Professional athletes don’t like to be followed around by random people because they usually end up either dead or slapped with a paternity suit. But Alex Rodriguez is cut from a different cloth. The Yankee third basemen has found himself a mini-me, 20-year-old Yonder Alonso who plays first base for the University of Miami, where A-Rod always trains during the off season. And in the five weeks since the two have started training with each other, they’ve totally become BFF.

The two joked around and discussed everything from baseball to movies while working out. Rodriguez, who played at Miami’s Westminster Christian High, sees himself as a big brother to the UM standout.

Alonso, who starred at Coral Gables High, had a stellar sophomore season last year. Baseball America has rated him as one of the top five collegiate players in the upcoming Major League Baseball draft.

But he wanted to improve and help UM capture the College World Series. Most of all, he wanted to learn from Rodriguez.

Um, should we be the one to tell him that if he wants to learn about winning championships, he should get that other guy in the Yankee infield instead?

A-Rod turns mentor for UM ballplayer [Miami Herald]
Image [Miami Herald]