Alex Rodriguez played professional baseball.
Alexander Emmanuel Rodriguez ( born July 27 , 1975 ) , nicknamed `` A-Rod '' , is a Dominican-American former professional baseball shortstop and third baseman . In 1996 , he became the Mariners ' starting shortstop and finished second in voting for the AL MVP Award . Had the original suspension been upheld , it would have been the longest non-lifetime suspension in Major League Baseball history .