Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez To Retire Monday At Rangers Ballpark

{fshare id=2488}

Arlington, TX—Catcher Ivan Rodriguez will announce his retirement as an active player after a 21-year All-Star career in the major leagues on Monday, April 23 at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.

Rodriguez and the Rangers confirmed plans for the announcement today.

A press conference will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Monday in the Texas Rangers Baseball Hall of Fame, which is located behind the Lower Home Run Porch. Rodriguez is expected to have no further comment until Monday.

The Rangers also announced plans to honor Rodriguez in an on-field ceremony prior to Monday’s game with the New York Yankees. The ceremony will begin at approximately 5:40 p.m., and Rodriguez will also throw out the ceremonial first before the 6:05 p.m. game, which will be carried nationally by ESPN and locally on Fox Sports Southwest.

Rodriguez, who made his major league debut with Texas on June 20, 1991 at the age of 19, had a career average of .296 with 311 home runs and 1332 RBI in 2543 games with the Rangers (1991-2002; 2009), Marlins (2003), Tigers (2004-08), Yankees (2008), Astros (2009), and Nationals (2010-11).

The all-time major league leader with 2427 games caught, Rodriguez earned an all-time record 13 Rawlings

Gold Gloves for his defensive work behind the plate, including 10 in a row from 1992-2001 while throwing out nearly 42% of runners attempting to steal in his career. The right-handed hitter batted .300 or better in ten different seasons with five years of 20+ home runs. Rodriguez is a 14-time All-Star who started a major league record 12 Midsummer classics.

Signed by Texas as an amateur free agent in 1988, the native of Vega Baja, Puerto Rico batted .304 with 217 homers and 842 RBI in 1507 career games as a Ranger. He is second in club history in hits (1747), doubles (352), and multi-hit games (490), ranks third in at bats (5754), triples (28), and homers, and places fourth in games, runs (866), RBI, total bases (2806), and extra base hits (597). Rodriguez was the 1999 American League Most Valuable Player, when he batted .332 with 35 homers and 113 RBI as he helped lead the Rangers to the third of three consecutive A.L. West Division titles. Rodriguez hit .300 or better in each of his final eight seasons with the Rangers (1995-2002).

Signed as a free agent by Florida after the 2002 season, he batted .297 and drove in 85 runs for the World Champion Marlins. He played in his second World Series with Detroit in 2006. Rodriguez was acquired by the Rangers from Houston in August 2009 and played in 28 games the rest of that season. He concluded his career with two seasons in Washington, hitting .218 in 44 games in 2011, when he spent nearly two months on the disabled list with a strained oblique muscle.

Share and Enjoy !

Shares