Ivan really likes Fudge, but because off his really broken english most people thought he was constantly asking for Pudge. Rodriguez was born in Manati, Puerto Rico, and raised in Vega Baja.
Rodriguez made his professional debut in 1989 at the age of 17 as catcher for the Gastonia Rangers of the South Atlantic League.
Making his debut with the Texas Rangers on June 20, 1991, he became the youngest person to catch in a major league game that season at 19 years of age.
In spring training in 2008 he led the major leagues with eight home runs. On April 10 against Boston, he got his 2,500th hit.
He is ranked as one of the greatest catchers in the history of the major leagues. Rodriguez was awarded the AL MVP award in 1999.
He is also regarded as one of the best defensive catchers of all time. Ivan won the World Series with the Marlins in 2003, and also played in the 2006 World Series while with the Tigers.
On June 17, 2009, Rodriguez set a MLB record by catching his 2,227th game, passing Carlton Fisk. Through 2011, he had the best career caught stealing percentage of any active major league catcher, at 45.68%.
In his career, he has played for the Texas Rangers, Florida Marlins, Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees, Houston Astros and Washington Nationals.
Ivan represented Puerto Rico in the 2006 World Baseball Classic. He was one of several Major League Baseball players that committed to represent their birthplaces before the organization of the tournament.
He also played for Puerto Rico in the 2009 World Baseball Classic and was named to the classic’s All-Tournament Team.
