Editing Alex Rodriguez (section)

====1994–1995====
In 1994, Rodriguez made his professional baseball debut as a [[Minor League Baseball|minor league]] player with the [[Appleton Foxes]] of the [[Class A (baseball)|Class A]] [[Midwest League]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Team History – Wisconsin Timber Rattlers|url=https://www.milb.com/news/gcs-41061520|access-date=August 7, 2016|work=[[Minor League Baseball]]}}</ref> He was promoted to the [[Jacksonville Suns]] of the [[Class AA]] [[Southern League (1964–2020)|Southern League]]. He played in 17 games for Jacksonville, then was promoted to Calgary for 32 games before moving up to the major leagues.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=rodrig006ale|title=Alex Rodriguez Minor Leagues Statistics|website=Baseball-Reference.com|accessdate=March 28, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=July 3, 2011|title=Five former Jacksonville Suns on All-Star Game rosters|url=http://jacksonville.com/sports/baseball/2011-07-03/story/five-former-jacksonville-suns-all-star-game-rosters|access-date=August 7, 2016|work=[[The Florida Times-Union]]}}</ref> On July 8, 1994, Rodriguez debuted in the major leagues as a starting shortstop, just the third 18-year-old major league shortstop since 1900.<ref name="b-r">{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rodrial01.shtml |title=Alex Rodriguez Statistics and History |website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]] |access-date=March 11, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Edes|first=Gordon|date=June 23, 1996|title=Around The American League|url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1996-06-23/sports/9606220258_1_mike-henneman-cruz-lousy-job|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140429191633/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1996-06-23/sports/9606220258_1_mike-henneman-cruz-lousy-job|archive-date=April 29, 2014|access-date=April 29, 2014|website=[[Sun-Sentinel]]|publisher=}}</ref> He was also the first 18-year-old major league player since 1978 and the youngest position player in Seattle history.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Carson |first=Alex |title=MLB Power Rankings: The 50 Greatest Players in Seattle Mariners History |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/587134-mlb-power-rankings-the-50-greatest-players-in-seattle-mariners-history |access-date=2024-06-03 |website=Bleacher Report |language=en}}</ref> He remains the last 18-year-old to play in an MLB game, as of the end of the 2024 season.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Yearly League Leaders & Records for Youngest |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/Youngest_leagues.shtml |access-date=2025-01-20 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> Rodriguez recorded his first major league hit when he singled off of [[Sergio Valdez]] on July 9 at [[Fenway Park]].<ref name="b-r first hit">{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BOS/BOS199407090.shtml|title=July 9, 1994 Seattle Mariners at Boston Red Sox Play by Play and Box Score |website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]] |access-date=March 11, 2014}}</ref> Rodriguez played in 17 games for the Mariners, compiling a .204 batting average, two RBIs, and three stolen bases. In August, The Mariners [[option (baseball)|optioned]] Rodriguez to the [[Calgary Cannons]] of the [[Class AAA]] [[Pacific Coast League]] (PCL).<ref>{{cite book|last=Stewart|first=Wayne|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GrX1RfqAJo8C|title=Alex Rodriguez: A Biography|date=January 1, 2007|publisher=[[Greenwood Publishing Group]]|isbn=9780313339752|via=Google Books}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Glew|first=Kevin|date=October 19, 2012|title=CBN: Looking back on A-Rod's Calgary days|url=http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/alex-rodriguez-memories-from-calgary-days/|access-date=October 19, 2012|website=[[Sportsnet]]}}</ref> In 32 games for Calgary, he had 37 hits in 119 at-bats for a .311 batting average. He also compiled six home runs and 21 RBIs.<ref name="b-r minors">{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=rodrig006ale |title=Alex Rodriguez Minor League Statistics and History |website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]] |access-date=March 11, 2014}}</ref>

[[File:Alex Rodriguez Cannons 1.jpg|thumb|left|175px|Rodriguez batting for the [[Calgary Cannons]] in 1994]]
Rodriguez split most of the 1995 season between the Mariners and the [[Tacoma Rainiers]] of the PCL.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rockne |first=Dick |date=April 24, 1996 |title=Hard-Working Rodriguez Could Be No. 1 Wunderkind {{!}} The Seattle Times |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19960424/2325739/hard-working-rodriguez-could-be-no-1-wunderkind |access-date=2025-01-20 |website=Seattle Times}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Brock |first=Corey |title=Rodriguez Has No Doubt He Should Stay In Seattle |url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/1995/jun/15/rodriguez-has-no-doubt-he-should-stay-in-seattle/ |access-date=2025-01-20 |website=The Spokesman-Review |date=June 15, 1995 |agency=The News Tribune}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Cohen |first=Alan |title=Alex Rodríguez |url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/alex-rodriguez/ |access-date=2025-01-20 |website=[[Society for American Baseball Research]] |language=en-US}}</ref> He hit his first major league home run off Kansas City's [[Tom Gordon]] on June 12. Rodriguez permanently joined the Mariners roster in August and got his first taste of postseason play, albeit just two at-bats. Again, he was the youngest player in Major League Baseball.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1995 American League Awards, All-Stars, & More Leaders |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL/1995-other-leaders.shtml |access-date=2023-07-22 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> During the 1995 season, Rodriguez played 48 games for Seattle, batting .232 with five home runs, 19 RBI, and four stolen bases.<ref name="b-r" />