New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez has been notoriously private, notwithstanding all the media hoopla that has centered on his relationships in the past, but now he will begin to connect with fans on a more personal level.

The star Yankee is now on Facebook, and has already garnered more than 717,000 likes.

I just felt the time was right, said Rodriguez. Social media has gotten so big now.

The 36-year-old told ESPNNewYork.com that while he won't have the time to constantly monitor his page and post content himself, the posts that do appear on the page will still come from him.

I want my fans to know how much I appreciate them, Rodriguez said. I have always been pretty private but I like that I'm getting the chance to interact with my fans on a more personal level. Obviously my time is limited and I have people to assist with certain things, but I will have an active role in all of the content on my fan page.

Rodriguez's page won't have the cliché paparazzi pictures. Rather, Rodriguez will be the one taking pictures and providing captions and blurbs for them.

Some candid pictures, some posts about issues that are important to me such as education, a few inspirational messages ... and I plan to answer some fan questions on video, too, he said. I'm looking forward to sharing experiences in my life that aren't part of a box score.

With his Facebook page up and running, Rodriguez was asked if Twitter was coming soon.

I'm taking one social media step at a time, Rodriguez said. I really wanted to start with Facebook first to see how that experience goes for me and I'll go from there. But it's on my radar, yes.

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