If baseball is their war, then for athletes in MLB, their equipment is their armor. Just as a knight is known by the cut of his sword and his ability to wield it, an MLB player is known by the fans for his ability with the glove and the bat in hand. While most players tend to pick one and focus on that specific aspect over their career, there are those that come along that can do both and are excel at it.
A player with multiple facets during his playing career Alex Rodriguez has always been at the top of his game when in MLB. Even after his retirement, the star has shown tremendous industry with his successful real estate business and even going on to invest in the ownership group for NBA and WNBA franchises. But his first love remains baseball and several young players have their ear trained to the ground for his advice.
Alex Rodriguez Reveals Secret Behind His Golden Glove Accolades
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Alex Rodriguez’s late career saw him more as an offensive threat than a defensive titan perhaps leading to a different perception as his career progressed. Now retired, he is following the same path. Hot on the heels of releasing a video to explain batting averages, A-Rod has now also shared some more of his defensive secrets.
But the truth remains that Rodriguez was a key presence of the Texas Rangers’ infield while he was playing with them. Even while his defensive output may have dropped with the New York Yankees later on, he remained a vital part of the roster.
Sporting two Golden Glove accolades in 2002 and 2003, Rodriguez spoke about his favorite glove that was with him during that run and how he preserved it.
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Posting to Instagram, Rodriguez first spoke about his favorite glove. Said Rodriguez “Usually I used 1 glove per season, but in Texas and early in New York I used this glove for 4 seasons.”
Speaking about how he kept the glove intact all those years, he added, “After every game, I’ll put it in the freezer with a little shaving cream and then five minutes before the next game, I’ll use a towel, clean that up and go use it just like that.”
Just for emphasis, he ends the video with “4 Years, 2 Golden Gloves. My favorite glove.”
Rodriguez’s Attempts at Growing His Own Personal Brand?
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The star posted the video on Instagram with the caption “Freezer and shaving cream” which while easy to follow for any emerging player is fairly straightfoward advice. It seems Rodriguez recently is trying to grow his personal brand with a video about why batting averages matter on his personal account.
Rodriguez is preparing to potentially be the best paid sportscaster in 2024 with Fox Sports and the audience will have much more of A-Rod as next season begins but it remains to be seen how well he is received in his new deal with Fox Sports.
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Despite having appeared on the show, this exclusive deal will see him sharing these tidbits on a more regular basis and perhaps Rodriguez is simply preparing himself by practicing earlier on in the season. Maybe his Instagram is to sportscasting what spring training was to the regular season for the star.
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