"He didn't nibble, so we were a little disappointed” – When Mariners fans hung a dollar bill on a fish rod during Alex Rodriguez’s return to Seattle

Alex Rodriguez got his start in Major League Baseball with the Seattle Mariners. After signing his letter of content to play baseball and possibly football at the University of Miami, he was selected first overall in the 1993 amateur draft.

He spent seven seasons in the big leagues with Seattle before becoming a free agent and signing a deal with the Texas Rangers. The two sides agreed to a 10-year, $252 million, the largest contract in sports history at the time. This upset Mariners fans who thought the slugger would spend his entire career with their club.

During the 2001 season, when A-Rod stepped into the Seattle box for the first time in an opposing jersey, one fan took it upon himself to tease the slugger. A lifelong fan, Jeff Hackman sat directly behind the on-deck circle, waving a fishing rod with a dollar bill attached to it toward A-Rod.

"He didn't nibble, so we were a little disappointed," - said Hackman, via Seattle Pi.

Hackman waived the flag inches away from Alex Rodriguez, but it was quickly confiscated by stadium security. Hackman was not sure A-Rod saw it, but he knew the slugger knew what was going on behind him.

"I'm not sure he saw us, but he definitely knew what was going on" - said Hackman.

The fans might have gotten to Rodriguez that night. He finished the game going 1-for-5, with just a single to his credit. Texas went on to lose the game 9-7.

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Fake dollar bills scattered the field during Alex Rodriguez's games against the Mariners

MLB - Alex Rodriguez (Image via USA Today)

A Mariners fan teasing Alex Rodriguez with a fishing rod was not the only thing that played out during that night in 2001. The game was sold out, and it was raining fake money on the field.

Fake $100,000-dollar bills rained down as fans wanted to get their point across to A-Rod. It was something that went on until the 2004 season when Rodriguez was traded to the New York Yankees.

This is far from how elite athletes are treated now when they sign a mega-deal. You do not see Los Angeles Angels fans throwing fake money onto the field after Shohei Ohtani signed his 10-year, $700,000,000 deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Fans now better understand that these athletes are doing their best to cash in for the rest of their lives.