Former Marlins Catcher Ivan Rodriguez Retires
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Former Florida Marlins catcher Ivan Rodriguez, also known as Pudge, returned to the Texas Rangers to formally announce his retirement from Major League Baseball.
The move came almost 21 years after Pudge made his major league debut as a 19-year-old rookie with the Rangers.
Rodriguez played his first 12 seasons with the Texas Rangers, but in 2003, he won his first World Series championship as a member of the Marlins.
During that special season in 2003, Pudge hit .297 with 16 home runs and 85 RBI's. He was also part of the massive fire sale the Marlins undertook the year after winning the World Series as a way of trying to force South Florida's hand on a number of issues.
Rodriguez was sent to Detroit where he won his second World Series championship in 2006.
For his career, Pudge hit .296 with 311 home runs and 1,332 RBI's.
