Ivan “The Pudge” Rodriguez Announces Plans To Retire
The “Pudge” is calling it quits. Former Texas Rangers catcher Ivan Rodriguez will retire from major league baseball this week after failing to find a home during spring training this year. Rodriquez will return to Arlington to retire with the team he started playing for way back in 1991.
In 1999 Ivan won the American League MVP after hitting .332 with 35 homeruns and 113 RBIs alongside 25 stolen bases, he then went on to appear in 10 straight All-Star Games with the Rangers. The Pudge also spent time with the Detroit Tigers wehere he played in four all-star games and he won a World Series title with the Florida Marlins in 2003.
Ivan Rodriguez returned to the Texas Rangers in 2009 after being traded for Jarrod Saltalamacchia who was injured late in the season.
During his time in the bigs Ivan helped Texas become the AL West Champions in 1996, 1998 and 1999.
The retirement of Ivan Rodriguez comes just months after catchers Jorge Posada and Jason Varitek also called it quits.
Rodriquez ends his career with an effective batting average of .296 alongside 2,884 hits, 311 home runs and 1,332 RBIs. During his career the catch also broke Johnny Bench’s record for 10 Gold Gloves and he managed a batting average of .300 or better 10 times over 20 years.
Playing his last two seasons for the Washington Nationals the catcher was offered a contract from the Kansas City Royals but instead he decided to retire after a dismal 2011 season in which he hit .218 with just two homers and 19 RBIs during 124 at-bats.
Best of luck to Ivan Rodriquez as he leaves the game he’s played professionally for 20 years.
