[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 143 (Tuesday, September 25, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1971-E1972]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO MR. ALEX RODRIGUEZ

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOSE E. SERRANO

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 25, 2007

  Mr. SERRANO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Mr. Alex 
Rodriguez, who, on August 4, 2007, made history by becoming the 
youngest baseball player to hit 500

[[Page E1972]]

home runs. Lovingly mown to baseball fans throughout the world as ``A-
Rod,'' Mr. Rodriguez exemplifies the great contributions Dominican-
Americans continue to make to this Nation.
  Born in New York, and raised in Miami, Mr. Rodriguez displayed his 
baseball talents early in life. He attended Miami's Westminster 
Christian High School, which went on to win the national baseball 
championship his junior year. During that time, he earned several 
prestigious awards, including USA Baseball Junior Player of the Year 
and Gatorade's National Student-Athlete of the Year. Mr. Rodriguez was 
also the first high-school player to try out for Team USA in 1993.
  Today, Mr. Rodriguez is considered one of the best baseball players 
of all time. Proudly wearing #13 for my beloved New York Yankees, Mr. 
Rodriguez has become a legend to all prospective baseball players and 
fans. He has earned two American League Most Valuable Player (MVP) 
awards and has accomplished several noteworthy feats. For example, 
among all baseball players at the age of 30, Mr. Rodriguez ranks first 
in both home runs and runs scored, third in runs batted in (RBIs) and 
fourth in hits compared to other players at that point in their 
careers. Mr. Rodriguez also shares the record for most home runs in one 
month, hitting fourteen in April 2007. Mr. Rodriguez is also the third 
member of the exclusive 40-40 Club, composed of baseball players who 
accumulate a total of both 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in a single 
season. These are just a few of the many accomplishments of this 
legendary baseball player.
  Off the baseball field, Mr. Rodriguez is actively involved in his 
communities, from Miami to New York to the land of his parents, the 
Dominican Republic. For example, in 1998, he established the Alex 
Rodriguez Evening Benefit for the All Stars, which, up to this point, 
has raised more than half a million dollars for the Boys and Girls Club 
of Miami. In 2003, Mr. Rodriguez donated $3.9 million to the University 
of Miami to remodel the university's baseball stadium and to provide 
scholarships to deserving students. In 2005, Mr. Rodriguez donated 
$200,000 to the Children's Aid Society in New York and $50,000 to the 
Dominican Republic branch of UNICEF, which fully funded five day-care 
centers outside of Santo Domingo for 1 year. These are only a handful 
of the many ways in which Mr. Rodriguez contributes to the development 
and success of our communities.
  Madam Speaker, A-Rod is truly a shining star and a role model to us 
all both on and off the baseball field. I will continue to cheer him on 
as he breaks more records on his way to greatness. I ask my colleagues 
to join me in paying tribute to this fine athlete on the occasion of 
his 500th home run.

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