1 00:00:00,800 --> 00:00:04,560 Speaker 1: Everyone. It's Jason Kelly Bloomberg Quick Takes Chief correspondent. Well, 2 00:00:04,600 --> 00:00:06,640 Speaker 1: I recently had the opportunity to head to Miami to 3 00:00:06,680 --> 00:00:09,800 Speaker 1: spend a couple of days with Alex Rodriguez. Yep, that 4 00:00:09,840 --> 00:00:12,360 Speaker 1: one a Rod. Look. This is a guy who was 5 00:00:12,400 --> 00:00:15,280 Speaker 1: a three time Most Valuable Player, fourteen time All Star 6 00:00:15,560 --> 00:00:18,360 Speaker 1: World Series champion with the Yankees, and when he retired 7 00:00:18,400 --> 00:00:20,880 Speaker 1: in twenty sixteen, he was the highest paid player in 8 00:00:21,040 --> 00:00:24,560 Speaker 1: MLB history. But his career is always going to be 9 00:00:24,640 --> 00:00:28,160 Speaker 1: remembered for another record as well. He served the longest 10 00:00:28,160 --> 00:00:31,960 Speaker 1: suspension baseball history for p E. D us And now 11 00:00:32,200 --> 00:00:35,400 Speaker 1: five years after his retirement and as he's being considered 12 00:00:35,440 --> 00:00:39,319 Speaker 1: for the Hall of Fame, Alex Rodriguez the CEO, he's 13 00:00:39,360 --> 00:00:42,120 Speaker 1: getting back into sports. He's the new owner of the 14 00:00:42,120 --> 00:00:45,960 Speaker 1: Minnesota Timberwolves and then Minnesota Links. So we're filming this 15 00:00:46,040 --> 00:00:49,720 Speaker 1: new series we're launching for Quick Take Originals called Athlete Empire. 16 00:00:49,960 --> 00:00:51,920 Speaker 1: So I got a chance to ride in his car 17 00:00:52,080 --> 00:00:54,680 Speaker 1: with a Rod to Westminster Christian that's his old high 18 00:00:54,720 --> 00:00:58,000 Speaker 1: school there in Miami. During our visit there, I had 19 00:00:58,040 --> 00:01:00,600 Speaker 1: some of the most interesting and revealing come versations with 20 00:01:00,680 --> 00:01:04,280 Speaker 1: him about his childhood, his career, and how his suspension 21 00:01:04,360 --> 00:01:07,319 Speaker 1: changed him, not just as a person but as a businessman. 22 00:01:07,840 --> 00:01:10,640 Speaker 1: I went from we're driving to Westminster High School. I 23 00:01:10,640 --> 00:01:16,400 Speaker 1: went from that campus prom defendway. And while I looked, 24 00:01:16,440 --> 00:01:20,279 Speaker 1: I was eighteen, and I looked like a year old. 25 00:01:20,640 --> 00:01:22,840 Speaker 1: The emotional we're as a ten year old boy, right, 26 00:01:23,360 --> 00:01:28,400 Speaker 1: and uh, it takes time to catch up. I wanted 27 00:01:28,440 --> 00:01:32,039 Speaker 1: always to go to college. And the gift and the curse. 28 00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:35,440 Speaker 1: The gift was I had this great talent. I was 29 00:01:35,480 --> 00:01:38,640 Speaker 1: the number one pick in the country. But how do 30 00:01:38,640 --> 00:01:40,520 Speaker 1: you say no other the number one pick when my 31 00:01:40,600 --> 00:01:45,679 Speaker 1: mother is working eighteen hours a day. And I wanted 32 00:01:45,720 --> 00:01:47,800 Speaker 1: to be a quarterback at the University of Miami. I 33 00:01:47,800 --> 00:01:51,920 Speaker 1: wanted to play shortstop. And I had this great blessing 34 00:01:52,000 --> 00:01:55,040 Speaker 1: of going number one and going right to Seattle. Tell 35 00:01:55,040 --> 00:01:58,480 Speaker 1: me about those early Miami days. I mean, especially you 36 00:01:58,520 --> 00:02:01,440 Speaker 1: know we're going down we're almost literally driving down them, 37 00:02:01,480 --> 00:02:04,120 Speaker 1: really laying into your high school. It's like when you 38 00:02:04,160 --> 00:02:05,680 Speaker 1: go back there and I know you spend a lot 39 00:02:05,720 --> 00:02:08,680 Speaker 1: of time, they're like, what are those early memories like 40 00:02:08,840 --> 00:02:12,480 Speaker 1: of of being here? You moved here when old you 41 00:02:12,760 --> 00:02:16,600 Speaker 1: So I was born in New York raised in Miami. 42 00:02:16,720 --> 00:02:18,799 Speaker 1: So when I got to Miami, I was around eight 43 00:02:18,800 --> 00:02:22,400 Speaker 1: and a half nine years old, and thank God for 44 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:26,679 Speaker 1: the Boys and Girls Club because my father left when 45 00:02:26,720 --> 00:02:30,520 Speaker 1: I was around ten and left my mother and my 46 00:02:30,600 --> 00:02:33,079 Speaker 1: two siblings behind. My brother and my sister both older, 47 00:02:34,400 --> 00:02:36,239 Speaker 1: and at that time, my mom then had to take 48 00:02:36,240 --> 00:02:40,000 Speaker 1: on two jobs. I had to go to school and 49 00:02:40,160 --> 00:02:42,560 Speaker 1: at home it was mom, my brother Joe, and my 50 00:02:42,600 --> 00:02:46,480 Speaker 1: sister Susie. They took the role of like my brother 51 00:02:46,600 --> 00:02:49,239 Speaker 1: became like the secretary of sports, my sister became the 52 00:02:49,280 --> 00:02:53,200 Speaker 1: secretary of education, and my mom just had to you know, 53 00:02:53,560 --> 00:02:56,440 Speaker 1: make enough money to pay our bills. And that's kind 54 00:02:56,440 --> 00:02:58,200 Speaker 1: of how we survived. And then I had the Boys 55 00:02:58,200 --> 00:03:01,959 Speaker 1: and Girls Club, which was a great asset and protector 56 00:03:01,960 --> 00:03:06,640 Speaker 1: in my life. But as we drive to Westminster with people, 57 00:03:06,680 --> 00:03:09,480 Speaker 1: a lot of people don't know is I got there 58 00:03:09,480 --> 00:03:12,880 Speaker 1: as a skinny, scrawny fifteen year old boy. I was 59 00:03:12,919 --> 00:03:16,320 Speaker 1: six ft one and fifty pounds and I was a 60 00:03:16,400 --> 00:03:22,000 Speaker 1: reject from Columbus Christopher Columbus nearby high school, and I 61 00:03:22,160 --> 00:03:26,040 Speaker 1: was told I was a very good basketball player and 62 00:03:26,080 --> 00:03:29,480 Speaker 1: they wanted me to play basketball Columbus and an okay, 63 00:03:29,480 --> 00:03:32,239 Speaker 1: baseball player, and my body hadn't caught up to to 64 00:03:32,400 --> 00:03:36,040 Speaker 1: my age. So when I got to Westminster, one of 65 00:03:36,080 --> 00:03:37,880 Speaker 1: the reasons why I went there that wanted an opportunity 66 00:03:37,920 --> 00:03:40,720 Speaker 1: to play baseball. So when I got there, was fifteen 67 00:03:40,760 --> 00:03:44,920 Speaker 1: and definitely in not a finished product. But you knew 68 00:03:44,920 --> 00:03:47,880 Speaker 1: you were a pretty good baseball player. I knew it 69 00:03:47,960 --> 00:03:54,360 Speaker 1: was good, but not great, And partly because I I 70 00:03:54,440 --> 00:03:56,400 Speaker 1: was always playing with kids that were a little bit older. 71 00:03:57,800 --> 00:04:01,360 Speaker 1: And you know, you take big difference between being thirteen 72 00:04:01,400 --> 00:04:07,520 Speaker 1: years old and fifteen or eleven, and I was always 73 00:04:07,520 --> 00:04:10,240 Speaker 1: good enough to be the middle of the road, but 74 00:04:10,280 --> 00:04:12,560 Speaker 1: I was always the youngest kid, and I had an 75 00:04:12,560 --> 00:04:15,600 Speaker 1: option to play with younger kids or older kids. And 76 00:04:15,640 --> 00:04:18,479 Speaker 1: my family always made the decision there's no reason to 77 00:04:18,520 --> 00:04:21,400 Speaker 1: stay back, which is gonna keep pushing forward. So fast 78 00:04:21,480 --> 00:04:24,920 Speaker 1: forward made a little bit to that moment that you 79 00:04:25,040 --> 00:04:28,279 Speaker 1: described it a couple of minutes ago, where you've got 80 00:04:28,320 --> 00:04:32,240 Speaker 1: this decision. To me, I mean, it's it's pure economics, right, 81 00:04:34,120 --> 00:04:39,680 Speaker 1: oh yeah, yeah, and also opportunity. I mean usually you 82 00:04:39,680 --> 00:04:43,600 Speaker 1: would say, if you're a middle to late first rounder, 83 00:04:44,640 --> 00:04:47,480 Speaker 1: you can make a pretty sound argument that college is 84 00:04:47,520 --> 00:04:50,520 Speaker 1: the best thing for you, and you're gonna develop there 85 00:04:51,440 --> 00:04:54,440 Speaker 1: and when you come out in three years, you're gonna 86 00:04:54,480 --> 00:04:57,760 Speaker 1: be educated, you're gonna be stronger and more mature, and 87 00:04:57,760 --> 00:05:00,479 Speaker 1: you have an opportunity to be you know, top five pick. 88 00:05:01,040 --> 00:05:04,159 Speaker 1: You couldn't made that argument of your one one, and 89 00:05:04,880 --> 00:05:07,760 Speaker 1: it came down to the wire, to the eleventh hour, 90 00:05:08,760 --> 00:05:11,800 Speaker 1: but finally in the wee hours of the night, we 91 00:05:11,920 --> 00:05:15,360 Speaker 1: ended up signing the contract for about a million three. 92 00:05:15,760 --> 00:05:17,880 Speaker 1: And is that a conversation? I mean, is that you 93 00:05:17,960 --> 00:05:20,160 Speaker 1: and your mom like just having that kind of like 94 00:05:20,200 --> 00:05:25,279 Speaker 1: what's that? Like? Yeah, that's me and my mom, my sister, 95 00:05:25,360 --> 00:05:28,640 Speaker 1: and my brother. I mean that was the core. And 96 00:05:28,720 --> 00:05:31,839 Speaker 1: my mother, to her credit, I mean, we didn't have anything. 97 00:05:32,160 --> 00:05:34,000 Speaker 1: I don't think my mother had five dollars in the 98 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:38,080 Speaker 1: bank a right. We lived, you know, paycheck to paycheck, 99 00:05:38,400 --> 00:05:44,159 Speaker 1: and she there were a million. We were a million five. 100 00:05:44,240 --> 00:05:47,400 Speaker 1: That's sat for the whole summer. There wasn't a lot 101 00:05:47,400 --> 00:05:50,480 Speaker 1: of movement. And my mother said, maybe they don't give 102 00:05:50,560 --> 00:05:54,920 Speaker 1: us our number. You're going to college, And I was like, 103 00:05:55,080 --> 00:05:59,560 Speaker 1: holy smokes, the bravest woman I've ever met, the bravest 104 00:05:59,560 --> 00:06:04,560 Speaker 1: person where I'm at. And uh, sure enough, they came 105 00:06:04,640 --> 00:06:09,599 Speaker 1: up and she said, okay, let's go and I signed 106 00:06:09,600 --> 00:06:13,920 Speaker 1: a contract. Wow. So who was that close? What were 107 00:06:13,960 --> 00:06:17,599 Speaker 1: you feeling at that moment. I was feeling a lot 108 00:06:17,680 --> 00:06:22,920 Speaker 1: of pressure. Um. I certainly I felt that I had 109 00:06:22,920 --> 00:06:28,760 Speaker 1: a responsibility to to provide for my family for sure. 110 00:06:30,080 --> 00:06:34,520 Speaker 1: And again it was it was a mixed bags of emotions. 111 00:06:34,839 --> 00:06:38,760 Speaker 1: I was so bummed that I couldn't attend the University 112 00:06:38,760 --> 00:06:44,480 Speaker 1: of Miami. I was so much wanted to play quarterback there. Um. 113 00:06:44,600 --> 00:06:48,520 Speaker 1: Obviously we had a very rich football tradition, which baseball 114 00:06:48,560 --> 00:06:52,560 Speaker 1: tradition with Ron Fraser and coach Kelly, and I wanted 115 00:06:52,600 --> 00:06:53,920 Speaker 1: to go and play baseball was right here in the 116 00:06:53,960 --> 00:06:57,080 Speaker 1: neighborhood and the core Gables, and you know, growing up 117 00:06:57,080 --> 00:06:59,720 Speaker 1: in Miami for a long time, we didn't have it 118 00:06:59,800 --> 00:07:04,960 Speaker 1: for arals sports team. So, you know, Ron Fraser in 119 00:07:05,000 --> 00:07:08,640 Speaker 1: the University of Miami, baseball was everything. And of course 120 00:07:08,680 --> 00:07:12,960 Speaker 1: the football team had one four or five championships, and 121 00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:15,200 Speaker 1: I just wanted to kind of jump into that rich tradition. 122 00:07:15,280 --> 00:07:18,960 Speaker 1: And and we're orange and green. Is it is it 123 00:07:19,040 --> 00:07:22,480 Speaker 1: a shock to the system too, as you said, like 124 00:07:22,560 --> 00:07:27,200 Speaker 1: go from prom to Fenway. I mean, well, first, um, 125 00:07:27,280 --> 00:07:34,400 Speaker 1: I stopped in Appleton, Wisconsin. I showed up and I'm like, 126 00:07:34,640 --> 00:07:39,920 Speaker 1: oh my gosh, April opening day, Middle A ball, mid 127 00:07:39,960 --> 00:07:44,640 Speaker 1: A ball and it's like twenty degrees and snow the ground. 128 00:07:45,400 --> 00:07:49,160 Speaker 1: I'm like, what in the world. Why aren't I at 129 00:07:49,160 --> 00:07:54,680 Speaker 1: the University of Miami And all my buddies were in colleges. Uh, 130 00:07:54,880 --> 00:07:58,240 Speaker 1: they were all freshman's there are like having a great 131 00:07:58,240 --> 00:08:01,160 Speaker 1: time party and drinking from legs. Yeah, going to frat party, 132 00:08:01,240 --> 00:08:05,640 Speaker 1: fraternity house. I'm like, okay, what I got the wrong 133 00:08:06,200 --> 00:08:11,560 Speaker 1: deal here? And and then I played for a few months, 134 00:08:12,440 --> 00:08:16,000 Speaker 1: and then I got promoted to Double A and sometime 135 00:08:16,040 --> 00:08:19,480 Speaker 1: in the summer I was promoted too. I got the 136 00:08:19,480 --> 00:08:21,880 Speaker 1: callow to go to the big league. And I'm like, 137 00:08:21,920 --> 00:08:25,960 Speaker 1: oh my god. All of this happened Westminster Christian drafting 138 00:08:26,080 --> 00:08:30,520 Speaker 1: number one, absent Wisconsin Big leagues all within like a 139 00:08:30,560 --> 00:08:34,360 Speaker 1: few months. What's that first moment, Like, would you step 140 00:08:34,400 --> 00:08:40,000 Speaker 1: into a major league field? Scary? I mean I remember 141 00:08:40,240 --> 00:08:44,280 Speaker 1: facing Roger Clements and my knees were shaken. I'm like, 142 00:08:44,360 --> 00:08:48,839 Speaker 1: oh my gosh, and there was thirty seven thousand people 143 00:08:48,840 --> 00:08:52,320 Speaker 1: and I'm like, I'm just playing in front of three 144 00:08:52,800 --> 00:08:58,679 Speaker 1: seventy people. And it was scary. It was fun, but 145 00:08:58,720 --> 00:09:00,720 Speaker 1: I mean it was I was still three years away 146 00:09:00,760 --> 00:09:05,280 Speaker 1: from legally being able to drink, so all my teammates 147 00:09:05,320 --> 00:09:09,960 Speaker 1: afterwards would go to the bar and uh, I couldn't go. 148 00:09:10,920 --> 00:09:13,400 Speaker 1: So and what is that like as a young guy, 149 00:09:13,640 --> 00:09:17,520 Speaker 1: Like a young guy. I mean obviously that your athletic 150 00:09:17,559 --> 00:09:21,360 Speaker 1: talent speaks for itself, but like socially that's tough. That's 151 00:09:21,440 --> 00:09:24,000 Speaker 1: that's a strange place to be. I mean, it was 152 00:09:24,080 --> 00:09:27,600 Speaker 1: so strange. And at the time, Goose Gossage was on 153 00:09:27,640 --> 00:09:30,480 Speaker 1: the team, and I think Goose was like forty three 154 00:09:30,559 --> 00:09:33,200 Speaker 1: or forty four. You're like a bunch of kids, and 155 00:09:33,240 --> 00:09:36,400 Speaker 1: I'm going, like, what am I doing here? I'm gonna 156 00:09:36,400 --> 00:09:40,120 Speaker 1: be playing with these men? Yeah, So that was It 157 00:09:40,200 --> 00:09:42,600 Speaker 1: was strange, It was fun, It was scary all of it. 158 00:09:43,320 --> 00:09:46,400 Speaker 1: Even at that point though, Like you're asking for advice, 159 00:09:46,640 --> 00:09:49,320 Speaker 1: like you're you're seeking people out. Is that just like 160 00:09:49,440 --> 00:09:52,840 Speaker 1: your natural way of being? Or what was the what 161 00:09:52,880 --> 00:09:55,280 Speaker 1: was driving you to do that? I think, you know, 162 00:09:55,640 --> 00:09:59,240 Speaker 1: my father leaving us at ten kind of left a 163 00:09:59,360 --> 00:10:04,760 Speaker 1: huge vacant spot, right, and I think I was drawn 164 00:10:05,679 --> 00:10:12,719 Speaker 1: two strong, powerful man and I needed to then kind 165 00:10:12,720 --> 00:10:16,840 Speaker 1: of fill that void by having a collection of mentors, 166 00:10:17,080 --> 00:10:20,200 Speaker 1: and so I was always drawn to strong men who 167 00:10:20,240 --> 00:10:25,040 Speaker 1: had strong opinions, and I ended up like your interviewing me. 168 00:10:25,080 --> 00:10:27,600 Speaker 1: I would end up interviewing a lot of my teammates 169 00:10:27,640 --> 00:10:31,200 Speaker 1: and my mentors. And that's kind of how I started 170 00:10:31,240 --> 00:10:35,000 Speaker 1: to learn the way and expedite my learning curve. Because 171 00:10:35,480 --> 00:10:37,360 Speaker 1: I was eighteen in the major leagues. If I didn't 172 00:10:37,400 --> 00:10:41,320 Speaker 1: expedite it, I was gonna be cooked. How did you 173 00:10:41,360 --> 00:10:43,600 Speaker 1: decide who you wanted to talk to. I'm an audio 174 00:10:44,400 --> 00:10:48,160 Speaker 1: learner and a visual learner. So there's a reason why 175 00:10:48,200 --> 00:10:52,280 Speaker 1: Scottie Pippen after a while started looking like Michael Jordan's. 176 00:10:53,679 --> 00:10:57,600 Speaker 1: There's a reason why after a while, Kobe looked like 177 00:10:57,640 --> 00:11:01,319 Speaker 1: Michael Jordan's too. I ended up resembling some of the 178 00:11:01,400 --> 00:11:04,920 Speaker 1: cow Ripken because I studied them for so long, just 179 00:11:05,040 --> 00:11:10,640 Speaker 1: like Scottie and Kobe studied Michael. So you study, you 180 00:11:10,720 --> 00:11:14,600 Speaker 1: watch you prepare. And because I was always kind of 181 00:11:14,640 --> 00:11:17,079 Speaker 1: middle of the road as a young kid, I felt 182 00:11:17,120 --> 00:11:21,520 Speaker 1: like I needed to always be extremely well prepared and 183 00:11:21,600 --> 00:11:24,480 Speaker 1: ready to go, or else I was just gonna fall off. 184 00:11:25,040 --> 00:11:29,480 Speaker 1: Have you always felt a lot of pressure? I mean 185 00:11:29,679 --> 00:11:34,040 Speaker 1: yes and no. In a weird way. The least amount 186 00:11:34,040 --> 00:11:40,959 Speaker 1: of pressure I felt has been post my suspension, because 187 00:11:41,000 --> 00:11:46,560 Speaker 1: in a way, it's like it was it was a 188 00:11:46,559 --> 00:11:51,439 Speaker 1: little bit of a reset. I hit rock bottom. It 189 00:11:51,600 --> 00:11:55,400 Speaker 1: was humiliating, and I never felt like I would get 190 00:11:55,440 --> 00:12:00,160 Speaker 1: a second chance to come back. And I remember I'll 191 00:12:00,200 --> 00:12:04,200 Speaker 1: server my suspension and spending time at home with the girls. 192 00:12:05,040 --> 00:12:08,120 Speaker 1: I said, boy, if I ever get another one more chance, 193 00:12:10,679 --> 00:12:13,280 Speaker 1: I'm going to make the best of it. And I 194 00:12:13,320 --> 00:12:20,520 Speaker 1: think just that hitting hitting rock bottom for me allowed 195 00:12:20,559 --> 00:12:24,320 Speaker 1: me to turn the lens inward and almost kind of 196 00:12:24,480 --> 00:12:28,400 Speaker 1: rewiring of the brain a little bit, where you come 197 00:12:28,440 --> 00:12:34,440 Speaker 1: at it with a different perspective, different gratitude. And look, 198 00:12:34,440 --> 00:12:37,200 Speaker 1: I think when you go from Westminster to Fenway, well, 199 00:12:37,240 --> 00:12:39,880 Speaker 1: that trajectory is excited and fun. I think it creates 200 00:12:40,040 --> 00:12:43,280 Speaker 1: some enormous blind spots, and boy, I had some blind 201 00:12:43,280 --> 00:12:47,560 Speaker 1: spots that we're just getting bigger and bigger. And the 202 00:12:47,640 --> 00:12:51,200 Speaker 1: first time that I was basically told no from this 203 00:12:51,360 --> 00:12:56,320 Speaker 1: campus at to the suspension at thirty eight or thirty nine, 204 00:12:57,679 --> 00:13:02,480 Speaker 1: that's a long time with yes is So it allowed 205 00:13:02,480 --> 00:13:06,200 Speaker 1: me reset everything and kind of set me up. As 206 00:13:06,240 --> 00:13:11,800 Speaker 1: painful as that was, those lessons learned allowed me to 207 00:13:12,080 --> 00:13:14,080 Speaker 1: set up for the second half, the back nine of 208 00:13:14,080 --> 00:13:16,160 Speaker 1: my life. Did you ever worry you wouldn't get a 209 00:13:16,200 --> 00:13:20,680 Speaker 1: second chance? Yeah? Yeah, Oh yeah, I mean a lot. 210 00:13:21,400 --> 00:13:24,760 Speaker 1: There was many times that I thought about I've never 211 00:13:24,800 --> 00:13:29,280 Speaker 1: thought in my life about quitting anything. And there were 212 00:13:29,280 --> 00:13:32,800 Speaker 1: many nights there that I thought about tapping out and 213 00:13:32,920 --> 00:13:36,080 Speaker 1: just go into an eyeland and go, Okay, I've screwed 214 00:13:36,080 --> 00:13:37,679 Speaker 1: things up, en up here, It's time for me to 215 00:13:37,720 --> 00:13:41,800 Speaker 1: go home and quit. And just and when did you 216 00:13:41,880 --> 00:13:46,720 Speaker 1: feel like you were being given a second chance? Was 217 00:13:46,720 --> 00:13:48,680 Speaker 1: there a moment or did it just sort of happen 218 00:13:48,880 --> 00:13:51,200 Speaker 1: gradually that you just like one ft in front of 219 00:13:51,200 --> 00:13:55,720 Speaker 1: the other, just doing it. I just knew that I 220 00:13:55,840 --> 00:13:59,520 Speaker 1: was like, like, I was out of chances. So there's 221 00:13:59,559 --> 00:14:02,640 Speaker 1: no more you can say. It was time to kind 222 00:14:02,640 --> 00:14:09,599 Speaker 1: of walk the walk in my darkest hour, Um, I 223 00:14:09,679 --> 00:14:16,560 Speaker 1: got some great advice to reach out to about a 224 00:14:16,600 --> 00:14:18,720 Speaker 1: dozen people that have been really, really important in my life. 225 00:14:19,880 --> 00:14:21,320 Speaker 1: They were brief, I mean there were some of them 226 00:14:21,320 --> 00:14:23,920 Speaker 1: are a minute and a half and it was just 227 00:14:24,000 --> 00:14:27,000 Speaker 1: me basically saying, Hey, Jason, I just wanted you to 228 00:14:27,040 --> 00:14:31,360 Speaker 1: hear from me, as you know, I'm serving this long 229 00:14:31,400 --> 00:14:35,280 Speaker 1: suspension as you want to say, I'm sorry, I screwed up, 230 00:14:36,040 --> 00:14:40,720 Speaker 1: and I just want you to know that I'm serving 231 00:14:40,720 --> 00:14:42,840 Speaker 1: my time and I'm trying to be as productive as 232 00:14:42,880 --> 00:14:45,640 Speaker 1: possible and doing some work on myself, and I just 233 00:14:45,680 --> 00:14:49,080 Speaker 1: wanted you to hear it from me. And and to 234 00:14:49,200 --> 00:14:52,600 Speaker 1: this day, all of those people are still my partners, 235 00:14:53,080 --> 00:14:55,080 Speaker 1: and to this day they go back to that phone 236 00:14:55,120 --> 00:14:58,840 Speaker 1: call as one of the most important things that I've done. 237 00:14:59,840 --> 00:15:02,240 Speaker 1: I and I thought that was for me an interesting 238 00:15:02,360 --> 00:15:06,640 Speaker 1: lesson that in the darkest hour, you just show up 239 00:15:06,680 --> 00:15:10,400 Speaker 1: and you're accountable. How does that influence your business decisions? 240 00:15:10,440 --> 00:15:13,760 Speaker 1: Like that knowledge, because you've got to carry that with you, right, 241 00:15:13,880 --> 00:15:18,160 Speaker 1: Like that knowledge and both the expectation of yourself as 242 00:15:18,200 --> 00:15:22,240 Speaker 1: well as people you're in business with. You never want 243 00:15:22,240 --> 00:15:25,320 Speaker 1: to make those phone calls again. If you play a 244 00:15:25,400 --> 00:15:29,800 Speaker 1: straight there's going to be strikeouts along the way. You're 245 00:15:29,840 --> 00:15:31,920 Speaker 1: not gonna go five or five every game that goes 246 00:15:32,280 --> 00:15:34,240 Speaker 1: for business. But as long as you're doing things with 247 00:15:36,080 --> 00:15:40,600 Speaker 1: transparency and integrity and you've given you your best shot 248 00:15:40,640 --> 00:15:44,400 Speaker 1: every day and you have complete alignment, you know things 249 00:15:44,400 --> 00:15:46,680 Speaker 1: are going to happen. And I think when you have 250 00:15:46,840 --> 00:15:51,920 Speaker 1: partners um, you know, be available and to the phone 251 00:15:52,760 --> 00:15:55,720 Speaker 1: and and be accountable. I think people will always appreciate that. 252 00:15:56,080 --> 00:15:57,960 Speaker 1: So once we got to Westminster, we linked up with 253 00:15:57,960 --> 00:16:00,160 Speaker 1: some of the a Ride Corps team. We gotta tour 254 00:16:00,160 --> 00:16:03,520 Speaker 1: of the baseball field and a new auditorium that Rodriguez 255 00:16:03,520 --> 00:16:05,960 Speaker 1: and one of his companies renovated into a state of 256 00:16:06,000 --> 00:16:11,720 Speaker 1: the art performance center. Rodriguez not surprisingly recognized by teachers, administrators, 257 00:16:11,720 --> 00:16:15,040 Speaker 1: parents and students. My favorite student that we ran into 258 00:16:15,080 --> 00:16:18,880 Speaker 1: his D'Angelo Ortiz. This is big poppy son, David Ortiz. 259 00:16:19,240 --> 00:16:21,640 Speaker 1: David Ortiz, the same guy who was once one of 260 00:16:21,680 --> 00:16:25,800 Speaker 1: A Rod's biggest rivals and now they're broadcast partners. And 261 00:16:25,840 --> 00:16:29,320 Speaker 1: another current Westminster parent. Her name is Aaron Knight. She 262 00:16:29,480 --> 00:16:32,360 Speaker 1: met Rodriguez when she was a freshman and he A 263 00:16:32,520 --> 00:16:35,440 Speaker 1: Rod was a recently transferred sophomore, so they were both 264 00:16:35,520 --> 00:16:38,160 Speaker 1: new to the school. She's now the president of Monument 265 00:16:38,160 --> 00:16:41,320 Speaker 1: Capital Management, that's the real estate division of a Rod Corps. 266 00:16:41,360 --> 00:16:43,000 Speaker 1: So we sat down in the courtyard to chat for 267 00:16:43,040 --> 00:16:46,080 Speaker 1: a bit. We were the new kids. This is a 268 00:16:46,160 --> 00:16:48,560 Speaker 1: K through twelve school, so we were both coming at 269 00:16:48,960 --> 00:16:52,880 Speaker 1: odd entry points ninth and ten. His more odd than 270 00:16:52,960 --> 00:16:59,560 Speaker 1: mine and we met right there about from here, and uh, yeah, 271 00:16:59,600 --> 00:17:02,040 Speaker 1: we've kind handed off and the rest of history and 272 00:17:02,120 --> 00:17:05,879 Speaker 1: so yeah, so talk about that history because you're in 273 00:17:05,960 --> 00:17:09,960 Speaker 1: high school together. But then obviously your paths diverged. You 274 00:17:10,080 --> 00:17:12,840 Speaker 1: go to Florida State, is that right? You go to 275 00:17:12,920 --> 00:17:16,359 Speaker 1: the Seattle Mariners. Um, how do you keep in touch 276 00:17:16,400 --> 00:17:18,680 Speaker 1: over that time? I scratched my head at that one 277 00:17:18,760 --> 00:17:23,000 Speaker 1: sometimes because this was before cell phones, so I think 278 00:17:23,040 --> 00:17:27,760 Speaker 1: we landline letters. But we managed to do it. They 279 00:17:27,760 --> 00:17:30,840 Speaker 1: pursued different careers. Rodriguez went to the major leagues. He 280 00:17:30,880 --> 00:17:33,560 Speaker 1: went from the Mariners to the Rangers and ultimately to 281 00:17:33,600 --> 00:17:37,560 Speaker 1: the Yankees. Night pursued her own successful career in commercial 282 00:17:37,600 --> 00:17:41,720 Speaker 1: banking back in Miami. I remember, had to be after 283 00:17:41,880 --> 00:17:44,280 Speaker 1: I was graduated from college. We were at the same 284 00:17:44,359 --> 00:17:47,440 Speaker 1: gym and we sat around, we're chatting, and he said, hey, 285 00:17:47,520 --> 00:17:49,439 Speaker 1: remember your old neighborhood where I used to drive you 286 00:17:49,480 --> 00:17:54,280 Speaker 1: home sometimes. Um, I'm buying duplexes over there. And I 287 00:17:54,280 --> 00:17:59,520 Speaker 1: said really, because the area was up and coming and 288 00:17:59,560 --> 00:18:03,719 Speaker 1: he said, yeah, going in duplex four, plax eight plaques. 289 00:18:03,760 --> 00:18:06,560 Speaker 1: I want to start building multi family investments. I'm not 290 00:18:06,640 --> 00:18:08,760 Speaker 1: going to play forever and this will be a great 291 00:18:08,760 --> 00:18:11,760 Speaker 1: income stream. Through that time, Night continued to be a 292 00:18:11,880 --> 00:18:15,280 Speaker 1: sounding board for Rodriguez in business and in personal matters, 293 00:18:15,720 --> 00:18:18,040 Speaker 1: and especially as his choices led to one of his 294 00:18:18,119 --> 00:18:22,720 Speaker 1: darkest times. Over time, you developed beasts, blind spots, and 295 00:18:23,680 --> 00:18:27,520 Speaker 1: over the course of leaving this campus, as Alex Rodriguez 296 00:18:28,040 --> 00:18:31,720 Speaker 1: being the number one pick largest contract in Major League 297 00:18:31,720 --> 00:18:35,679 Speaker 1: based by history, turned into a rod and then slowly 298 00:18:35,720 --> 00:18:38,840 Speaker 1: but surely coming back to the person that I was 299 00:18:38,880 --> 00:18:41,600 Speaker 1: here on this campus and getting back to Alex Rodriguez 300 00:18:41,600 --> 00:18:45,040 Speaker 1: and kind of my core values. A pivotal time in 301 00:18:45,040 --> 00:18:48,640 Speaker 1: my in my life was when I served the longest 302 00:18:48,640 --> 00:18:51,399 Speaker 1: suspension in Major League based by history. Aaron and I 303 00:18:51,440 --> 00:18:55,320 Speaker 1: spend hundreds of hours like really kind of breaking down. 304 00:18:55,320 --> 00:18:57,440 Speaker 1: At the same time I was doing my therapy at 305 00:18:57,440 --> 00:18:59,199 Speaker 1: the same time I was spending a great deal of 306 00:18:59,200 --> 00:19:02,440 Speaker 1: time with my dag and it was really the low 307 00:19:02,480 --> 00:19:05,960 Speaker 1: point in my life. But along the way we had 308 00:19:06,119 --> 00:19:10,480 Speaker 1: a gazillion conversations about Okay, this is what I'm seeing, 309 00:19:10,600 --> 00:19:12,399 Speaker 1: this is how I see it, Now, tell me what 310 00:19:12,480 --> 00:19:14,440 Speaker 1: you're saying, And a lot of times it was like 311 00:19:14,560 --> 00:19:18,200 Speaker 1: night and day. And as I got, you know, less 312 00:19:18,240 --> 00:19:21,399 Speaker 1: regressed and I kept working on my therapy, we started 313 00:19:21,400 --> 00:19:28,120 Speaker 1: seeing things a lot more clear when came. I remember 314 00:19:28,240 --> 00:19:33,879 Speaker 1: him digging deep and and thinking, and it was really 315 00:19:34,760 --> 00:19:38,200 Speaker 1: a pause that was needed. He was on such a 316 00:19:38,240 --> 00:19:42,120 Speaker 1: fast track and it was a forced pause. And sometimes 317 00:19:42,119 --> 00:19:45,560 Speaker 1: those are the best pauses in our in our life, 318 00:19:45,640 --> 00:19:49,640 Speaker 1: because it allows you to open up and see things differently. 319 00:19:50,240 --> 00:19:53,800 Speaker 1: So he did that, and he could have continued to 320 00:19:53,800 --> 00:19:57,919 Speaker 1: be defensive, but he said, let me open up and 321 00:19:57,960 --> 00:20:00,960 Speaker 1: turn the lens inward. While I was serving my suspension, 322 00:20:01,080 --> 00:20:02,920 Speaker 1: we would have dinners and we would have a glass 323 00:20:02,960 --> 00:20:06,400 Speaker 1: of wine and we would pull out a Walsh Journal 324 00:20:06,440 --> 00:20:09,160 Speaker 1: or New York Times an article and we were both 325 00:20:09,200 --> 00:20:13,280 Speaker 1: read it and I would say, see, there's nothing wrong 326 00:20:13,320 --> 00:20:17,600 Speaker 1: with this, and she would say, are you sick? Are 327 00:20:17,600 --> 00:20:21,399 Speaker 1: you drugs? There's everything wrong with his article? And I'm like, 328 00:20:22,040 --> 00:20:23,919 Speaker 1: I'm like, okay, well where is it? Actually? Is not 329 00:20:24,000 --> 00:20:26,199 Speaker 1: that bad? Look at it? And I was like, she 330 00:20:26,280 --> 00:20:27,679 Speaker 1: was like, first of all, if you want to be 331 00:20:27,720 --> 00:20:29,800 Speaker 1: the business person you want to be, if you want 332 00:20:29,800 --> 00:20:32,480 Speaker 1: to be a fiduciary to other people's capital, this crap 333 00:20:32,600 --> 00:20:35,199 Speaker 1: cannot happen. In parallel to that, I'm doing my therapy. 334 00:20:35,240 --> 00:20:38,480 Speaker 1: Parallel to that, I'm I'm kind of attacking my blind spots. 335 00:20:38,960 --> 00:20:41,399 Speaker 1: But she gave me so many raw truths that is 336 00:20:41,440 --> 00:20:44,480 Speaker 1: really invaluable. So what were those stories about that you 337 00:20:44,480 --> 00:20:47,600 Speaker 1: were reading that. It might have been about the biogenesis, 338 00:20:47,600 --> 00:20:49,240 Speaker 1: It might have been about my suspension, it might have 339 00:20:49,240 --> 00:20:54,720 Speaker 1: been about, you know, my crazy appearance on on a 340 00:20:54,800 --> 00:20:59,560 Speaker 1: talk show radio show. And I wasn't seeing a straight 341 00:21:00,040 --> 00:21:01,720 Speaker 1: and I was kind of I don't think I was 342 00:21:01,760 --> 00:21:03,720 Speaker 1: even lying to myself. I just had a blind spot. 343 00:21:04,440 --> 00:21:06,119 Speaker 1: And she would literally take out a high light and 344 00:21:06,200 --> 00:21:11,159 Speaker 1: go awful, worst, terrible, you I'm gonna keep going. I'm like, no, 345 00:21:11,240 --> 00:21:13,439 Speaker 1: you can stop now. I got it. The glass was 346 00:21:13,480 --> 00:21:17,800 Speaker 1: half full, right, And there would be any glimmer of 347 00:21:18,760 --> 00:21:23,760 Speaker 1: something that he could I think, blame someone else, that 348 00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:27,000 Speaker 1: it was someone else's fault, and he would focus on 349 00:21:27,000 --> 00:21:30,800 Speaker 1: that in the article and I'd say, no, this, this 350 00:21:30,880 --> 00:21:34,240 Speaker 1: is not good. Her willingness to tell him the truth 351 00:21:34,440 --> 00:21:37,920 Speaker 1: was valuable in his private life, but Rodriguez also saw 352 00:21:37,960 --> 00:21:40,280 Speaker 1: her as someone who could be a partner in his 353 00:21:40,359 --> 00:21:44,639 Speaker 1: commercial aspirations. Now she oversees what's essentially the foundation of 354 00:21:44,680 --> 00:21:47,800 Speaker 1: a Rod Corp. The real estate business that started with 355 00:21:47,840 --> 00:21:51,920 Speaker 1: that first Miami duplex Monument, It's acquired more than sixty 356 00:21:51,960 --> 00:21:56,679 Speaker 1: deals worth more than nine hundred million dollars. Since you know, 357 00:21:57,000 --> 00:22:00,119 Speaker 1: I was always in such a place of admiration and 358 00:22:00,160 --> 00:22:03,120 Speaker 1: for Aaron, and I always dreamt about having her one 359 00:22:03,160 --> 00:22:07,399 Speaker 1: day join our firm, and forever I failed, but I 360 00:22:07,440 --> 00:22:09,679 Speaker 1: felt that was getting closer. And then I had her 361 00:22:09,680 --> 00:22:11,760 Speaker 1: almost act like as an advisor board member to a 362 00:22:11,840 --> 00:22:14,159 Speaker 1: red corp, where she started interviewing a lot of our 363 00:22:14,200 --> 00:22:16,800 Speaker 1: great you know, hires, and I think she saw from 364 00:22:16,800 --> 00:22:19,359 Speaker 1: afar that the elevation of talent we were getting was 365 00:22:19,400 --> 00:22:24,040 Speaker 1: getting better and better, and uh, eventually she she said yes. 366 00:22:24,240 --> 00:22:26,719 Speaker 1: When I joined about three years ago, we were launching 367 00:22:26,720 --> 00:22:30,080 Speaker 1: our fourth fund, and the growth of Monument had been 368 00:22:30,119 --> 00:22:35,439 Speaker 1: slow and steady, very much a pattern of let's create 369 00:22:35,480 --> 00:22:38,159 Speaker 1: a good track record, and it was friends and family 370 00:22:38,280 --> 00:22:42,359 Speaker 1: to Alex and Ray Crown or other general partner, and 371 00:22:42,840 --> 00:22:49,399 Speaker 1: so launching a fourth fund and really professionalizing and growing. 372 00:22:49,560 --> 00:22:53,560 Speaker 1: So we've done that, deployed it successfully managed through COVID 373 00:22:53,640 --> 00:22:57,840 Speaker 1: and we're going to continue fifth fund and nine states 374 00:22:58,320 --> 00:23:01,439 Speaker 1: we operate in. We managed about six thousand units and 375 00:23:01,520 --> 00:23:05,280 Speaker 1: overall that time since he started, Monument have bought close 376 00:23:05,320 --> 00:23:08,919 Speaker 1: to a billion and multi family assets and now with 377 00:23:09,000 --> 00:23:12,400 Speaker 1: the Empire continuing to grow. Rodriguez and Night, they're both 378 00:23:12,400 --> 00:23:16,119 Speaker 1: conscious of the pitfalls. He does have this vision and 379 00:23:16,640 --> 00:23:20,320 Speaker 1: that's what you want and your leader too, push the company, 380 00:23:20,440 --> 00:23:24,000 Speaker 1: to push the teammates to to be more and do 381 00:23:24,119 --> 00:23:27,840 Speaker 1: more um and so there's a balance from you know, 382 00:23:27,880 --> 00:23:32,040 Speaker 1: he has a great vision to this might be a 383 00:23:32,080 --> 00:23:36,600 Speaker 1: blind spot in the vision, like those conversations or show prices. 384 00:23:36,600 --> 00:23:40,879 Speaker 1: And Aaron is across the entire company holding company, She's 385 00:23:41,240 --> 00:23:45,119 Speaker 1: sits in committees, She's an advisor across and the Timberwolves. 386 00:23:45,119 --> 00:23:47,760 Speaker 1: I'm asking her advice right because we always go back 387 00:23:47,800 --> 00:23:50,800 Speaker 1: to those conversations and say I might not seeing something here. 388 00:23:51,320 --> 00:23:54,160 Speaker 1: Thanks so much for listening. For more on how Rodriguez, 389 00:23:54,200 --> 00:23:56,320 Speaker 1: along with Night and the rest of the team are 390 00:23:56,359 --> 00:23:58,880 Speaker 1: building one of the biggest businesses tied to an athlete, 391 00:23:59,240 --> 00:24:03,400 Speaker 1: check out our documentary Athlete Empire Alex Rodriguez. It's available 392 00:24:03,440 --> 00:24:06,160 Speaker 1: at Bloomberg dot com, Bloomberg Quicktake, and YouTube.