently racking up 31 home runs and 87 RBI’s and boasting a .317 batting average, A-Rod is giving the Yankees fans something to cheer about, even if they are trailing the Boston Red Sox by 10 games in the race for the American League East title.

Alex Rodriguez was born in New York, but his family relocated briefly to their native Dominican Republic and then to Miami where he attended Westminster Christian High School. Rodriguez signed a letter of intent to play baseball for the University of Miami, but instead opted to become eligible for the MLB draft at the age of 17 and was consequently drafted first overall by the Seattle Mariners in 1993. A-Rod quickly rose through the Mariners organization and debuted in the major leagues as shortstop for the Mariners versus Boston on July 8, 1994. At the time A-Rod was only 18 years old and was the youngest position player in Seattle history as well as the youngest player in baseball during the strike shortened season of 1994. The 1995 season saw A-Rod being shifted back and forth between the majors and the Mariners AAA club, the Tacoma Rainiers, until he joined the Mariners major league roster permanently in August.

In 1996, Rodriguez took over the shortstop duties for the Mariners and a star was born. That year he had 36 home runs, 123 RBI’s, and a league leading .358 batting average, the highest for an American League right handed batter since 1939 when Joe DiMaggio dazzled the majors with a .381 batting average. A-Rod was the first major league shortstop to win a Batting Title since 1960. Additionally, he led the American League 141 runs, 54 doubles, 379 total bases and ranked among the league leaders in hits, extra base hits, multi-hit games, slugging, RBI’s, and on base percentage. Rodriguez set Mariners club records for average, runs, hits, doubles, and total bases, in a season that many MLB analysts consider the best performance ever by a shortstop. The Sporting News and Associated Press both selected A-Rod as the Major League Player of the Year in 1996 and he came close to becoming the youngest MVP in baseball history, finishing second to Juan Gonzalez in one of the most heated and controversial MVP selections in recent times.

Eventually Rodriguez became a free agent after the 2000 season and he signed with the Texas Rangers who were in dire need of a turnaround for their team who had finished last in their division. The 10 year deal worth $252 million was the most lucrative contract ever signed in sports history. Although his power hitting continued to grow and Alex broke batting records in 2001 and 2002, the Rangers finished last in the American League Western division both years. In 2003, which was his last season with the Rangers, A-Rod led the American League in home runs, won his second consecutive Gold Glove Award and won his first American League Most Valuable Player award. Following the 2003 season, the Rangers traded Rodriguez to the New York Yankees, with the stipulation that the Rangers pay $67 million of the $179 million left on Rodriguez’s contract. With the Yankees, A-Rod was switched from shortstop to 3rd base to replace an injured Aaron Boone and because the popular Derek Jeter was already the guaranteed the shortstop position. Rodriguez also had to switch uniform numbers, from 3 to 13 because the number he had worn his entire career is retired by the Yankees in honor of Babe Ruth.

Since his first full season in 1996 through 2006 he leads the major leagues in home runs, runs scored, RBI’s, total bases and extra base hits. He is currently approaching the 500 home run mark, with 495 total home runs at time of this article and is expected to break the 500 home run mark easily by the end of this season putting him into an elite circle with some of history’s greatest home run hitters such as Mickey Mantle, Reggie Jackson, Willie Mays, Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron. Suprisingly, in this 2007 season, there are eight currently active players who are approaching or have surpassed the 500 home run mark. For an interesting comparison of these current and past heavy hitters, see this Wikipedia article Top 500 Major League Baseball Home Run Hitters.

Off the field, Alex has worked extensively with the Boys and Girls Club of Miami, and is one of three national spokespersons for the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. He has dedicated his time, effort and resources toward the national initiative to enroll every child in America in an after-school program. A-Rod has donated more than time to children’s charities, he has donated heavily to the Dominican Republic branch of UNICEF, he donated $3.9 million dollars to the University of Miami as scholarship money for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Miami and supported the placement of therapists into schools located in the Washington Heights neighborhood where Alex was born.

Incedentally A-Rod and his mother were abandoned by his father when he was a child, which makes him a shining example that even kids without two parents can make a success of their lives and unquestionably, Alex Rodriguez will one day be inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame, but until then, he’ll still keep impressing baseball fans across the nation with his power hitting skills.

It’s only fitting - for the first blog post here after the All Star Break - that the featured player would be Ichiro Suzuki of the Seattle Mariners. The Kasugai, Japan born Ichiro was this year’s All Star Game MVP, and the only player in MLB history to ever hit an “in the park” home run in an All Star Game. The ever humble Ichiro admitted he thought of leaving the ballpark after playing in the All Star Game because he had a reservation at a restaurant, but he said he was told to stick around as he might be picked MVP.

Ichiro has been ripping it up this year with .359 batting average, 39 RBI’s and 5 home runs. The dynamic center fielder is equally talented out in the field playing defense, stealing bases to advance his team or just stepping up to the plate to lead his team to victory. Currently in his seventh season with the Mariners, Ichiro carries an impressive .333 career batting average with 398 RBI’s and 258 stolen bases. He has also won six straight American League Gold Glove Awards in his first six years in the majors.

Ichiro relocated to the United States in 2001 after playing nine years for the Orix Blue Wave in Japan’s Pacific League. When the Blue Wave posted him following the 2000 season, Ichiro’s rights were won by Seattle and he signed a contract with the Mariners. He became the first Japanese born position player to sign a contract and play in the major leagues. Ichiro did not miss a beat in his transition and in 2001 he was voted AL MVP and Rookie of the Year by the BBWAA, becoming just the second player ever to win both awards in the same season since Fred Lynn did it in 1975. That year, he also led the majors in batting average and stolen bases, the first player to do so since Jackie Robinson’s heroic efforts in his 1949 season.

Each and every season he has been in the majors, Ichiro has been a league leader and has on September 16th 2006, in a 7-4 loss to the Kansas City Royals, Ichiro set dual MLB records for hits and stolen bases. That day Ichiro grabbed his AL Single Season Record 33rd consecutive stolen base. He also had two singles in the game in his first two at bats against Mark Redman which helped him extend his own record of most consecutive 200 hit seasons to begin a career to six.

Ichiro is known for his relentless work ethic such as arriving early for games and for his calisthenic stretching exercises to stay limber even during the middle of a game. His work ethic has paid off for him considering that in Ichiro’s worst season, 2005, he posted a career low .303 batting average (a stat most major leaguers wouldn’t mind having as a career high). In continuing a custom he began in Japan, Ichiro uses his first name on the back of his uniform instead of his last name, becoming the first MLB player to do so since Vida Blue.

Ichiro’s career is followed very closely in Japan, with national television news programs covering each of his games with the Mariners. There are even special tour packages arranged for Japanese baseball fans to visit the United States to watch his games. Following suit, many high dollar roster major league teams such as the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox have been recruiting Japan’s best baseball players to play in the MLB to the delight of the Japanese fans.

Considering all he has done for the game of baseball, the explosive passion and devotion he has brought to the MLB, hopefully one day Ichiro will receive the distinct honour of being the first Japanese player inducted into the Hall of Fame.