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Alex Rodriguez says baseball taught him the value of failure.
Speaking on Friday's episode of "The Sebastian Maniscalco Show," Rodriguez said his professional baseball career shaped his approach to managing his business, A-Rod Corp.
"I think the greatest thing that I've learned from sports is to develop thick skin, because baseball specifically is a major sport of failure," Rodriguez said.
The former baseball player said he ranks fifth all-time in strikeouts in the history of the game.
"That means only four people in the history of mankind have failed more than me, right?" Rodriguez said. "I often tell my girls I have a Ph.D. in failing, but I also have a master's in getting back up."
He said the key is to keep coming back and trying again. No matter how many missed hits or strikeouts came before, each new at-bat is a fresh chance, he said.
"That's a real gift, and I think that this generation of young kids lacks that a little bit," Rodriguez said.
He also said success requires a strong work ethic, a team with complementary skills, and the ability to work together toward a shared goal.
Rodriguez then referenced a quote that resonated with him. "Great players often don't win championships. The best teams do, even though they may not have the most talent," he said.
"I'm a big believer in that," he added.
Rodriguez is not alone in seeing setbacks as part of the path to success.
Professional field hockey player Boris Burkhardt told Business Insider in July 2025 that sports made him comfortable with losing, a lesson he has carried over into building his businesses.
"When you lose a deal or you didn't manage to close the deal, then you dive into it — where did it go wrong?" Burkhardt said. "Failure is something you should embrace when you play sports or when you're building a business to get better."
Conan O'Brien has similarly said that his long career has depended on treating setbacks as a way to reset and look ahead.
"It keeps happening over and over and over again, and then it's just learning to roll with it and say, OK, what's my next opportunity? Reset, recommit, and look for the next opportunity," O'Brien said in a March podcast appearance.
Anti-socialist opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado on Thursday affirmed that Venezuela will become America's greatest ally in the region once it finishes its transition back to democracy after nearly three decades of socialism.
The post María Corina Machado: Venezuela Will Become U.S.’s ‘Greatest Ally’ Once It Returns to Democracy appeared first on Breitbart.
Delcy Rodríguez ha reestructurado el frente internacional del Ejecutivo con cambios clave en la Cancillería. Se trata de una nueva etapa con la que maniobra ante la aparente aceleración de las transformaciones en Venezuela, un proceso en el que busca asegurarse un lugar. El nombramiento de Oliver Blanco al frente de las relaciones exteriores resulta significativo: con este movimiento, Rodríguez emite señales de que ella también empuja la transición. Blanco es licenciado en Estudios Internacionales y hace solo unos días completó un máster en Gobierno y Políticas Públicas; sin embargo, su carrera diplomática comenzó apenas hace unos meses. Su mayor activo en el convulso tablero político actual es no pertenecer al chavismo. “Defenderé nuestra soberanía y el interés nacional trabajando siempre para alcanzar benificios concretos para la gente”, dijo Blanco al recibir el aceptar el cargo. Señaló que el momento obliga a “construir desde las diferencias” un país en el que “todos tengan un lugar”, sin exclusiones ni discriminación.
© MIGUEL GUTIÉRREZ (EFE)
Acting President Delcy Rodriguez announced the moves in Caracas during an event focused on the National Electric System, where she also outlined plans for the country’s energy infrastructure.
The reshuffle places a 35-year-old diplomat at the helm of the Foreign Ministry and redirects a veteran official toward a long-running dispute over state assets frozen abroad.
RELATED: Delcy Rodríguez Announces Transformations, Labor Dialogue, and Reforms in Venezuela
“I have decided to appoint Oliver Blanco as Foreign Minister of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. I hope this strengthened team keeps advancing in the changes and the geopolitical recovery of Venezuela in areas of cooperation and friendship with all countries,” Rodriguez said.
He designado a Oliver Blanco, joven profesional de las relaciones internacionales, como nuevo ministro del Poder Popular de Relaciones y Comercio Exterior. Confío en su preparación, compromiso y capacidad para asumir esta importante responsabilidad al servicio de Venezuela.… pic.twitter.com/A0gaqGOWnv
— Miraflores Al Momento (@MirafloresAM) October 29, 2026
Text reads: “I have appointed Oliver Blanco, a young professional in international relations, as the new Minister of People’s Power for Foreign Relations and Trade. I trust in his preparation, commitment and ability to take on this important responsibility in the service of Venezuela. I thank Félix Plasencia for his dedication and work at the head of the Chancellery, and who will now assume new international strategic tasks.”
The new Foreign Minister Blanco, holds a degree in International Studies from the Central University of Venezuela and a master’s degree in Political and Government Studies from the Metropolitan University. His previous post covered Europe and North America, a portfolio that included some of the governments most active in the sanctions and asset disputes that have defined Venezuela’s recent foreign relations.
Felix Plasencia, who steps down as Foreign Minister, will now serve as director of International Affairs for the Presidency. His immediate priority is clear. “His first task is to settle in the United Kingdom until we recover the gold that belongs to Venezuelans,” the Acting President Rodriguez stated.
The assignment follows a request Rodriguez made on Wednesday. She asked the Foreign Ministry and the Attorney General’s Office to begin formal procedures to recover Venezuelan gold retained at the Bank of England. The precious metal has been at the center of a legal battle involving rival claims over Venezuela’s legitimate government, with London courts weighing which authority controls the reserves.
Recibo con mucha humildad y compromiso la responsabilidad que me ha encomendado la presidenta encargada, @delcyrodriguezv.
— Oliver Blanco (@OliverBlanco) October 29, 2026
Defenderé nuestra soberanía y el interés nacional con firmeza, trabajando siempre por alcanzar beneficios concretos para nuestra gente.
Me siento orgulloso… pic.twitter.com/AamIdSnuvS
Text reads: “I accept with great humility and commitment the responsibility entrusted to me by the Acting President @delcyrodriguezv. I will defend our sovereignty and national interest firmly, always working to achieve concrete benefits for our people. I am proud to accompany the Acting President in this process of democratic transformation, to which we all have something to contribute to bring it to a successful conclusion.”
The changes extend beyond the two senior positions. Marynna Saatdjian will take over as Vice-minister for Europe and North America, filling the role Blanco leaves behind. Saúl Ameliach, until now a Vice-minister at the Ministry of Economy and Finance, moves to head the Vice-ministry of International Trade.
Acting President Rodriguez framed the appointments as part of a broader effort to strengthen Venezuela’s diplomatic corps. She emphasized that the government will continue pursuing cooperation and friendship with all countries while defending national sovereignty.
The diplomatic shift carries particular weight given the gold dispute. Venezuela has pursued the release of its reserves held in London for years, arguing the assets belong to the Venezuelan people and are needed for social programs and economic recovery. By sending Plasencia directly to the United Kingdom, the government signals it intends to press the matter with renewed intensity.
With Blanco at the Foreign Ministry, Plasencia handling international affairs from the Presidency and new vice ministers in place, the administration has assembled a team positioned around two core objectives: restoring full diplomatic engagement and reclaiming state assets held overseas.
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