Texas legend Ivan Rodriguez just the second catcher ever voted into baseball Hall of Fame on first ballot
2 posters
Texas legend Ivan Rodriguez just the second catcher ever voted into baseball Hall of Fame on first ballot
Texas Rangers legend Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez was among three players inducted into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2017, becoming just the second catcher to earn the first-ballot honor.
Career Houston Astro Jeff Bagwell was also inducted, alongside Tim Raines, who spent 10 long years on the ballot before finally getting being inducted.
Rodriguez, now the youngest member of the Hall of Fame at age 45, played 13 of his 21 major league seasons with the Texas Rangers.
"What can I say," Rodriguez said to begin his press conference. "I'm out of words."
"To recieve the Hall of Fame news an hour and a half ago, it was a great honor... what I feel the most proud of is to be in the Hall of Fame as a first-timer... to be there one of one, it's an honor."
Rodriguez also added that he would be wearing a Rangers hat on his plaque. "Of course! I respect all six teams that I played for, (but) the Rangers gave me the opportunity to sign at the age of sixteen; gave me the opportunity to come to The States, and wear a professional uniform and (...) play in the big leagues for years. I just feel very honored to be a part of the Texas Rangers organization."
Rodriguez revolutionized the way the catcher position was played defensively, and earned 10 consecutive Gold Glove Awards as the Rangers’ backstop to prove it. He earned 14 All-Star nods and won the 1999 AL MVP Award.
His career .296 batting average, 311 homers and 1,332 RBI are nothing to scoff at, either.
But it was never Pudge’s numbers that cast any doubt on his candidacy for the Hall of Fame. It was his connection to performance-enhancing drugs.
Rodriguez was accused of using steroids in noted PED user Jose Canseco’s book, Juiced. Pudge was never suspended for the alleged steroid use.
Rodriguez addressed the accusations at the conference when asked if he was concerned that they would prevent him from being elected. "That--- that's okay, you know what, I'm a Hall of Famer," Pudge replied with a broad smile. "I just want to say thanks to all the writers - every single one of them, you know - i have so much respect for all of them, but (that) doesn't matter. I'm going to be in Cooperstown in July, so that's all that matters."
He was inducted into the Hall on Wednesday with 76 percent of the vote.
Only Johnny Bench had been inducted into the Hall of Fame on his first ballot after primarily playing catcher during his big league career. That honor was not lost on Rodriguez. "I'm very happy and honored to say that I'm going to be right next to my favorite catcher growing up, my hero: Johnny Bench. I would love in July if I could sit right next to him before I step in front of the microphone and do my speech. He was my hero growing up."
http://www.wfaa.com/sports/mlb/rangers/ivan-rodriguez-inducted-into-mlb-hall-of-fame-on-first-ballot/387194276
Re: Texas legend Ivan Rodriguez just the second catcher ever voted into baseball Hall of Fame on first ballot
He's damn good! Well deserved!
Cass- the Nerd Queen of Nerds, the Lover of Books who Cooks
- Posts : 6617
Join date : 2014-01-19
Age : 56
Similar topics
» A Baseball Legend and WW2 Veteran Dies At The Age Of 90
» Trail-blazing baseball legend Minnie Minoso dies at age 90
» Texas Rangers baseball surpasses Dallas Cowboys in popularity
» Texas A&M Baseball Fans Have A Brutal Tradition That Rattles Opposing Pitchers
» The Web Is Freaking Out Over This No-Kill Spider Catcher
» Trail-blazing baseball legend Minnie Minoso dies at age 90
» Texas Rangers baseball surpasses Dallas Cowboys in popularity
» Texas A&M Baseball Fans Have A Brutal Tradition That Rattles Opposing Pitchers
» The Web Is Freaking Out Over This No-Kill Spider Catcher
Permissions in this forum:
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
Sat Mar 18, 2023 12:28 pm by Ben Reilly
» TOTAL MADNESS Great British Railway Journeys among shows flagged by counter terror scheme ‘for encouraging far-right sympathies
Wed Feb 22, 2023 5:14 pm by Tommy Monk
» Interesting COVID figures
Tue Feb 21, 2023 5:00 am by Tommy Monk
» HAPPY CHRISTMAS.
Sun Jan 01, 2023 7:33 pm by Tommy Monk
» The Fight Over Climate Change is Over (The Greenies Won!)
Thu Dec 15, 2022 3:59 pm by Tommy Monk
» Trump supporter murders wife, kills family dog, shoots daughter
Mon Dec 12, 2022 1:21 am by 'Wolfie
» Quill
Thu Oct 20, 2022 10:28 pm by Tommy Monk
» Algerian Woman under investigation for torture and murder of French girl, 12, whose body was found in plastic case in Paris
Thu Oct 20, 2022 10:04 pm by Tommy Monk
» Wind turbines cool down the Earth (edited with better video link)
Sun Oct 16, 2022 9:19 am by Ben Reilly
» Saying goodbye to our Queen.
Sun Sep 25, 2022 9:02 pm by Maddog
» PHEW.
Sat Sep 17, 2022 6:33 pm by Syl
» And here's some more enrichment...
Thu Sep 15, 2022 3:46 pm by Ben Reilly
» John F Kennedy Assassination
Thu Sep 15, 2022 3:40 pm by Ben Reilly
» Where is everyone lately...?
Thu Sep 15, 2022 3:33 pm by Ben Reilly
» London violence over the weekend...
Mon Sep 05, 2022 2:19 pm by Tommy Monk
» Why should anyone believe anything that Mo Farah says...!?
Wed Jul 13, 2022 1:44 am by Tommy Monk
» Liverpool Labour defends mayor role poll after turnout was only 3% and they say they will push ahead with the option that was least preferred!!!
Mon Jul 11, 2022 1:11 pm by Tommy Monk
» Labour leader Keir Stammer can't answer the simple question of whether a woman has a penis or not...
Mon Jul 11, 2022 3:58 am by Tommy Monk
» More evidence of remoaners still trying to overturn Brexit... and this is a conservative MP who should be drummed out of the party and out of parliament!
Sun Jul 10, 2022 10:50 pm by Tommy Monk
» R Kelly 30 years, Ghislaine Maxwell 20 years... but here in UK...
Fri Jul 08, 2022 5:31 pm by Original Quill