Ivan Rodriguez: Is he a Hall of Famer?
Among the first-time eligible Hall of Fame candidates, there’s only one with a truly great chance of getting in this year. That would be Ivan Rodriguez, who many would argue is the greatest all-around catcher baseball has even seen.
We’re not here to debate that necessarily, but we are here to look at a Hall of Fame résumé that’s rock solid on the surface, but could have some underlying cracks based on past PED allegations and numbers that steadily declined down the stretch of his career.
When you consider Hall of Fame credentials, being an elite player at a specific position holds a lot of water. To that point, Rodriguez was a 14-time All-Star, a 13-time Gold Glove winner and owns many catching-specific records, which we’ll hit on later. He owned the position for close to two decades thanks to his dual-threat ability as a hitter and a defender. He could win the game with one swing or one throw, with his powerful and accurate arm often limiting the baserunning aggressiveness of the opposition.
The plaque engravers will have their work cut out for them if and when “Pudge’s” moment comes. Rodriguez played 21 seasons in MLB, spending the majority of his career and prime years with the Texas Rangers. He also spent time with the Florida Marlins, where he won his only World Series championship in 2003, along with the Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees, Houston Astros and Washington Nationals. That’s a lot of bouncing around for a Hall-of-Fame talent. There‘s also no denying his production and effectiveness waned in his final seasons. But there’s something to be said for his leadership and skill set still being valued in the twilight of his career.
EARLY RETURNS
According to Ryan Thibodaux’s Hall of Fame ballot tracker, Rodriguez is off to a strong start in the voting. With just under 200 ballots made public, Rodriguez is hovering around 80 percent.
The threshold, of course, is 75 percent, so Rodriguez’s bid this year is still tenuous. As we’ve seen traditionally, those percentages will dip as more ballots come in. Sometimes the final number we see is significantly different than the final tally of public ballots, so his outcome could be the source of drama come Jan. 18.
Regardless of the result, that he even hit 80 percent in his first year on the ballot bodes very well for future induction.
THE SUPPORTERS SAY
Rodriguez was elite on both sides on the field, collecting numerous records and accolades. Here’s a bullet point breakdown.
• As noted, he’s a 14-time All-Star and 13-time Gold Glove winner.
• He played the most games at catcher (2,427).
• He produced more hits than any other catcher (2,749 of his 2,844).
• His 934 extra-base hits and 572 doubles are the most of any catcher in history.
• He led his league in caught-stealing percentage nine different times. That’s three more than the next best catcher.
• Pudge’s 68.9 WAR would rank third among current Hall of Fame catchers behind only Johnny Bench and Gary Carter.
If that’s not enough, Johnny Bench, the only catcher to ever make the Hall of Fame on the first ballot, believes Rodriguez deserves the same treatment.
THE SKEPTICS SAY
The only thing Rodriguez’s detractors can truly hang their hat on are the PED allegations brought on by former teammate Jose Canseco in his book “Juiced.” Many viewed Rodriguez showing up to spring training the following season considerably lighter as confirmation of Canseco’s claims, but it must be noted that Rodriguez is not known to have failed a drug test and has not been connected to PEDs in any notable reports. It’s merely rumors and speculation, but there’s enough of both to cast a dark cloud over an otherwise bright career.
It’s also been argued that Rodriguez wasn’t the same player after those allegations came up, and that perhaps he hung around too long to prove he could still play. Over his final four seasons, he hit just .259/.296/.370 with a total of 23 home runs.
In the end, it’s a matter of whether or not voters want to hold the PED allegations against him, or just let the numbers and the undeniable talent speak for itself.
OUR BALLOTS
The Big League Stew writers don’t have Hall of Fame votes, but if we did, here’s where we stand on Ivan Rodriguez:
Chris Cwik
Yes — One of the best catchers of all-time. An excellent hitter, particularly in his prime, and one of the best defensive catchers of his era.
Mike Oz
Yes — Pudge is one of those guys that, when he was playing, he seemed like someone who would easily be a Hall of Famer when it was time. The All-Star games. The Gold Gloves. The consistency. The longevity. And at that position! It would blow younger-me’s mind that people are finding reasons not to vote for him. While I appreciate the due diligence, this one is easy for me. He’s a yes all the way.
Liz Roscher
Yes — Pudge! I’m sure there are reasons to say no, but why would you? It’s Pudge! He wasn’t just good for a catcher, he was all-around good, and he fielded a tough position so, so well for a long time.
Mark Townsend
Yes — The PED allegations give reason for pause, but Rodriguez’s body of work in terms of on-field production make him a clear “yes.“ He was the measuring stick at his position for nearly two decades and he truly changed games in ways that few other players, let alone a catcher, ever could.
ALSO IN THIS SERIES:
• Jeff Bagwell
• Barry Bonds
• Roger Clemens
• Vladimir Guerrero
• Trevor Hoffman
• Edgar Martinez
• Mike Mussina
• Jorge Posada
• Tim Raines
• Manny Ramirez
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
