It's The Year of The Milestone for #13

Bronx, New York City

Alex Rodriguez has become only the fourth player to rack up 2000 RBI's. On a beautiful night in Arlington, he also added his name to the list of many players that have knocked over 3,000 hits. That's not where the prestige ends. He's 5 home runs away from the 700 club, which would make him the fourth player ever to hit 700 round trippers, and the youngest to reach the feat at 37 years old. Even through the glory of this season, Yankees General Manager Nick Carter showed he held the team's ability to win ball games higher than Rodriguez's personal accomplishments. Rodriguez was the main piece in a deal that almost sent him to Cincinnati for some promising prospects, however the league rejected the deal, citing the Reds short payroll budget gap as the problem. We all knew these milestones would come, but in the same season? I don't think anyone could have predicted that. A-Rod is on a strong decline now in what appears to be the home stretch of his career, however many feel he still has enough juice left to surpass Barry Bonds as the Home Run King.

All in all, Rodriguez's career has been on for the ages, one that has brought him into a class of untouchables. Steroids helped him get there. Being under the spot light can cause superstars to make ill advised decisions, and Rodriguez, once thought of as a man made of steel, is no exception. Whether you can understand Rodriguez's stand point, or whether you feel there is no excuse for the use of performance-enhancing products, Rodriguez deserves his recognition in the bright light. No matter how high the controversy, how high the accusations, no body can deny that Alex Rodriguez is not only one of the greatest players in our generation but one of the greatest of all time. Every great player has something that makes them distinct from the rest, and Rodriguez's knack of being the youngest to accomplish hall of fame caliber feats, in my opinion, is what separates him from the pack of legends. With 5 years left on Rodriguez's contract, we may soon be entering the reign of King Alex within the next 2 or 3 years, that is until The Machine plows it's way into the record books.