Okay, let’s talk about Alex Rodriguez and the Mariners. It’s funny how some things stick with you, right? I was digging through some old stuff the other day, found an old baseball card, and it got me thinking about A-Rod’s early days up in Seattle.
I remember the buzz when he first came up. Just a kid, really. We were all hearing about this phenom, this number one draft pick. Everyone was excited. It felt like something special was starting. The Mariners already had Ken Griffey Jr., Edgar Martinez, Randy Johnson… adding a talent like Rodriguez felt like we were building a dynasty, you know?
Watching Him Develop
So, I made it a point to follow his progress. Watched the games when I could, checked the box scores every morning. You could see the talent right away. He was smooth at shortstop, had that quick bat. It wasn’t instant superstardom, he had his ups and downs like any young player finding his way in the big leagues.
- Seeing him hit those first few home runs.
- The plays he made in the field that just made you go “wow”.
- Just the general feeling in the Kingdome back then.
It really felt like we were watching the beginning of an all-time great career, right there in our backyard. We had Junior, and now we had A-Rod. The future looked incredibly bright. We talked about it all the time – how many championships were coming.
Then came that 1996 season. Man, he exploded. Hit like crazy, played great defense. He was just 20, maybe 21? It was unbelievable. That MVP runner-up finish cemented it. This guy was the real deal. We thought, okay, he’s here to stay, he’s gonna be a Mariner for life alongside Griffey.
Then Came the Change
But things change in baseball, don’t they? Griffey eventually left, which stung. And then A-Rod’s contract situation came up. We all hoped, maybe naively, that he’d stick around. That the hometown feeling, the team, would be enough.
I remember following the news, the rumors. Texas Rangers… that huge contract offer. It was mind-boggling money back then. And then, boom, he was gone. Signed with Texas. It felt like a gut punch. Seriously. All that hope, all that excitement about the future with him anchoring the infield for the next decade plus… just vanished.
Looking back now, it’s just part of the game, I guess. Players move, teams change. But man, thinking about those early A-Rod years with the Mariners still brings back that mix of excitement and then that eventual disappointment. It was quite a ride, watching him start his journey right there in Seattle.
