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Show Me the Money

When the New York Yankees came to town last month to face the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Alex Rodriguez didn’t stay in just any hotel booked by his team.

Instead, Rodriguez, baseball’s highest-paid player under a $275 million 10-year contract that was struck in 2007, stayed at the Resort at Pelican Hill in Newport Coast, where three-and four-bedroom villas go for thousands a night.

Rodriguez, actress girlfriend Kate Hudson and her 5-year-old son stayed in an ocean view villa at Pelican Hill, complete with their own garage and butler.

Pelican Hill is favored by sports stars because “it’s a place where they guard your privacy,” said a source familiar with athletes who visit the area. “It’s an anti-paparazzi zone.”

The resort’s golf course is a favorite of jocks, including Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant, who lives nearby in the Pelican Ridge section of Newport Coast.

It’s good to be a sports star in Orange County, whether you’re visiting or live here. Coastal views, luxury shopping, upscale restaurants and proximity to Los Angeles are among the attractions.

Along with Bryant, big names in the sports world who live here include baseball agent Scott Boras, Vladimir Guerrero and other Angels, Teemu Selanne of hockey’s Anaheim Ducks, former baseball slugger Mark McGwire and sports talk radio star Jim Rome.

Those with homes here include Tiger Woods, who has a home in Irvine’s Shady Canyon, retired Laker great Earvin “Magic” Johnson Jr., who bought a house in Dana Point’s Ritz Cove for $7.6 million in 2007, and Angels owner Arte Moreno.

In July, Moreno, a billionaire whose primary home is in Phoenix, bought a house in Corona del Mar for $12.1 million.

The county is home to other team owners: Henry and Susan Samueli, who live in Corona del Mar and own the Ducks; and Newport Beach’s Jeff Moorad, vice chairman and chief executive of the San Diego Padres.

In March, former sports agent Moorad and a group of investors struck a deal to acquire a third and eventually all of the Padres.

Among the athletes who live here, Bryant is the biggie. He’s estimated to be worth about $150 million based on his salary and endorsements and appears on our list of Other Centimillionaires.

Bryant has lived in Newport Coast since 2002 with his wife, Vanessa, and two daughters. Vanessa is a Huntington Beach native.

In an ESPN interview, Bryant said he lives in OC rather than Los Angeles because “it’s peaceful.”

“It’s a better place to bring up kids,” he said, “(there are) nice people down here.”

South Coast Plaza, with its collection of luxury shops, is a regular shopping spot for his wife.

Local restaurants favored by athletes include Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar at Fashion Island. Some sports stars have been spotted at the Anaheim White House Restaurant. They include Yankees Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada.

Jocks also are known to hit local nightspots, including Sutra Lounge in Costa Mesa. But part of the county’s appeal is its proximity to nightlife in L.A., said one source familiar with visiting and local athletes.

A good part of the county’s sports wealth comes from sports agents.

Boras, who runs Newport Beach-based Scott Boras Corp. and represents Rodriguez, Los Angeles Dodger Manny Ramirez and other big names, ranks among our Other Centimillionaires.

Other agents here include Newport Beach’s Leigh Steinberg, inspiration for “Jerry Maguire,” and former partner David Dunn, also of Newport Beach.

Dunn represents Mission Viejo’s Mark Sanchez, former University of Southern California quarterback and 2009 first-round draft choice for the New York Jets.

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