Ivan 'Pudge' Rodríguez - Arlington, TX
N 32° 44.792 W 097° 05.107
14S E 679404 N 3624810
Texas Rangers legend, Pudge Rodríguez, guards his own home plate at the home plate entrance into Globe Life Field at 734 Stadium Dr, Arlington, TX.
Waymark Code: WM14HAA
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 07/10/2021
Views: 4
Fourteen time All-Star
Ivan 'Pudge' Rodríguez's twenty year career was spent primarily with the Texas Rangers in two stints, but he also played for the Florida Marlins, Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees, Houston Astros and Washington Nationals. He was the American League MVP with the Rangers in 1999, while his sole World Championship was with the Marlins in 2003. His talents and leadership played a key role in Florida's success, as he was the National League Championship Series Most Valuable Player during the playoffs. When he retired,
he had amassed nearly 3000 hits (2,844), 311 home runs, and a very respectable .296 batting average. His #7 is among the numbers retired by the Rangers, and besides being a member of the
Texas Rangers Hall of Fame, he was elected to the
National Baseball Hall of Fame on the first ballot in 2017. He is generally considered one of baseball's greatest catchers, and ranks among the greatest of the Texas Rangers.
Pudge commissioned this sculpture when he was with the Rangers the first time, and it was originally in his home in Florida before spending time in storage. There are plenty of news stories that reference the statue's having been unveiled here in 2020, but there's no indication as to the sculptor or the foundry who produced it.
A little larger than life, it stands about seven feet tall, with Pudge in his Rangers uniform and catcher's gear on one knee on a comparatively thin base with no pedestal. He appears slightly relaxed but vigilant -- he might be watching a base runner at second -- with his right hand on his knee and his left hand and catcher's mitt hanging over his left leg. His mask is up, and there's a small plate under his neck that reads "Pudge." His name and famous #7 are on the back of his jersey, partially covered by the straps of his chest protector. (Source: My own personal visits and observation of the sculpture.)