Ivan Rodriguez traded to the Yankees

Rodríguez won the World Series with the Marlins in 2003, and also played in the 2006 World Series as the Tigers' starting catcher.

Iván Rodríguez was born in Manatí, Puerto Rico, and raised in Vega Baja. His father, Juan, worked for a U.S.-based construction company, and his mother, Eva Torres, was an elementary school teacher.

Iván's first job involved delivering flyers in the shopping malls in Puerto Rico. He learned baseball at an early age, his biggest rival being Juan González, who he often played against in his youth. As a Little League player, he moved from pitcher to catcher because his father, who was also his coach, thought he was throwing too hard and scaring opposing players with his pitches.

Rodríguez attended Lino Padron Rivera High School, where he was discovered by scout Luis Rosa. Rosa reported that "he showed leadership at 16 that I’d seen in few kids. He knew where he was going." Rodríguez signed a contract with the Texas Rangers in July 1988, at the age of 16, and began his professional baseball career.

Steroid allegations

In 2005, Rodríguez was accused by former Major League Baseball player José Canseco, along with fellow Texas Ranger teammates Juan Gonzalez and Rafael Palmeiro of using steroids. Canseco stated that the players used the steroids when they were all Texas Rangers players in 1992. The three players were featured in a section of José Canseco's 2005 book, Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant 'Roids, Smash Hits, and How Baseball Got Big. Rodríguez denied Canseco's allegations.

Personal life

Rodríguez married Maribel Rivera on June 20, 1991. That same night, having been called up from triple-A by the Texas Rangers, he made his major league debut, in which he threw out two White Sox would-be base stealers. The couple and their three children divide their time between Colleyville, Texas, Miami, Florida and Puerto Rico. In 1993, Iván and Maribel founded the Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez Foundation whose purpose is to help families in Puerto Rico, Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas. Ivan Rodríguez has also stated that the Make-a-Wish Foundation is one of his charities of choice.

Source: Wikipedia