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Previewing the 2017 HOF class: Ivan Rodriguez

JM Reuters

The National Baseball Hall of Fame is set to announce its Class of 2017 on Wednesday, Jan. 18. In the days leading up to the announcement, theScore's MLB editors will preview players who look to be a lock to head into Cooperstown.

The Player

Player: Ivan Rodriguez
Teams: Texas Rangers (13 seasons), Detroit Tigers (5), Washington Nationals (2), New York Yankees (1), Houston Astros (1), Florida Marlins (1)
Position: Catcher
Retired: 2012
Current Age: 45
Year on ballot: 1st
Percentage of Vote: 80.9 (Calculated by Ryan Thibodaux)

The Resume

MLB Seasons: 21
All-Star: 14
World Series: 1 (2003)
AL MVP: 1 (1999)
Gold Glove: 13
Silver Slugger: 7

GP R H 2B HR RBI AVG/OBP/SLG WAR
2543 1354 2844 572 311 1332 .296/.334/.464 68.9

When the modern generation of baseball fans is asked who the best catcher of all time might be, Ivan Rodriguez is typically one of the first players who comes to mind, and for good reason.

No one in history has caught more games than "Pudge" - he strapped on the pads a whopping 2,543 times over his 21-year career. Among catchers, he's the all-time leader in runs (1,354), hits (2,844), and doubles (572). After finishing fourth in Rookie of the Year voting in 1991, he never looked back, going to the All-Star Game and winning a Gold Glove each season for the next 10 years. Over that span, he garnered six consecutive Silver Slugger Awards, and also notched American League MVP honors in 1999.

While he played for the Detroit Tigers, Washington Nationals, Houston Astros, and New York Yankees, and won a World Series with the Florida Marlins in his lone year with the club, Rodriguez is best known for the 13 years he spent donning a Texas Rangers jersey.

A 14-time All-Star, 13-time Gold Glove winner, and seven-time Silver Slugger recipient, Rodriguez's first Hall of Fame ballot was always going to be his last.

Highlights

2003 NLDS, Game 4

A day after the Florida Marlins defeated the San Francisco Giants 4-3 in extra innings, Game 4 of the 2003 National League Division Series was just as exciting. With the Marlins up two games to one, the Giants were down to their final out with the tying run on second and the winning run on first. After a bloop single to left, Rodriguez caught the Jeff Conine throw and applied the tag as he was run over. He held onto the ball, the Marlins went on to the NLCS, and they eventually won the World Series.

Most games caught

(Video courtesy: MLB.com)

Rodriguez broke Carlton Fisk's record for most games caught in a career on June 17, 2009 when he dropped behind the plate at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. The best part? Rodriguez spent 12 years as a member of the Texas Rangers, but at that time, he was the visiting catcher as a member of the Houston Astros. Almost two months later to the day, the Rangers reacquired Rodriguez at the trade deadline.

"Pudge" returns to Texas

(Video courtesy: MLB.com)

In his seventh year away from the ballclub, Rodriguez made his return as a member of the Texas Rangers, even if only for a few months, at the end of the 2009 season. Greeted by a standing ovation that didn't look like it was ever going to end, "Pudge" made it worthwhile, as he ripped a single up the middle in his first at-bat.

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