J-Lo saved A-Rod's life and 4 other things we learned from Sports Illustrated's Alex Rodriguez feature
Alex Rodriguez, former baseball playing hero, turned villain, turned lovable goofball entrepreneur, is featured in a Sports Illustrated cover story this month. He looks good -- per usual.
Somehow, some way, Alex Rodriguez is as relevant as he’s ever been. @BenReiter digs into the transformation of J.Lo’s fiancé, also known as Warren Buffett’s star pupil, also known as…A-Rod https://t.co/yyPpfL8XOc pic.twitter.com/eHlvIQ754N
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) June 25, 2019
The story covers much of A-Rod's 43 years on Earth: How he went from an exciting 20-year-old superstar shortstop with the Mariners, to a $252 million player who couldn't win, to a much-despised player who was suspended from baseball, and then, somehow, to a lovable, Instagram famous MLB TV analyst who's engaged to Jennifer Lopez.
We also learned some fun new anecdotes from the article that we didn't know about A-Rod before. Here are 5 of our favorites.
-The comeback story? Mostly all due to J-Lo
The article talks about how A-Rod put up a fake persona during much of his career, referring to himself as a "robot." His fiancée fixed that.
“The key to being in the public eye is being your best self,” says Lopez. “It’s not being fake. It’s being you. But the best version of you.” ... Lopez helped him see how he could be more. “She just sees it. She helps me out all the time when I’m trying to land a point on something. She’s just a wordsmith.”
Like seriously, she actually helps him understand words.
“Balmy?” Rodriguez asks. “How do you spell that?”
“B-A-L-M-Y. Balmy.”
“What does it mean?”
“It means when there’s a little bit of a humidity in the air. It’s hot but not scorching. When it feels like there’s a blanket around your skin. Balmy.”
-A-Rod drinks a lot of coffee
"He’ll often hit the gym at one in the morning, fueled by one of the nine cups of coffee he can consume a day, most of them served in A-Rod mugs."
-A-Rod is a big Coldplay fan
S.I. writer Ben Reiter went on Rodriguez's private plane with him and, apparently, A-Rod just shouts out bands that he wants to hear.
"[There's] a smooth sound system that plays Rodriguez’s favorite bands, like Bon Jovi and Journey. “Ash!” he shouts out to an assistant, upon boarding. “Coldplay!”
-A-Rod does his best working out at 1 in the morning
Probably so he can blast his favorite tunes as loud as he pleases.
-A-Rod might run for president
Reiter asks him if he'd ever run for office. Although A-Rod denies it at first, he leaves us wondering with this.
"He keeps thinking about it, though. “That’s funny you say that,” he says. “That’s a good question.”
First lady Jennifer Lopez? Who wouldn't want that?
Matt Monagan is a writer for MLB.com.
