(Updated Jan 18, 2017)
Ivan Rodriguez, elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in January 2017, played against the Cardinals for the final time on June 15, 2011.
Rodriguez, 39, went 3-for-4 with a RBI and two runs scored for the Nationals in their 10-0 victory over the Cardinals at Washington. Rodriguez singled against starter Kyle McClellan and had a double and single off Ryan Franklin.
In 28 career regular-season games versus the Cardinals, Rodriguez batted .319 with three home runs and 13 RBI.
He was the starting catcher for the Tigers in the 2006 World Series with the Cardinals. One of the reasons the Cardinals won that series in five games is they held Rodriguez to a .158 batting average (3-for-19) with one RBI. He had batted .300 with 164 hits and 69 RBI during the 2006 regular season.
“There are catchers that are great behind the plate, but can’t hit a lick, and there are catchers that can hit, but aren’t as good defensively,” Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander told the Associated Press in 2006. “He gives you the best of both worlds.”
Rodriguez’s three career home runs hit against the Cardinals:
_ Aug. 6, 2003, a solo shot off Dan Haren, while with the Marlins. Boxscore
_ May 19, 2007, a three-run shot off Anthony Reyes, while with the Tigers. Boxscore
_ June 24, 2008, a solo shot off Braden Looper, while with the Tigers. Boxscore
Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina, like Rodriguez, is an all-star and native of Puerto Rico. In a 2006 interview with MLB.com, Rodriguez said Molina, “I’ve known him since he was little … He’s great. He loves the game … He’s got a tremendous vision of this game.”
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