Pudge finishes what he started

June 19, 11:59 PMHouston Astros ExaminerStephen Goff

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Astros catcher Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez set the MLB record for most career games caught by a catcher (2,227) Wednesday night in Arlington, passing Hall of Famer Carlton Fisk on the all-time list. (AP Photo)

Athletes generate a sense of pride when finishing what they start. Overall, records in professional, collegiant and high school sports are made to be broken.

In Major League Baseball, countless players continue to impact the historical aspects of the game.

Whether its Joe DiMaggio's infamous 56-game hitting streak or Cal Ripken, Jr. passing Lou Gehrig for most consecutive game played, an exclusive club exist among ballplayers destined to achieve milestones.

Astros catcher Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez proves that durability and passion for the game can positively influence the lives of family, friends, teammates, coaches and fans.

The 37-year-old catcher signed a one-year deal with Houston prior to the 2009 season. Remarkably, he found it difficult to attract interest on the free-agent market.

With the exception of the New York Yankees or Boston Red Sox, the majority of MLB teams avoided offering lucrative contracts to free agents this offseason.

Instead, owners and general managers established a trend of signing low-risk, potential high-reward veterans to bargain contracts. Houston general manager Ed Wade followed the trend with the signing of Mike Hampton, Russ Ortiz and Pudge.

Originally, the Astros were not interest in signing the 1999 AL MVP, considering he's been a high-priced player throughout his career. He earned $10.6 million in 2006 and 2007, followed by $12.6 million last season with the Detroit Tigers and Yankees.

Despite being a 14-time All-Star, he began showing signs of dimenshing skills in correlation with his age last season. After being traded to the Yankees in late July, Rodriguez hit .219 with two home runs and three RBI in 96 at-bats.

Rodriguez was adamant about playing this season. He wanted to help a potential contender behind the plate in his quest to achieve two milestones in his career -- 300 homers and Carlton Fisk's record for most career games caught by a catcher (2,226).

He captialized on a stellar performance in the 2009 World Baseball Classic to generate interest among MLB teams. Once he decreased his asking price, Wade jumped at the opportunity of signing the legendary catcher.

Pudge represents an ideal solution for the Astros behind the plate as No. 1 prospect Jason Castro continues to develop and climb the minor league ladder.

Significance of milestones

Houston may not be contending the way Pudge envisioned, but heading into a three-game interleague road series this weekend against the Minnesota Twins, the Astros remain within striking distance in the NL Central.

The 13-time Gold Glove winner already connected for his 300th career homer off Chicago Cubs starter Rich Harden May 17 at Wrigley Field. His father watched as he rounded the bases to become the sixth catcher in history to reach 300. 

Although 300 career home runs meant a great deal, Pudge had his eye on a much larger milestone. Prior to this season, he was closing in on Fisk's record of 2,226 games caught.

Fate and destiny has a special way of breeding magical moments. Ironically, Pudge had a date with destiny during Houston's three-game Lone Star Series in Arlington. He took the field once again in the city which defined his career. 

He spent the first 12 seasons of his career with the Rangers winning an MVP Award, earning 10 of his 13 Gold Gloves and catching 1,426 games, while establishing himself as a hero on and off the field.

Rodriguez made his major league debut June 20, 1991 at Comiskey Park, catching Kevin Brown and Nolan Ryan in his first two starts. At the time, the 19-year-old's counterpart behind the plate happened to be Fisk, the very catcher who's record he would break 18-years later. 

In the series opener Tuesday night, Rodriguez strapped on his catcher's gear and assumed his position behind the plate. He went 1-for-4 with a solo homer in the 6-1 loss. The Astros snapped their two-game winning streak, but Pudge recorded his 2,226th game to tie Fisk.

On Wednesday, in front of his parents, wife and children, Rodriguez made history with his 2,227th career game behind the plate. He surpassed Fisk to take sole position of first on the all-time list.

Overall, it was a night Rodriguez would soon like to forget defensively. The Rangers capitalized on two of his throwing errors and stole three bases en route to a 5-4 win.

Despite his dismal performance, the trill of making history generated goose bumps for the legendary catcher. Before a crowd of 32,425 at Rangers Ballpark, Texas fans respectfully honored their former icon with a standing ovation in his first at-bat.

Legitimacy of record

The positive emotion from the crowd was significant to the game of baseball one day after the New York Times reported that Sammy Sosa tested positive for performance enhancers in 2003.

Numerous baseball writers and media have made it a point this week to cast a cloud of suspicion over Pudge's new record. 

Rodriguez has longed been rumored to alleged performance-enhancing drug use. In Jose Canseco's book Juiced, he claims to have educated Rodriguez, along with former teammates Juan Gonzalez and Rafael Palmeiro, about steriods.

Also, Canseco further claims he acquired steriods on behalf of all three players before personally injecting them on several occasions with a combination of HGH and steroids (Deca-Durabolin and Winstrol), as well as a small dosage of injectable testosterone.

Currently, there is no concrete evidence, only allegations, that links Pudge to HGH or steroid use. Whether or not he's one of the 104 players who tested positive in the 2003 MLB survey test remains unclear.

Although Alex Rodriguez and Sosa's names have leaked to the public, the objective of the 2003 test was to anonyomously determine if baseball had a problem with steriods. When 104 out of 120 players tested positive, Commissioner Bud Selig implemented a strict, mandatory drug testing in 2004.

Fans and writers will continue to speculate the potential names believed to be on the list. If the day comes in which the entire list becomes public, then we'll be able to distinguish the guilty from the innocent. For now, a suspected player, such as Pudge, is innocent until proven guilty.

Art of catching

Pudge deserves respect for what he's accomplished behind the plate over the course of his career.

The position of catcher requires a comprehensive understanding of the game's strategies; the very reason why former catchers such as Joe Girardi, Mike Scioscia, Joe Torre and Eric Wedge are successful big league managers. 

He consistently calls a good game, manages the pitching staff and makes stellar defensive plays in addition to his ability to swing the bat.

Like most catchers, Rodriguez suffers a tremendous amount of physical abuse behind the plate. They tend to have shorter careers compared to other position players due to knee ailments stemming from the awkward croutching. 

Pudge defied the odds by averaging 121 games per season at catcher over 18 seasons. For the 2009 season, he's already caught 55 games for the Astros. As the season moves forward, Pudge will keep padding his new record.

It seems unlikey that a catcher will challenge his record in the near future. Minnesota Twins All-Star catcher Joe Mauer, 26, could emerge as a potential candidate if he manages to stay healthy over the next 10-12 seasons.