Alex's career stats are amazing! View them at:
ACQUIRED: Mariners' first round selection (first player overall) in the 1993 June draft; signed by Mariners scout Fernando Arguelles
PERSONAL: Graduated from Westminster Christian H.S. in Miami, FL in 1993...was a first team prep All-America selection as a senior, after batting .505 with nine home runs and 36 RBI in 33 games; also swiped 35 bases in 35 attempts...was only high school finalist for the Golden Spikes Award, given annually to the top amateur player in the country...also received honors as the USA Baseball Junior Player of the Year and Gatorade's National Student Athlete of the Year in baseball...in his three-career at Westminster, posted a .419 average with 17 home runs, 70 RBI and 90 stolen bases in 100 games while leading his team to a 86-13-1 record; the 1992 club was named national champions by the National High School Baseball Coaches Associationa nd Baseball America...on July 27, 1996 announced his Grand Slamm for Kinds educational program to encourage grade school children to work hard on reading, math, physical fitness and good citizenship...visits grade schools and holds assemblies to promote the program...named Seattle Post-Intelligencer Sports Star of the Year in 1996.
CAREER: Began the season where he left off in 1996, batting .333 in April and .358 in June...tied Joey Cora for the team lead with 40 doubles, the ninth most in the A.L...became only the third Mariner ever to post a 20 homer, 20 stolen base season; joing Ruppert Jones (1979) and Phil Bradley (1985)...went hitless in three straight games just once (August 5-7) and in back-to-back games just four other times...his 29 stolen bases, which ranked 7th in the A.L., was the most by a Mariner since Harold Reynolds' 31 in 1900...went 4-for-5 with HR on April 6 vs. Boston...had three hitting streaks of at least ten games, including a 16-gamer from June1-July 3; hit .343 during the streak...on June 5 at Detroit, he became just the second Mariner to hit for the cycle (also Jay Buhner); he homered in the 1st, singled in the 4th, tripled in the 8th and doubled in the 9th...became the fifth youngest player in history to cycle...the cycle won $1 million for Pamela Altazan of Cashmere, WA as part of a Mariners radio/TV promotion...on June 11, suffered a deep bruise of his chest wall in a collision at home playe with Roger Clemens at Toronto; was placed on the disabled list and missed 14 games...homered vs. Anaheim's Chuck Finley in his first at-bat off the DL on June 27...became the first A.L. shortstop other than Cal Ripken to start an All-Star Game since 1983 (Milwaukee's Robin Yount) when he was voted to the starting lineup; went 1-for-3 in his second career ASG with a single off Greg Maddux...had his third, 4-hit game of the year on July 10 vs. Texas...was ejected for the first time in his career August 9 at Chicago...on August 18, his average dipped below .300 for the first time since the fourth game of the season...strung together an 11-game hit streak from August 21-31; also drove in at least one run in seven straight games from August 21-27...on Sept. 10, he hit a HR into the Kingdome's 2nd deck in LF off Detroit's Justin Thompson; only the 9th player to do it...finished the season with a 6-for-12 flurry in his final three games to get his average back to .300...batted .300 against right-handers and .299 vs. lefties...his 64 career home runs is already tied for 10th on the Mariners all-time HR list with Danny Meyer...hit .313 with HR in playoffs vs. Baltimore.
HONORS: Named Major League Player of the Year by The Sporting News (1996)...Named shortstop on The Sporting News A.L. All-Star Team (1996)...Named shortstop on The Sporting News A.L. Silver Slugger Team (1996)
