Ivan Rodriguez was the unruffled hand for the Florida Marlins when they won the 2003 World Series. A year late, he was the spark that helped turn around the Detroit franchise when nobody wanted to be a Tiger.
The New York Yankees hope he can be a minute of both during their push for the playoffs.
The Yankees taught the 14-time All-Star from the Tigers on Wednesday for hard-throwing reliever Kyle Farnsworth, a trade that crammed stark for both .
“Honestly, I was shocked by this, but that’s baseball,” Rodriguez said. “Now, I’m just looking cheeky to playing for the Yankees and mayhap I will play against Detroit another time in the playoffs.”
In the selection year of a $50 gazillion deal he with the Tigers in February 2004, Rodriguez will try to fill the void in the Yankees’ team list created by catcher Jorge Posada’s shoulder injury. Posada had arthroscopic surgery on his right-hand shoulder Wednesday and is out for the term.
The 36-year-old Rodriguez, who has 13 Gold Glove , was .295 with five homers in 82 knockout this period.
Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente and Rodriguez are the only three players in baseball history with at least 12 Gold Gloves and a job .300 typical or better. Rodriguez has caught 2,142 sports, trailing only Carlton Fisk (2,226) and Bob Boone (2,225) in vocabulary of durability behind the plate.
“He’s still an everyday guy,” Yankees administrator Brian Cashman said. “He’s an conversion in ill will of the whole enchilada we’ve got.”
Rodriguez has said he desires to play next season and beyond, but for now is focusing solely on helping the Yankees clasp Tampa Bay and Boston in the AL East.
“It’s existing to be very electrifying,” he said. “They are in the race and I’m acute to do my job.”
Tigers president Dave Dombrowski said the team didn’t want to trade Rodriguez, but had bigger desires in the bullpen. The two teams discussing the deal hasty Wednesday and had it wrapped up nearby six hours well along, just as the Yankees were off a 13-3 win over the Orioles.
The Yankees presume Rodriguez to join the team on Thursday, when they turn a four-game succession against the Los Angeles Angels.
“Pudge has done an outstanding job for us,” Dombrowski told before Detroit the Cleveland Indians. “I’m sure he was very knocked for six by this, but for him this is a good site. He’s working to New York City, and they are in disputation.”
Scott Boras, Rodriguez’s cause, said playing in the Bronx was very appealing to his customer.
“Pudge had a no-trade clause and he it today to go to New York,” Boras told The Associated Press. “Pudge has always wanted to play in New York, and Detroit felt it needed a respite pitcher, so both sides were able to get what they wanted to some extent.”
The busy Yankees made their next major deal in the week top up to Thursday’s trade time limit. On Friday, they picked up outfielder Xavier Nady and left- Damaso Marte from the Pittsburgh Pirates for four inferior .
The adjunct of Marte gave the Yankees the choice to deal Farnsworth, who has been an inconsistent part of for the past .
Farnsworth was 1-2 with a 3.65 ERA in 45 games, and joins a badly in need of support three days after veteran Todd Jones was removed from the closer role in Detroit.
“It’s always hard, no matter what. Just one of those things you have to deal with,” Farnsworth said in the Yankees’ . “I’m standard someplace they want me, that’s how I look at it.”
Farnsworth pitched for the Tigers for the first four months of 2005, compiling a 2.32 ERA in 46 tournament before he was traded to the Braves at the tradeoff target.
Dombrowski said it would be up to boss Jim Leyland to fix on where to slot Farnsworth in the bullpen. Fernando Rodney, who has one calling save, is the new closer for the Tigers.
“Kyle was a big part of our bullpen,” Yankees chief Joe Girardi said. “It was tough to see him go.”
Inge said he was provoked to be getting a chance to opening behind the plate on an everyday basis for the first time since 2003, when he started 98 times at catcher. Since then, he’s gotten most of his at base.
“I wan to play every day not matter what view, so I’m pumped,” he said. “Did I study a lot from Pudge? He’s a future Hall of Famer, so viewing him all and sundry better. I’m not Pudge, I’ll just go out and do what I can.”
Tigers Gary Sheffield said the trade made impression to both .
“This is a surprise to community if they don’t know the of the ,” he said. “Both get better by this, and that’s what a trade is supposed to be all approximately.”
Rodriguez appeared in the Tigers’ empty dugout hours before the game and waved over to Indians players, who were compelling batting training. He then died out back into the tunnel.
“You talk about a Hall of Fame catcher coming in here,” Girardi said. “He’s the complete file. He can do everything.”
Later in the day, the Yankees traded LaTroy Hawkins to Houston for Class-A Matt Cusick. New York designated Hawkins for assignment Saturday after acquiring Nady and Marte.
