I knew Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez was a great player. I did not know until this year just HOW great he was. It seems fitting then that he enters the Hall of Fame in his first eligible year. It's the cap on a career filled with history making.
Look at some of these stats:
.296 average, .798 OPS, 311 HRs, and 127 SBs in 21 seasons. That's pretty amazing for a catcher.
He caught more games than any player in MLB history; an astonishing 2,427 games.
He had more hits & extra-base hits than any catcher - 2,749 & 906, respectively.
Won the Gold Glove 13 times.
Led the league in caught-stealing percentage NINE times! No other catcher has done it more than six.
His WAR is 68.9. Only Johnny Bench (75) & Gary Carter (69.9) have a higher WAR. They're both in Cooperstown too.
Pretty impressive. So it's not really surprising that he is the only catcher besides Bench to have been elected on his first ballot appearance. He's also the HOF's youngest enshrined player. But what else would you expect from a guy who had a career like Pudge Rodriguez?
I am very excited that he was chosen. I think he deserved it so I'm glad the voters were able to see it too.
(Photo: Steve Perez, Detroit News)