But he played sparingly for Marietta in a platoon this past season - which suddenly turned into his last. When released by the real-life New York Yankees in August, Rodriguez had compiled 243 plate appearances -- 7 short of qualifying for the 2017 DMBL season.
A-Rod didn't exactly have a fond farewell, batting just .206/.342/.400 with 5 home runs and 19 RBI in 67 games (39 starts) as Marietta's DH. Still, the 41-year-old did reach some big milestones this season, most notably passing Manny Ramirez for most strikeouts all time, with 2,213.
Missing the 2015 DMBL season because of his PED suspension cost him some key playing time, probably keeping him from most games all-time. Still, Rodriguez finishes his career with an even 600 home runs, trailing only Bonds (689) and just a little distance between Albert Pujols (569). He remains 4th in hits (2,677), behind Vladamir Guerrero, Chipper Jones and Jeter (2,994), and 4th in RBIs (1,664), trailing Ramirez, Jones and Bonds. His 2,514 games played also trails Jones (2,555) and Jeter (2,584).
Rodriguez, 41, is likely the last active player to appear in the DMBL in 1990s. He spent the early part of his career with a number of teams due to franchise turnover but he was quite the Iron Man regardless, playing 162 games in seven of his first 10 seasons.
In all his DMBL years, Rodriguez never won a Mitchell Award. He finished 4th in 2001 when teammate Carlos Delgado took home the prize for Vatican City. That year, he led the league with an astounding 160 runs. In 2002, he finished 3rd, behind Jason Giambi and Barry Bonds, who won his first of three that year.
In his first season as a full-time player 1999, A-Rod played 162 games and put up 30 home runs and 106 RBIs playing shortstop in Hillsborough. But it was the 2000 season that would launch A-Rod into the stratosphere.
Rodriguez clubbed 52 home runs and 130 RBIs that year, starting a string of four seasons with 50 or more home runs, a streak that would end with 49 dongs in 2006. He set a career high with 55 home runs in back-to-back seasons (in 2002 with Wanaque and 2003 with Hillsborough), along with batting a career-best .299 and .611 slugging in 2002. His 148 RBI in 2002 were a career-best, amid a six-year stretch of 100 RBI or more -- one that would have stretched 8 seasons if not for 99 RBI in 2005.
A-Rod did it all despite a flurry of franchise turnover. Ultimately, he ended up playing for 11 different franchises. After a season with the Ewes, he spent three seasons with Hillsborough Destroyers, and a season each with the Vatican City Cardinals (2001) and Wanaque Wolverines (2002) before returning with a new Hillsborough franchise in 2005 which is when he also made the switch from shortstop to third base.
Rodriguez spent just one season in Arkansas, probably his last great year: 38 home runs, 99 RBI, slashing .297/.386/.597 in 140 games. In that offsesaon, the Golden Falcons unloaded him to Philly straight up for SP Johan Santana.
After 15 home runs and 39 RBI in 61 games, at the 2009 trade deadline Philly shipped A-Rod along with SP Dallas Braden to Amityville for SP Jered Weaver, a 1st in 2010 and a 2nd in 2011. A slow start to the 2010 season had him packing his bags again. Amityville packaged him with their 2011 6th rounder and sent him to Las Vegas in exchange for OF Matt Kemp, OF Jay Bruce and 1B Jorge Cantu.
His last few seasons in Las Vegas were solid but nothing like the A-Rod at his peak, mere mortal numbers approaching 30 home runs. He never quite put up immortal numbers again and was more of a supporting player for Las Vegas when they won the DMBL title in 2011. He batted .283/.328/.506 with 24 home runs and 72 RBI.
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