Alex Rodriguez plays 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 . The First-Year Player Draft , also known as the Rule 4 Draft , is Major League Baseball 's ( MLB ) primary mechanism for assigning amateur baseball players from high schools , colleges , and other amateur baseball clubs to its teams . The Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award ( MVP ) is an annual Major League Baseball ( MLB ) award , given to one outstanding player in the American League and one in the National League .