Alex Rodriguez Says He's in the ‘Appointment Only' Phase of Parenting
Fact checked by Sarah Scott
Alex Rodriguez is in the season of parenting where it's almost like 'appointment only,' he tells Parents. His eldest daughter Natasha, 20, is a rising junior at the University of Michigan, while his youngest Ella, 17, will be heading into her senior year of high school.
'They're so busy that when I get a little date for like an awesome dinner, I'm so fired up," he says. "It's just amazing to see them develop with high self-esteem, good purpose, and good intention in their life. And it's great to see them strive to reach their goals.'
It doesn't hurt that they have their successful dad to look up to. Rodriguez, a former professional baseball shortstop who played on the Yankees for 12 seasons, has built a business empire as the chairman and CEO of his investment firm A-Rod Corp. The 49-year-old hopes his career is instilling important lessons in his kids, including treating people with respect, humility, and always pushing forward.
'I've gone through a lot of ups and downs. I've always been very transparent about my mistakes,' he shares. 'I hope they are learning from daddy's mistakes, and hopefully becoming a better version. And just obviously, the hard work and how important family is.'
While Rodriguez is proud to watch his daughters grow, he's finding the transition to college difficult.
"There's a special bond between dads and girls and it's scary," he says. "If I had a boy, I'd probably just throw him out on the field, and it's just less worry. But with your girls, you got to be more protective."
To keep a strong bond with his daughters, Rodriguez says he's big on FaceTiming, texting daily, and keeping up with them on social media. In moments when he needs parenting advice, he leans on a trusted source.
"The work I've done with my therapist the last 10 years, he's probably been my go-to person," he says. "It has brought a lot of awareness on how the girls think, and the importance of open communication."
As for the type of dad he is? Rodriguez says he's all about "a lot of love, a lot of fun, with like 20% stern. I think they both kind of fear daddy a little bit, in a sense, where I don't think they want to disappoint, or they know that I have high standards for them."
Rodriguez isn't slowing down. He's jumped into the podcast world with The Deal, co-hosting with Bloomberg correspondent Jason Kelly. Heading into season 3, the podcast tackles investing, strategy, and reinvention with high-profile guests, including investor and sports team owner Josh Harris, as well as Magic Johnson, who is appearing on an upcoming episode.
"If you like music, sports, entertainment, and culture, this is your podcast," he says.
Of course, he hasn't forgotten his baseball roots. Rodriguez partnered with Lysol to promote the Lysol Laundry Sanitizer in an effort to champion for two important sports officials.
"Referees and umpires have the toughest job," he says. "You have to be so selfless, because even if you do a great job, you have nine people from one team screaming at you, the other ones screaming—no one's ever happy. It's a little bit like parenting...I love the partnership because we try to highlight people that are often not highlighted, and use our platform collectively to elevate refs and umpires."
A-Rod, an Emmy Award-winning MLB analyst for Fox Sports and ESPN, has been keeping up with the sport since retiring nearly a decade ago. He has nothing but positive things to say about his former team.
"The Yankees are having a great season," he says. "They had a big obstacle when they lost Juan Soto, and I think Brian Cashman did an incredible job of redirecting the resources into getting a handful of players versus one. Max Fried jumps off the page because he's potentially going to be the Cy Young winner. And they have [Cody] Bellinger, and they moved [Aaron] Judge back to right field. So they took one negative and turned it into an incredible positive."
He also uses his platform to advocate for young athletes. In a recent Instagram video, Rodriguez shared his belief that kids today play too many games, stripping them of the ability to learn the fundamentals.
"I've always thought the process is greater than results," he says. "I just think that you get better by practicing, not just by playing. Think about baseball—you can play five games, and if you play shortstop, you might get one ground ball in five games. Versus if you practice for 30 minutes, you can catch 100 ground balls. So the old way was you practice six days to play one; today, it's like you play seven games with no practice."
Baseball and business aside, Rodriguez says he's also making it a point to focus on what else brings him joy, particularly working out, family dinners, and family vacations.
"I'm trying to have a more balanced life where you take care of yourself, your mind, soul, spirit," he says. "It can't just be all work. It can't be all fun. There has to be a balance."
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