Knuckle Curve » pudge rodriguez

Pudge Rodriguez Joins the Nationals

Stephen Kersey — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 04:55:55 +0000

Pudge Rodriguez’s homecoming to the Texas Rangers was a short one. After turning down arbitration, Rodriguez signed with the Washington Nationals. With the Nationals, the future Hall of Famer will split time with Washington’s catcher of the future Jesus Flores.

Rodriguez received a deal worth $6 million over two seasons. The 38-year-old is likely being brought on board for his leadership — a trait that has been severely lacking in Washington the last few years.

As far as his production, Rodriguez isn’t close to his prime but he’s still pretty good. He hit .249 last year with ten homers, 47 RBIs, 55 runs and 23 doubles.

If all goes as planned, Flores will be seeing the most action behind the plate. Rodriguez will fill in when needed and help Flores master the position while also working with the young pitching staff.

Honestly, his contract sounds a bit inflated for a player who doesn’t produce much anymore but it’s difficult to fault the Nationals for looking for veteran help.

Pudge Rodriguez is moving on to the Nationals (Image: Zuma Press)

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Pudge Rodriguez Hits 300th Home Run

Stephen Kersey — Mon, 18 May 2009 09:04:08 +0000

At some points during the offseason, it appeared as if Pudge Rodriguez’s career could be over. He was coming off of a disappointing season and few teams showed interest. However, after playing well in the World Baseball Classic, the Houston Astros came calling.

Rodriguez has played well as the starting catcher for the Astros. On Sunday, Rodriguez hit the 300th home run of his career to help the Astros beat the Chicago Cubs by a final count of 6-5.

The 300th blast for Rodriguez came in the top of the fourth inning. His two-run shot was off of Rich Harden and gave the Astros a 4-2 lead they would never relinquish.

The 37-year-old catcher is hitting .286 on the season with five homers and 19 RBI. In his career, Rodriguez has a .301 batting average to go with 1,236 RBI, 1,268 runs and 2,637 hits.

When the book is closed on Pudge Rodriguez’s career, expect him to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame.

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Ivan Rodriguez Rumors – Florida Marlins?

Stephen Kersey — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 00:42:31 +0000

Ivan Rodriguez, who is regarded by many as one of the best catchers in the history of the game, is still a free agent. While no deal appears imminent, rumblings have started to connect Rodriguez with the Florida Marlins.

Rodriguez has a history with the Marlins. Not only does he live in Miami, he spent one season of his career with team. That happened to be in 2003 when the Marlins won the World Series while Rodriguez was one of the team’s biggest stars.

After that season, he signed a big free agent deal with the Detroit Tigers. Last year, the Tigers traded Rodriguez to the New York Yankees. After a less than stellar campaign, the Yankees haven’t shown any interest in signing the 37-year-old catcher.

Once a fierce hitter, Rodriguez hasn’t had at least 15 homers or 70 RBIs since the 2004 campaign. He’s also not nearly as good behind the plate as he used to be in his prime.

If he ends up signing with the Marlins, Rodriguez will likely start and serve as a mentor on a team with a lot of young players. Although Florida doesn’t have many people picking them for a spot in the World Series, that was the case in 2003 as well.

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Baseball Trades on the Trade Deadline 2008

Stephen Kersey — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 05:25:15 +0000

The 2008 baseball trade deadline saw a flurry of trades involving some of the biggest names in the game. Players who were traded include future Hall of Famers Manny Ramirez, Ken Griffey, Jr. and Pudge Rodriguez.

Here is a breakdown of who got traded and to where.

Manny Ramirez traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers
Ken Griffey, Jr. traded to the Chicago White Sox
Ivan Rodriguez traded to the New York Yankees
Jason Bay traded to the Boston Red Sox
Kyle Farnsworth traded to the Detroit Tigers
Arthur Rhodes traded to the Florida Marlins

Manny Ramirez and his bat are headed to the Dodgers.

Photo: Newscom

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Tony Pena Jr. Pitching Video – Royals New Pitcher?

Stephen Kersey — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 05:07:07 +0000

With the Kansas City Royals getting massacred by the Detroit Tigers, the Royals decided to go with Tony Pena, Jr. at pitcher. What made it unique? Pena is a position player. It had been more than ten years since the Royals used a position player at pitcher.

And to top it off, Pena didn’t disappoint. He was actually the best pitcher on the night for the Royals. His 1-2-3 inning featured a strikeout of future Hall of Famer Pudge Rodriguez. Pena, who pitched when he was younger, featured a fastball that topped at in the low 90’s and a nice off-speed pitch. If Pena, who is currently hitting .152 on the season, can’t figure out batting, maybe he can become a full-time pitcher.

Here is the Tony Pena video of him pitching:

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