AROD's children's book hits shelves

Yanks third baseman an author as 'Out of the Ballpark' released

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com

Alex Rodriguez leads the Majors in both homers and RBIs entering Thursday's action. (Jim Mone/AP)

NEW YORK -- Many of Alex Rodriguez's accomplishments have come in the form of long home runs or great defensive plays. His latest was exhibited by a stack of colorful, freshly-printed hardcover books.

The Yankees third baseman officially became an author on Tuesday when his children's book, "Out of the Ballpark," was released.

The 32-page hardcover book draws heavily from Rodriguez's life experiences, following the actions of a baseball-crazed boy named Alex, who plays for the Caribes, a youth league team.

Rodriguez worked more than 1 1/2 years on the book, writing the first manuscript and working on revisions with editors. Rodriguez even put in overnight hours on the project after Yankees home games, according to Steve Fortunato, a vice president at Boras Marketing which handles Rodriguez's marketing.

Eyeing the finished product, Rodriguez said the extra effort was worth it.

"It took a lot of work," Rodriguez said. "It took a little bit more than 18 months to come to completion. I just think there's a great story out there for kids, to basically know that if a kid like me from Miami with an 'underdog' childhood can make it, then a lot of these kids can make it."

Illustrated by Frank Morrison, "Out of the Ballpark" was simultaneously printed in English and Spanish.

The book's release drew large crowds at a Manhattan Barnes & Noble on Tuesday. Even before the lines began, the story had at least one fan in Rodriguez's 2-year-old daughter, Natasha, who is beginning to embrace reading as part of her development.

Many nights, Rodriguez said he will read Natasha a book -- sometimes "Out of the Ballpark." Then, at her urging, Rodriguez will be sent back to the beginning to read it again.

"She wanted me to keep reading the book," Rodriguez said, "Toward the back she had a picture of herself, and she really enjoyed that. When we started working on the book, she was an infant, and I knew that by the time the book would be published, she'd be old enough to understand and at least get a kick out of the book."

It might seem surprising to hear baseball's highest-paid player, a two-time Most Valuable Player and perennial All-Star describe himself as an 'underdog,' but Rodriguez has not forgotten his modest roots.

Growing up in a single-parent Miami household, Rodriguez took his hard-working cues from his mother, Lourdes, who often needed to work two jobs in order to support Rodriguez and his two siblings.

The book offers reminders of just how far Rodriguez came to become "A-Rod," including a collectible Topps card of Rodriguez as a Little League "Future Star."

"The message is that a kid like me, coming from my background, can make it," Rodriguez said. "Any child who reads this book, he should feel like he can make it. I think there's an inspiring story in there for children who need guidance and need a little direction."

Rodriguez kicked off the book's launch with a series of public appearances, stopping by television's "Live with Regis and Kelly" and "The Martha Stewart Show" before greeting fans at bookstores, signing his name in big, looping script on a yellow inside cover.

"It was amazing," said Joseph Ocasio, 13, of Brooklyn. "I told him he's the best, and he said he liked my jacket."

Ocasio's Yankees jacket, it should be noted, bore a 26-time World Champions inscription. This is the year Rodriguez hopes Ocasio's wardrobe (and that of all Yankees fans) becomes outdated.

"I hope so," Ocasio said. "He's my favorite player."

Before the signing, Rodriguez also fielded questions from young New York-area fans in a brief interview session.

Rodriguez recalled his early days growing up in Washington Heights near Yeshiva University, and how -- after moving to the Dominican Republic, and then Miami -- his early passion for baseball was fueled by his admiration for two clubs: the New York Mets and the Atlanta Braves.

Of course, Rodriguez told the children, it wasn't always a clear path to superstardom. The player who arguably stands the best chance of shattering Henry Aaron's career home run record was never the best player on his youth league clubs and even quit the game as an 11-year-old, infatuated with the idea of playing professional basketball.

Major League Baseball might want to credit an 'assist' to Rodriguez's mother. A-Rod recalled Lourdes handing the 11-year-old a roster of NBA superstars, asking him to find a single Dominican player.

When Rodriguez scanned the likes of Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Dominique Wilkins without success, A-Rod was on his way back to the diamond. Rodriguez hopes the tale, and others like it, will remind young children of the options that life presents.

"I think a lot of kids feel like their life is a foregone conclusion," Rodriguez said. "That it's inevitable, or that the end is already written. My message is that if you can dream it, you can achieve it.

"There's nothing wrong with dreaming and looking at things. Kids need to be heard, and I think through reading, we can really feed them and educate them to open up their minds to what they can do."