MIAMI (WSVN) - A middle school journalist turned up successful where many seasoned reporters struck out by landing an interview with professional baseball player Alex Rodriguez.
Just a seventh grader at Belen Middle School, Ben Cure already has a massive achievement to add to his resume. “He didn’t beat around the bush with any questions I asked, he was very straight forward and he was really nice,” Ben said of Rodriguez.
The 13-year-old interviewed Rodriguez for over an hour, nearly two months after Ben met Rodriguez for the first time at a University of Miami sports conference.
“I would ask him the question, I would let his question flow and then I would ask a follow-up question that was lighter or on the subject,” Ben said, describing his interview style.
However, Ben did not hold back. He asked Rodriguez about his admitted use of performance-enhancing drugs and his one year suspension from baseball.
“It made me realize what I was doing wrong, it made me press the pause button and change, and when I mean change, I mean a paradigm shift because it was necessary,” Rodriguez said in his interview.
“Remember, this is a human being,” Ben said. “This is really hard for him to talk about. It was a tough experience for him.
Ben asked Rodriguez if he would ever get back into baseball. Rodriguez was mentioned as possibly being a part of a group interested in purchasing the Miami Marlins.
“I never like to close any doors,” Rodriguez said. “I don’t ever see myself coaching or managing. Team ownership is something I’ve always thought about and dreamt about.”
Ben even touched on Rodriguez’s relationship with singer Jennifer Lopez.
“I asked him, ‘What [are] you pretty bad at?’ and he said dancing and singing,” Ben said. “So, I’m about to say the next question, I made a quick remark and I said, ‘You know there’s someone who can help you in both of those fields. I think you know this person pretty well.’ I was referring to Jennifer Lopez.”
“He gave me an experience you just can’t read an article and learn, about. He personally talked to me and you could see his emotions as he talked about certain things, so I think I learned a lot,” Ben said.
Once he graduates from Belen High School, Ben said he wants to attend Oxford University before he eventually begins his career in media.
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