In one of the most exciting playoffs in recent history one team stole everyone’s thunder and dreams and this one player erased any doubts some might have had about the legitimacy of his career. On offense and defense he came to play saving games and winning them.

The person?
It is no other than Florida Marlins catcher and future Cooperstown Baseball Hall of Famer Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez.

Pudge came to Florida, his hometown team (although he was born in Puerto Rico) after 12 years with the Texas Rangers of the American League where he won 10 gold gloves and had 10 All-Star appearances but was dealing with frequent injuries starting in 2000

His arrival wasn’t supposed to be a championship piece just a move from a team with a hole at catcher giving nine time Major League Baseball All-Star a chance to the recently injury plagued Rodriguez for the right price in hopes that he’d have three quarters of the skills he once had.

Rodriguez did more than that providing leadership, a seasoned resume, crazy defense and timely hits that ultimately won the 2003 World Series, four games to two over the always powerful (and favorite) New York Yankees!

He hit .297 for the season with 16 home runs and 85 RBI. These numbers are respectable but a little short of his career numbers averages he put up in Texas where he had over 20 homers in five of his seasons.

But it was the playoffs when he took off.

After they beat Philadelphia for the National League Wild Card Spot, The Marlins faced the 2002 NL champion San Francisco Giants.

Though they lost in a 2-0 shutout by Giants’ pitcher Jason Schmidt, the Marlins would come back and win three straight games to win the series.

In the divisional series Pudge played a significant role having a .406 slugging percentage in four games with 6 RBI, 6 hits, 3 walks and only one strikeout in his customary three-hole spot. In pivotal game three Pudge accounted for all four runs in the Marlins 4-3 win. His defense and blocking of the plate (something he had a reputation for not doing) on two plays in the game four win in the eighth and ninth innings, saved the day.

In the next series the Marlins faced NL Central Division champion and fan favorite Chicago Cubs and won a seven game series on the road in the warm confines of Wrigley Field.

Pudge was named NLCS MVP after having a record 10 RBI in the series including 5 in the series opener a Marlins 9-8 win. A marksman from his knees Pudge dared anyone to run on him. It didn’t happen.

In the World Series, Rodriguez didn’t put up the numbers he once did (only 1 RBI in the series) but managed the pitchers well including World Series MVP Josh Beckett, helping hold the offensive Yankees to 21 runs.

His leadership skills pulled through with this young staff that featured starters Carl Pavano, Dontrelle Willis, Mark Redman, Brad Penny, and Beckett and the delicate closer roles played out by Braden Looper and Ugueth Urbina.

Once an afterthought Texas and the Rangers are now the firmly in the rearview mirror for Pudge as he looks to end his career in small market Florida while the Rangers look to build a winner around one man (Alex Rodriguez) with a 252 million dollar contract!

Who is your player of the month?
email me at sports@geoclan.com.