Mr BioFile Interviews by Scoop Malinowski
By Scoop Malinowski
Status: Major League Baseball shortstop/third baseman for 22 seasons (1994-2016) with Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers and New York Yankees.
Ht: 6-3 Wt: 200
DOB: July 27, 1975 In: New York, N.Y.
Childhood Heroes: Dale Murphy, Keith Hernandez – because they were so professional. Cal Ripken – great person, first of all I respect him as a person. And he was a great player. Ozzie Smith – like magic. He was always fun to watch.
Nicknames: A-Rod, Big Dog – from my high school coach, I don’t know why, Junior Jr., Mr. Clean, Mr. Milk & Cookies.
Hobbies/Interests: Weightlifting, fishing. golf, wine, boating, traveling in the off-season, play cards.
Favorite Movies: Scarface, Goodfellas.
Musical Tastes: R&B, merengue – just like jazz in Spanish, real nice rhythm. Aretha Franklin.
Early Baseball Memory: Lots of memories. I gave up baseball in 8th grade (in ’89). I thought I was a better basketball and football player. I’m gratified that I came back. Playing every position in a Little League game when I was 12. Winning the national championship with Westminster Christian High School in ’92. Representing the U.S. in the Junior Olympics in 1993. Being on the field for the two anthems. 12,000 people in Monterrey Stadium in Mexico. We played Cuba for the gold medal, came in second.
Childhood Dream: Getting a college degree like my brother (Joseph) and sister (Suzy). And to be a Major League baseball player.
Favorite Meal: Chicken and fettuccine alfredo.
Favorite Breakfast Cereal: Lucky Charms.
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: Chocolate chip.
Pre-Game Feeling: Nervous and excited. Visualize going 4-for-4, making nice plays and all that. But it doesn’t always go that way [smiles].
First Job: Summer camp with Rich Hoffman Baseball School (age 15).
First Car: 1972 white four-door Chrysler, old Lincoln type. Gave me character [laughs].
Greatest Sports Moment: Stepping on to the field for my first at-bat, after being invited to the 1996 All Star Game.”
Most Painful Moment: Being demoted five times (by Seattle) to the minor leagues (AAA Tacoma) in ’95. A real hard time…crying, hard times, felt terrible.
Toughest Competitors: Randy Johnson. Jay Buhner. Roberto Alomar. Chipper Jones. He played against us one year in high school, in the Florida state finals…he had a broken hand and pitched real well, something like a two-hitter.
Funniest Player: Ken Griffey Jr. He’s always got something funny to say. Always cracking on someone – in a positive way.
Favorite Athletes To Watch: Dan Marino, Barry Bonds, Derek Jeter, Nomar Garciaparra, Chris Evert, Tiger Woods, Fred Couples – I met him at the Buick Open when we were in Detroit. Magic Johnson. Michael Jordan. Isiah Thomas.
Favorite Vacation Spots: I like traveling – Chicago, Puerto Rico, Santo Domingo, California, New York.
People Qualities Most Admired: Anyone can forget talent. But if you’re also a good person, your name will be remembered for a long time. My mom (Lourdes) often said, I don’t care if you turn out to be a terrible ballplayer, I just want you to be a good person. That’s the most important thing to me. Like Cal Ripken or Dale Murphy. I want people to look at me and say, He’s a good person. I take as much pride as being a good person off the field as on the field.
Career Accomplishments: World Series champion with New York Yankees in 2009; 14-time All Star; Three-time AL MVP; MLB Batting Champion 1996.
Artwork by Ukrainian artist Natalya Petras.
(Note: I did this Biofile with A-Rod at Yankee Stadium when he was with Seattle, in 1996. I remember after doing this pre-game interview, A-Rod was clearly very pleased when I said “Thank you very much” at the end of the interview, as if he was hoping I had good manners and appreciation. Still grateful all these decades later to A-Rod for doing this spontaneous, unscheduled, revealing Biofile.)
