Mariners Greatest Hits: Shortstop Alex “A-Rod” Rodriguez

May 12th, 1996

As our own, Colby Patnode addressed in our announcement of A-Rod as the Mariners greatest shortstop of all-time, had Rodriguez not played as many games as he did in 1994 and 1995, he would’ve been under contract with the team in 2001. He also would’ve been named Rookie of the Year.

Within his first 25 games in 1996,  A-Rod was already showing that he was a big star in the league. In just over two dozen games, A-Rod was batting .312,  with six home runs, 23 RBIS, 12 doubles, with six walks drawn.

In this mid-May affair, game 22 of his 96′ campaign, A-Rod helped increase those numbers even more.

He had a 3rd inning two-run home run and a 6th inning sacrifice fly that gave him three RBIs, but he wasn’t done there. An 8th inning home run was his second of the afternoon, padding the M’s lead to 8-5, which is how the game would end.

Not only would the Mariners not have won that night without this impressive outing by A-Rod, but the M’s shortstop wouldn’t have set career-highs with two home runs and five RBIs in a single game if he hadn’t played.

He would have 11 two-home run games with the Mariners and that streak would last until his final season with the M’s in 2000 when he hit three that April. The RBIs record didn’t last as long; he would best his five runs batted in with six five days later.