Despite His Father Abandoning Him When He Was 10, Alex Rodriguez Credits His MLB Success to Brutal Childhood

Alex Rodriguez is a baseball legend. The former Yankee, however, went through some tough times to achieve the success that he did. Rodriguez grew up in a one-parent household with his mother. His father abandoned him and his family when A-Rod was just 10 years old. Although it was a difficult environment, Rodriguez shared how it helped him succeed in the MLB. 

The New York Yankees legend overcame many obstacles on his path to success. His childhood in a single-parent household spurred him on and made him want to help his family. Furthermore, as he recently mentioned it also helped him succeed at the sport.

A-Rod considers his tough childhood a gift and a curse

Alex Rodriguez encountered tough times during his childhood. A-Rod’s father left the family and his mother had to work multiple jobs to support him and his siblings. But the Yankees legend considers this unfortunate experience a gift as well. Most recently, he shared that his tough childhood is one of the reasons for his MLB success. A-Rod said that because his father was absent and his mother was busy with work, there was no pressure to win at all costs. The Yankees legend shared this during an interview on 20 VC with Harry Stebbings.

During the interview, he said, “One of the reasons why I think I made it to the Major Leagues. A gift and a curse of not having a father and having my mother working two jobs is I never had this you know win as all costs when you’re a 10-11-year-old boy.” This is why A-Rod considers his difficult childhood a gift and a curse. 

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Furthermore, it instilled in him a deep-rooted desire to succeed and help his family. Even after retiring, he entered the world of business with the mindset to build an empire. Rodriguez did not want to be one of the athletes that wasted away after retiring from baseball. But he did not forget the effort and sacrifice that his mother made for him and sought inspiration from her. 

A-Rod bought his mother two precious gifts with his first contract money

Alex Rodriguez signed a $1.3 million contract with the Seattle Mariners after getting drafted. Additionally, he was given a $1 million signing bonus. The first thing he did with this money was buy his mother a house and a car. She worked hard for years to support Rodriguez and his siblings. The baseball legend wanted to pay her back for the sacrifices that she made. 

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What do you of Alex Rodriguez’s outlook on his tough childhood and its impact on his MLB success? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.