• Loading stock data...
Sunday, June 22, 2025

Internal Drive Keeps Alex Rodriguez Busy After Baseball Career

A-Rod, Sports, Business, Alex, Rodriguez

Photo via Shutterstock

Alex Rodriguez likes to stay busy.

Need proof? Take one look at the former Major League Baseball superstar’s daily calendar.

Coming off a lengthy, productive and lucrative athletic career, Rodriguez could have retired quietly and stayed out of the limelight. Instead, he runs an impressive portfolio of businesses, started broadcasting on national platforms and has recently launched a successful podcast that merges business and sports.

“He’s very eager to do a lot of things,” said Ron Berkowitz, founder of Berk Communications, which manages Rodriguez’s PR and marketing. “My inbound requests are ridiculous — and he wants to do everything, but there is limited time because of his current endeavors and his broadcasting roles.”

His most visible gigs are as a broadcaster on Fox Sports 1 and ESPN. Not an obvious transition at first, Berkowitz said Rodriguez now enjoys showcasing his deep knowledge of the game.

“The biggest thing about Alex, everybody knew it — the first thing sports reporters would say is he has the best baseball mind,” Berkowitz said. “People loved talking baseball with him, so it got me thinking, ‘Would he want to go in the booth?’ It took some convincing since it wasn’t his style, but now he’s like the voice of the game.”

READ MORE: Lions Linebacker Devon Kennard Is Thinking Beyond His Playing Career

Berkowitz has known A-Rod for nearly 30 years and worked with him consistently since 2013, and sporadically in the previous years.

More recently, Rodriguez took to the podcast airwaves with Barstool Sports. Along with “Big Cat” Dan Katz, “The Corp” was a seven-part series covering business and sports. The episodes included guests Kobe Bryant, radio host Mike Francesa, Philadelphia 76ers owner and Fanatics founder Michael Rubin, Starwood Hotels founder Barry Sternlicht, “Shark Tank” star and real estate mogul Barbara Corcoran and entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk.

All seven episodes were released at the same time in early December, and a second season is already in the works.

[mc4wp_form id=”8260″]

The podcast was part of trying to find places people would least expect to find Rodriguez, Berkowitz said.

“[Barstool CEO Erika Nardini] and Alex hit it off and they did something different,” he said. “It’s not the norm, and people loved it. The episodes were incredible, bringing on Kobe and Michael Rubin, Barbara Corcoran. Alex being able to bring stuff out of people was something people didn’t know he could do.”

He was also the first Latino guest “shark” on “Shark Tank” and hosts a CNBC show, “Back in the Game,” where he helps other former professional athletes who went broke get back on their feet financially.

For someone who could be public facing without so many extra projects, Berkowitz said it’s all about internal drive.

WATCH: Shot Callers: Erika Nardini, CEO, Barstool Sports

“Guys like Kobe, Lebron, Shaq, Magic, Alex, are built in a completely different way,” Berkowitz said. “There are very few guys who transcend beyond sports into the business world like those guys. But younger guys are starting to think like that.”

All of Rodriguez’s post-career activities could, in some way, be traced to the time off he had upon being forced into a late-career, 162-game suspension in 2014. Instead of letting that time cast a shadow on his life, he used it to fuel his professional life.

“It was really tough to see someone go through that, and he really did kind of reinvent himself because of it,” Berkowitz said. “He’s often said it was his darkest days, but he wouldn’t change a thing and that it made him a better person. In that pit, he really found himself. It’s been a crazy ride and all the credit lies with him. It’s nothing short of incredible.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Mar 15, 2025; Fort Worth, TX, USA; UAB Blazers forward Yaxel Lendeborg (3) dribbles the ball upcourt against the North Texas Mean Green during the first half at Dickies Arena

NIL Is Shrinking the Pool of NBA Draft Entrants

Agents are now advising many players to stay in school.
Apr 24, 2025; Green Bay, WI, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions defensive end Abdul Carter on the red carpet before the 2025 NFL Draft at Lambeau Field

‘More Is More’: The Elite Luxury Jewelers Decking Out Athletes

Meet the elite group of luxury designers crafting the biggest statement pieces.
May 26, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker (9) and guard Anthony Edwards (5) talk against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second half during game four of the western conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Target Center.

T-Wolves Minority Shareholders Dragged Along As Sale Nears Completion

A minority owner previously sued over the $1.5 billion deal.
Dec 5, 2024; Miami, FL, USA; FIFA president Gianni Infantino presents the FIFA Club World Cup trophy during the Club Word Cup draw at Telemundo Studios.

Revamped Club World Cup Is FIFA’s Billion-Dollar Gamble

The revamped soccer event debuts amid controversy.

Featured Today

Jun 10, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino stands during the anthem against the Switzerland during the first at Geodis Park

Gold Cup Is Complicated for USMNT—but U.S. Soccer Has Its Eyes on..

Uncertain tournament success isn’t fazing forward-looking U.S. soccer.
Jan 24, 2017; Davidson, NC, USA; The Davidson Wildcats student section cheers during the first half against the Duquesne Dukes at McKillop Court at John M. Belk Arena. Davidson defeated Duquesne 74-60.
June 6, 2025

Every College Wants a Flashy Basketball GM Hire Right Now

The role is more important than ever, and the definition is ever-evolving.
August 31, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; The Goodyear blimp flies over Ohio Stadium during the first half of Saturday’s NCAA Division I football game between the Akron Zips and the Ohio State Buckeyes.
June 6, 2025

Why the Goodyear Blimp Is at Every Major Sports Event

The airship wasn’t built to cover sports. Now it’s a regular presence.
May 27, 2015; Paris, France; Mirjana Lucic-Baroni (CRO) knocks the clay off her shoe during her match against Simona Halep (ROU) on day four of the French Open at Roland Garros
June 4, 2025

Roland-Garros’s Iconic Red-Clay Surface Is a Precise Alchemy

The exact science behind maintaining the French Open’s red clay.
Jun 19, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) shoots the ball against Indiana Pacers center Tony Bradley (13) during the first half of game six of the 2025 NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Pacers’ Tony Bradley Has Made Just $330K This Year Despite Finals Run

Bradley was signed by the Pacers on March 2 to a 10-day contract.
June 20, 2025

Hockey’s Best Player Enters Contract Year Noncommittal About Future

The superstar becomes a free agent next year absent a contract extension.
Mar 12, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights guard Ace Bailey (4) shoots the ball while USC Trojans guard Kevin Patton Jr. (8) defends in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
June 20, 2025

Ace Bailey Cancels Sixers Workout a Week Before NBA Draft

The former Rutgers star is a projected top-three pick in Wednesday’s draft.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Ted Leonsis unpacks basketball’s global rise, media rights, and portfolio ownership.
A pack of runners during the 129th running of the Boston Marathon at Heartbreak Hill in Newton, April 21, 2025.
June 18, 2025

Boston Marathon Qualifying Changes Target Downhill Racing Company

A new rule will apply time penalties to downhill races starting in 2027.
Noah Lyles
June 17, 2025

Tyreek Hill–Noah Lyles Race Is Off for ‘Personal Reasons’

Lyles and Hill agreed to a race in February with few concrete details.
June 17, 2025

Ja Morant Calls Out Stephen A. Smith After Memphis Claims

Smith made comments about the city on ESPN’s “First Take” Tuesday.
Sylvia Fowles
June 17, 2025

Sylvia Fowles’s Life After Hall of Fame Career

Fowles is considering a return to basketball.