The Baseball Writers Association of America, better known to
you boys and girls as the BBWAA, elected three new members into the Hall of
Fame this week including first baseman Jeff Bagwell, outfielder Tim Raines and
catcher Pudge “Ivan” Rodriguez. Rodriguez, like Raines, is a former Yankees
player albeit for a short period of time so let’s remember the Hall of Fame
catcher’s not-so-memorable time in Yankees pinstripes before he makes his walk
into the halls of Cooperstown, New York.
Pudge’s 2008 season started out magnificently leading all of
Major League Baseball in home runs during spring training but his season went
down from there, and in a big way. Pudge did have a couple high spots in 2008
as his career began to wind down including his 2,500th hit of his
career on April 10th against the Boston Red Sox but it was on July
30, 2008 that Pudge endured something that no player wants to at that point in
their career. Pudge was traded.
The New York Yankees acquired Pudge to be their backup
catcher that season after sending relief pitcher Kyle Farnsworth to the Detroit
Tigers in the trade. Pudge, splitting time with Jose Molina, started in just 26
of the Yankees 55 games that second half which did not sit well with the now
Hall of Fame catcher.
Rodriguez hit just .278 as a Yankee, easily his worst part
of the season, before fading off into the sunset as New York failed to make the
postseason for the first time since the 1993 season.
