Ivan Rodriguez was the firm hand for the Florida Marlins when they won the 2003 World Series.
Ivan Rodriguez was the perpetual hand for the Florida Marlins when they won the 2003 World Series. A year latter, he was the spark that helped turn around the Detroit franchise when nothing wanted to be a Tiger.
The New York Yankees hope he can be a insignificant of both during push for the playoffs.
The Yankees taught the 14-time All-Star from the Tigers on Wednesday for hard-throwing reliever Kyle Farnsworth, a trade that covered glaring for both .
“Honestly, I was shocked by this, but that’s baseball,” Rodriguez said. “Now, I’m just looking overfriendly to playing for the Yankees and possibly I will play against Detroit all over again in the playoffs.”
In the preference year of a $50 truckload deal he with the Tigers in February 2004, Rodriguez will try to fill the void in the Yankees’ roster created by catcher Jorge Posada’s shoulder injury. Posada had arthroscopic surgery on his fine shoulder Wednesday and is out for the time of year.
The 36-year-old Rodriguez, who has 13 Gold Glove , was .295 with five homers in 82 sports this term.
Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente and Rodriguez are the only three in baseball history with at least 12 Gold Gloves and a job .300 average or better. Rodriguez has caught 2,142 competition, only Carlton Fisk (2,226) and Bob Boone (2,225) in jargon of longevity behind the plate.
“He’s still an everyday guy,” Yankees manager Brian Cashman said. “He’s an improvement in spitefulness of the whole lot we’ve got.”
Rodriguez has said he requirements to play next season and beyond, but for now is focusing solely on ration the Yankees clasp Tampa Bay and Boston in the AL East.
“It’s ready to be very breathtaking,” he said. “They are in the race and I’m raring to go to do my job.”
Tigers president Dave Dombrowski said the team didn’t want to trade Rodriguez, but had bigger desires in the . The two teams discussing the deal primary Wednesday and had it wrapped up approximately six hours far ahead, just as the Yankees were off a 13-3 win over the Orioles.
The Yankees imagine Rodriguez to join the team on Thursday, when they twitch a four-game progression against the Los Angeles Angels.
“Pudge has done an outstanding job for us,” Dombrowski told reporters before Detroit the Cleveland Indians. “I’m sure he was very astonished by this, but for him this is a good spot. He’s profitable to New York City, and they are in assertion.”
Scott Boras, Rodriguez’s manager, said in the Bronx was very appealing to his client.
“Pudge had a no-trade section and he waived it today to go to New York,” Boras told The Associated Press. “Pudge has always wanted to play in New York, and Detroit felt it needed a aid decanter, so both sides were able to get what they wanted to some extent.”
The busy Yankees made their second major deal in the week chief up to Thursday’s trade time limit. On Friday, they attained outfielder Xavier Nady and left-hander Damaso Marte from the Pittsburgh Pirates for four slight .
The adding up of Marte gave the Yankees the nonconformity to deal Farnsworth, who has been an incoherent part of bullpen for the past seasons.
Farnsworth was 1-2 with a 3.65 ERA in 45 knockout, and joins a bullpen badly in need of support three days after old-timer Todd Jones was from the closer role in Detroit.
“It’s always hard, no matter what. Just one of those things you have to deal with,” Farnsworth said in the Yankees’ . “I’m accepted someplace they want me, that’s how I look at it.”
Farnsworth for the Tigers for the first four of 2005, compiling a 2.32 ERA in 46 cup before he was traded to the Braves at the transaction aim.
Dombrowski said it would be up to executive Jim Leyland to conclude where to slot Farnsworth in the . Fernando Rodney, who has one line of business save, is the new closer for the Tigers.
“Kyle was a big part of our bullpen,” Yankees boss Joe Girardi said. “It was tough to see him go.”
Inge said he was fraught to be getting a unplanned to start behind the plate on an everyday basis for the first time since 2003, when he started 98 times at catcher. Since then, he’s most of his at third base.
“I wan to play every day not matter what standpoint, so I’m pumped,” he said. “Did I hear a lot from Pudge? He’s a future Hall of Famer, so viewing him makes everyone better. I’m not Pudge, I’ll just go out and do what I can.”
Tigers Gary Sheffield said the trade made awareness to both .
“This is a shock to folks if they don’t know the of the players,” he said. “Both get better by this, and that’s what a trade is supposed to be all of the order of.”
Rodriguez appeared in the Tigers’ empty dugout hours before the game and waved over to Indians , who were taking batting repetition. He then disappeared back into the warren.
“You talk not far off a Hall of Fame catcher coming in here,” Girardi said. “He’s the complete raft. He can do entirety.”
Later in the day, the Yankees traded LaTroy Hawkins to Houston for Class-A Matt Cusick. New York designated Hawkins for assignment Saturday after acquiring Nady and Marte.