Iván Rodríguez

The legendary Iván “Pudge” Rodríguez Torres is a former professional baseball catcher, who most famously played for the Texas Rangers in the MLB. He was presented with the AL MVP award in 1999, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest catchers in MLB history. He was inducted to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in 2017. Following his retirement from the game he served as a Shadow Representative from Puerto Rico.

Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Rodríguez learned baseball at an early age and was a talented Little Leaguer. He was discovered by a scout during his High School days, and signed a contract with the Texas Rangers in July 1988, when he was just 16-years-old. He began his professional baseball career when he made his debut in 1989 at the age of 17. Over an illustrious career, he also played for the Florida Marlins, the Detroit Tigers, the New York Yankees, the Houston Astros, and the Washington Nationals. In 2003 he won the World Series with the Marlins, and he also played in the 2006 World Series with the Tigers. On the international stage he represented his native Puerto Rico in the 2006 and 2009 World Baseball Classics. He retired from the game in 2012.

Rodríguez regularly connects with his legions of followers and fans through Instagram, and Twitter, posting pictures and videos about his day-to-day life around baseball.