Ivan Rodriguez set the record tonight for most games caught, passing the first Pudge, Carlton Fisk:
Ivan Rodriguez was 19 when the Texas Rangers promoted the fresh-faced catcher with a cannon for an arm to the major leagues midway through the 1991 season.
He already had an AL MVP award, 10 Gold Gloves and 10 All-Star appearances when the Rangers let him go 12 seasons later. But there were more Gold Gloves and All-Star Games to come, plus a World Series title with Florida in 2003, the year after he left Texas.
Now he’s caught more games than anybody else — and fittingly, he set the record in Texas.
Rodriguez, now with the Houston Astros, tied Carlton Fisk — a Hall of Fame catcher also nicknamed “Pudge” — when he caught his 2,226th game Tuesday night in the opener of an interleague series at Texas. Rodriguez set the record on Wednesday.
“To be able to play so many games behind the plate, it’s unbelievable,” Rodriguez said. “It’s been a long time. But I’m still feeling the same way [as] when I was 19. I love this game. I love what I do.”
I-Rod and Benito Santiago put on great shows in the late 1980s and early 1990s showing off their arms. Rodriguez doesn’t hit much anymore, but his endurance at the position is impressive.
Posted by David Pinto at 9:47 pm | Records | Permalink | No Comments
Comments
Leave a Reply
