Texas' Alex Rodriguez: a complete package of talent: Ranger's shortstop is one of the majors' top all-around performers with exceptional skills on both offense and defense - The A-Rod Era - Cover Story - American Baseball League

Baseball Digest, March, 2002 by Evan Grant

IN THE FUTURE, BASEBALL paleontologists will gather to discuss the most remarkable events of the early 21st century. They will study fossilized spike prints, old gloves preserved in amber and petrified bats.

They will proclaim it the A-rodozoic age, the time when meek little role players emerged as the most feared -- and well-paid creatures on the landscape. From the Nomarasarus to Jeter Raptor to the most ferocious of them all: Tyrannosaurus Alex.

It is the era of the shortstop.

In the game's evolution, no position on the diamond has come further. When the game was first played, the shortstop didn't even exist. It wasn't until just before the Civil War that the shortstop dared appear in the infield. And after a brief offensive flash at the turn of the 20th century, the position reverted to light-hitting defensive specialists.

They were small, with some earning nicknames like "Pee Wee" and "The Flea." They were quick, with others nicknamed "Rabbit" and "Scooter." Now, they go by a different name: "Franchise Players."

The Rangers' shortstop, Alex Rodriguez, has four consecutive 40-home run seasons and last Year set a single-season mark for homers in one year by a player at his position with 52. Boston's Nomar Garciaparra won consecutive batting rifles in 1999 and 2000 and is the primary cleanup hitter for the Red Sox. Derek Jeter holds a .320 career batting average in his first six big league seasons. During that run, he has two 20-homer seasons, a 100-RBI campaign, a 30-steal season and three years with 200 or more hits. Oh, and he's considered the heart and soul of four New York Yankees world championship teams.

That is the elite of the class. There are others poised to join them. Oakland's Miguel Tejada has back-to-back 30-homer, 100-RBI seasons. Kansas City's Neifi Perez is a former Gold Glove winner and has become a formidable offensive player. St. Louis' solidly-built Edgar Renteria has shown flashes of stardom. All three are 26 or younger.

"Guys are so much bigger, so much stronger now," said Ozzie Smith, who won 13 consecutive Gold Gloves from 1980-92 and is considered the greatest fielder to play the position. "You can give up a little bit defensively because you are getting so much offense in return. I think it's safe to say the position has changed. The whole game has changed. The changes have just finally made it to the infield."

There is a reason why Alex Rodriguez signed the richest contract in the history of pro sports before the start of the 2001 season.

On defense, he plays one of the most demanding positions and is one of the best in the majors at it. On offense, he is one of the game's most productive players, regardless of position.

In addition to his four 40-homer seasons, he has a 40-steal season. He stole 46 in 1998, the same year he hit 42 home runs. He joined Jose Canseco and Barry Bonds as the only players with 40 homers and 40 steals in the same season.

He won the batting title in 1996, his first full season in the majors. He has driven in 120 or more runs four times with a career high 135 last year.

He made only 10 errors in 2000 and 18 last year for a .976 fielding percentage while finishing third among major league shortstops with 751 total chances. Only Toronto's Alex Gonzalez (769) and Montreal's Orlando Cabrera (774) got to more balls than A-Rod last year.

Over the last four seasons, he has committed only 60 errors in 2,782 total chances for a combined .978 fielding average. It is probably only a matter of time before he wins his first Gold Glove.

"Alex is real, real, real good," said Philadelphia manager Larry Bowa, who coached Rodriguez in Seattle in 2000. "It would be unfair to categorize the three big guys (Rodriguez, Garciaparra and Jeter), but Alex just keeps getting stronger and stronger. The power he has is just unbelievable. Who knows what he will accomplish before he's done."

Said former Rangers infield instructor Bucky Dent: "He brings it all to the table. He has a good knowledge of how to play the game and he likes to play it. He has a strong arm. He hits for power. He hits for average. And he's young. There just aren't many guys who have all of that going for them."

When it comes to assessing shortstops, Dent and Bowa should know. They were two of the best in the 1970s and 1980s, when fielding was the shortstop's only responsibility. Bowa's career .980 fielding percentage is third-best among shortstops. Dent ranks 10th at .978. Not coincidentally, their teams were playoff staples, ringing up three of four world championships from 1977-80.

Rodriguez, at 6-3 and 215 pounds, towers over Dent and Bowa, but he considers himself a shortstop in their mold. That is, he understands the shortstop's creed. He believes fielding is his first responsibility.

"When I go out there, I think of myself as a .200 hitter," Rodriguez said. "The way I can most help my team win is with defense. I like playing defense. I take pride in playing defense."

The A-rodozoic Age roots lie in the discovery of Ripken Man.