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A-Rod wasn't ready
for life as Yankee, wife says

‘I just think we weren’t
prepared’ for the glare, Cynthia says

Image: RodriguezesAP file
Cynthia Rodriguez, Alex Rodriguez's wife, says she and her husband "weren't prepared" for life as a New York Yankee.

NEW YORK - Alex Rodriguez’ wife says her husband was so out of sorts when he first joined the New York Yankees last year that at times she barely recognized him.

“It was a just a huge transition,” Cynthia Rodriguez told the Daily News. “No one can really understand exactly what it was like. ... I just think we weren’t prepared. I don’t think Alex was prepared mentally, emotionally.”

Rodriguez’s wife said he finally came around with help from his family and with therapy, which he recently revealed and said was part of his daily “maintenance.”

Baseball’s highest-paid player joined the Yankees in a trade with Texas last year. He moved from shortstop to third base because his regular position was taken by Derek Jeter. He started slowly, hitting .253 in April and finishing at .286 with 36 home runs. That was well below his numbers in Texas, where he hit 57 homers in 2002.

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This year, he is hitting .320 with 17 home runs and 49 RBIs to lead the American League going into Monday’s game.

“Familiarity is the biggest difference,” Cynthia Rodriguez told the newspaper. “Knowing the way to the ballpark, knowing the clubhouse, knowing our neighborhood — feeling like you’re actually home. Last year felt like one long road trip. And this year, when we got to New York, we actually feel like we’re going home.”

© 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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