Ivan Rodriguez's DMBL record 18-year career may have come to an end.
The catcher only had 137 plate appearances in MLB in 2011, leaving him 63 short of DMBL eligibility. Pudge had played in every season since 1993 and is the DMBL career record holder in most seasons played (18) and consecutive seasons played (also 18).
He's a career .282 hitter (.313 OBP, .439 SLG) with 490 2B, 263 HR and 1,100 RBIs. He has 8,401 career ABs in the DMBL.
Pudge had a great year last year as a platoon player, hitting .386 (.860 OPS), but in only 83 ABs. His best year came in 2001, when he hit .318/.350/.604 (.953 OPS) with 108 R, 200 H, 50 2B, 41 HR and 102 RBI.
He played most of his career with the Columbia Crusaders (later named the Rattlesnakes), playing with that now defunct organization from 1993 through 2005. He's since played for the D.C. Bushslappers, Sardine City Straphangers, New Jersey Team Buddah, Arkansas Golden Falcons and Amityville Ant Slayers.
I-Rod was released by the Nationals, but he hasn't officially hung up his catcher's mask just yet. There have been rumors he's being eyed by the New York Mets, Tampa Bay Rays and Houston Astros. We'll see if he can get to 200 plate appearances next season and return in 2013 for a 19th DMBL year.
BUT WAIT... isn't there a chance Pudge could surface in the DMBL in 2012? Yes! Under the Tom Price Rule, if every eligible catcher is already on a roster, the player with at least 10 games started as a catcher and the most plate appearances will become eligible. Currently, that honor goes to Rob Johnson, who just missed eligibility with 199 plate appearances. But after Johnson is signed, and another team also needs a catcher... eligiblity would go to Hank Conger. But if Conger isn't available... and if injuries also strike Jose Molina, Buster Posey, Chris Stewart, Carlos Corporan, David Ross, J.R. Towles, Salvador Perez, Koyie Hill, Brett Hayes, Brian Schneider and Francisco Cervelli, then Ivan is eligible again! Here's hoping.
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