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A-Rod: Confident, yet
sensitive to criticism
Special to Page 2

It's the signature that went on the bottom of the richest contract in professional sports history.

Alex Rodriguez, 25, stands to make a whopping $252 million over the next 10 years. We asked handwriting expert Bart Baggett to analyze A-Rod's signature and tell us what it says about the new Texas Rangers shortstop.

Here's what Baggett found:

General notes: Rodriguez uses large capital letters -- very similar to the signature of Michael Jordan. His signature indicates that he is ethical, emotionally normal and very motivated by approval.

The large capital "A" and "R" indicate a person with a healthy ego, but not necessarily an arrogant one.

The clean "o" reveals a person who is blunt, honest and candid.

The large loop in the stem of the "d" indicates that Rodriguez is extremely sensitive to criticism. Approval definitely is highest motivation.

The figure-8 shape of the "g" indicates fluidity of thought and movement. This is very typical of finesse athletes, writers and people who are good speakers.

The closed "e" shows a person who doesn't listen well and is a bit close-minded.

The large loop in the "z" indicates a person with a large imagination -- a good storyteller.

Bart Baggett is one of the leading experts on handwriting analysis in the nation. You can learn more about Baggett's analysis at www.myhandwriting.com. The autographs in this package were provided to Page 2 by The Sports Collectors Digest Standard Catalog of Sports Autographs by Krause Publications, 2000.



	ALSO SEE: Page 2 sees the handwriting on the wall Jordan: A perfectionist who worries a lot Gretzky: Optimistic but wary of trusting others Woods: Very concerned about his reputation King: Flexible, aggressive and a tad bit mean DiMaggio: A desire for both attention and sex Knight: Plenty of anger immediately apparent Tyson: Resentment going back to childhood Simpson: Not the handwriting of a killer Rodman: Obnoxious with a desire to be noticed Kournikova: Impulsive and emotionally driven