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 . During his 22-year career , Rodriguez has amassed a .297 batting average , 696 home runs , over 2,000 runs batted in ( RBI ) , over 2,000 runs scored , and over 3,000 hits . In baseball , a home run ( abbreviated HR ) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home Home runs are among the most popular aspects of baseball and , as a result , prolific home run hitters are usually the most popular among fans and consequently the highest paid by teams -- hence the old saying , variously attributed to slugger Ralph Kiner , or to a teammate talking about Kiner , `` Home run hitters drive Cadillacs , and singles hitters drive Fords . ''