Baseball profile - Ivan Rodriguez - Brief Article - Interview

Baseball Digest, May, 2002 by Rick Sorci

FULL NAME: Ivan Rodriguez

AGE, HT., WT.: 30, 5-9, 205

Born: November 30, 1971

HOME: Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico

STATUS/FAMILY: Married with three children

NICKNAME: Pudge

LIFE OUTSIDE BASEBALL: I like to spend time with my family, go on vacations, golf and go boating.

SPORTS HERO WHEN I WAS YOUNG: Johnny Bench

PEOPLE WHO INFLUENCED ME THE MOST/WHY: My father was there all the time for me. He was my coach when I played Little League All my family supported me 100 percent.

BEST ADVICE ANYONE EVER GAVE ME: All the things my father told me when I was a little kid.

PLAYERS, PAST AND PRESENT, I'D PAY TO WATCH PLAY: Johnny Bench. Today, I try to watch everybody because they are all good players.

HOBBIES: Boating

FAVORITE ACTOR: Sylvester Stallone and Al Pacino

FAVORITE MOVIE: Carlito's Way and all the Rocky movies

FAVORITE TV SHOW: SportsCenter and Baseball Tonight on ESPN

FAVORITE FOOD: Latin food

FAVORITE BALLPARK: The Ballpark in Arlington and Camden Yards

FAVORITE PROFESSIONAL SPORTS TEAM OUTSIDE OF BASEBALL: Los Angeles Lakers

TRUEST SIGN OF SUCCESS: Working hard and being ready mentally and physically to play each game. Being consistent as a player.

BEST TIME OF MY LIFE/WHY? When I got a job here in the U.S. to come and play baseball, I love playing this game a lot.

PLAYER I LEARNED THE MOST FROM: I watch everybody and learn from them all.

IF I COULD CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT BASEBALL IT WOULD BE: I like the game the way it is.

IF NOT A BASEBALL PLAYER I WOULD HAVE BEEN: A truck driver.

BEHIND MY BACK THEY SAY: I think they say I'm a gamer and love to play the game. And I come ready to play every day.

TOUGHEST PITCHER I'VE FACED: Everybody. Every pitcher is tough. Hitting is not easy.

LIFE AFTER BASEBALL: I hope it will be more relaxed than it is right now. I'll spend more time with my family and see things that I haven't seen in years.

MY BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT: The 2001 season. We finished in last place and I think we could have done better. It was a very frustrating season for us.

MY MOST MEMORABLE GAME: It was the game when I hit three home runs at Minnesota (September 11, 1997). And also the game when I had nine RBI against the Mariners (April 13, 1999). They were very special games to me.

MY MOST EMBARRASSING BASEBALL EXPERIENCE: The times we made it to the playoffs in 1998 and 1999 and lost three straight games each time to the Yankees and were eliminated from the pennant chase.