“I Just Love the Game” – Yankees Legend Alex Rodriguez Reveals the Approach He Took to Go From Playing Baseball to Analyzing It

Baseball icon Alex Rodriguez is a true lover of the sport. After playing in MLB for 22 seasons, where he earned 14 All-Star selections and a World Series in 2009, A-Rod hung up his uniform for the last time in 2016. While the end of his career may not have happened with a bang, it was clear to anyone who saw him play that he just loved baseball. After taking off his pinstripes for the last time, A-Rod fully committed to working behind the scenes. Now in the chair of an analyst, he works alongside many other talents at FOX Sports.

In addition to baseball, Rodriguez is also focused on many other pursuits. However, the one thing he always comes back to is his beloved sport.

Alex Rodriguez has always been an MLB analyst

As every athlete knows, part of excelling at one’s sport is to analyze their opponent to see how they work and take advantage of any weaknesses they may have. The same goes for baseball. Talking on The Pat McAfee Show, Alex Rodriguez opened up about how he had always watched other teams’ games and how that helped him later on.

“I love the game, I study it. I remember when I played, I would come home in my apartment in New York and I would put four-five games, the West Coast games. The Dodgers, the Padres, the Oakland A’s, the Anaheim Angel – and I was just studying. Because I knew the next week or two I would be playing those teams, and I just love the game,” the former shortstop tells the hosts.

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Studying the game for oneself and narrating it for thousands of people, however, is quite different. And A-Rod knows it only too well. “Then the question became about TV – can I articulate a compelling story, take a complex subject and make it commercial and digestible?…It’s not a given, it’s not a layup and I worked hard at it. I have an incredible crew with FOX.”

Derek Jeter is set to join his frenemy on FOX Sports next

Anyone who knows about A-Rod and baseball probably also knows about Derek Jeter. Once close, their friendship went sour after Rodriguez made some comments against Jeter in their younger days. Then they became teammates. While the two usually avoid media attention together, this new move will focus all fans’ eyes on them. The former Yankees duo remains cordial to each other, however, and baseball fans are excited to see where this new partnership will go.

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