Why baseball icon Alex Rodriguez recently made a surprise road trip to Wichita
Wichita baseball fans may have done a double take Wednesday when Alex Rodriguez posted about a recent trip to the city.
The former Major League Baseball superstar was not in town for a baseball clinic, business deal or anything involving his current sports ventures. He was here for something more personal.
Rodriguez came to Wichita as a proud theater dad.
The 14-time MLB All-Star and former New York Yankees great shared Wednesday afternoon on Instagram, where he has 4.3 million followers, that he recently made a road trip to Wichita to support his daughter, Natasha Rodriguez, who is spending part of her summer performing with Music Theatre Wichita.
“Little roadtrip to Wichita to watch Tashi in her summer musicals at Music Theatre Wichita,” Rodriguez wrote in the post. “So proud of you.”
The timing of the post lined up with another opening night for Music Theatre Wichita, which begins its run of “Elf the Musical” on Wednesday night at Century II. The show runs through Sunday. Tickets can be purchased on the Musical Theatre Wichita website.
Natasha Rodriguez, 21, is part of the ensemble cast for Music Theatre Wichita’s summer productions and is scheduled for a named role later this season, playing Penny Pingleton in “Hairspray” from Aug. 19-23.
Music Theatre Wichita recently wrapped up “Hello, Dolly!” and still has “Fiddler on the Roof” from July 29-Aug. 2, “Hairspray” from Aug. 19-23 and “Les Misérables” in September remaining on its summer schedule.
Music Theatre Wichita has been part of the city’s arts scene since 1972 and has built a reputation for producing large-scale summer musicals with a mix of Broadway professionals, Hollywood professionals, college performers and emerging talent. For decades, the company has turned Wichita into a summer stop for young performers trying to build careers on stage.
Away from the stage, Rodriguez’s visit also appeared to take him through College Hill.
The first three photos in the post appear to show Rodriguez and his daughter sharing a meal at The Belmont in College Hill. Rodriguez was also spotted in late June at Watermark Books & Cafe, another College Hill staple.
It was a brief Wichita cameo from one of the most recognizable baseball players of his generation.
Rodriguez, 50, hit 696 home runs during a 22-year MLB career with the Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers and Yankees. He won three American League MVP awards, made 14 All-Star teams and helped the Yankees win the 2009 World Series.
His public profile has remained high since his playing career ended with his business ventures. Rodriguez is now part of the controlling ownership group for the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves and WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx, along with entrepreneur Marc Lore.
Rodriguez has spent much of his life in the brightest corners of sports, from Yankee Stadium to national television to NBA ownership.
But his Wichita visit was built around a different kind of spotlight — the one waiting on stage at Century II, where his daughter is spending part of her summer with Music Theatre Wichita.
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