ARLINGTON, Texas -- Already considered the best catcher of his generation, Texas' Ivan Rodriguez solidified a spot among the greats Thursday by winning the American League's Most Valuable Player award.
Rodriguez edged Boston pitcher Pedro Martinez to become just the ninth catcher in either league to win baseball's top individual honor, joining the likes of Johnny Bench and Yogi Berra."That means a lot," said Rodriguez, the first MVP catcher since Thurman Munson of the Yankees in 1976. "I respect those guys a lot. To be compared to them is something special."
Rodriguez earned the comparisons by hitting .332 with 35 homers, 113 RBIs, 116 runs and 25 stolen bases. He became the first catcher with 20 homers and 20 steals in the same year and he's the first AL backstop to have 30 homers, 100 RBIs and 100 runs in the same season.
This was the third straight year he's set a personal best in average and homers, and it's the second straight year he's had bests in RBIs and steals.
"I prepared myself in the offseason with weights and running to make myself stronger physically and mentally," Rodriguez said. "I told my trainer I was going to hit 30 home runs this year and I hit five more."
Rodriguez was able to dedicate his offseason to a fitness routine because it was the first time he didn't play winter ball in his native Puerto Rico. The Rangers got him to agree to that while negotiating his contract.
"It helped keep me in shape and more fresh for the season," said Rodriguez, who earned a $250,000 bonus for winning the MVP. "But I just love to play baseball."
Rodriguez broke into the majors at age 19, mostly because of a powerful arm. The extra baby fat he carried earned him the nickname Pudge, which stuck.
Now sporting a rock-solid physique and a few days shy of turning 28, Rodriguez has become a complete player.
He just won his eighth Gold Glove and his sixth straight AL Silver Slugger award for being the best hitter in the league at his position.
Fans have voted him to start the last seven All-Star games.
"Talking about all phases of the game, along with being durable, what he's done at his age, I would argue, that he's the best," said Texas manager Johnny Oates, himself a former catcher. "Since I was old enough to know major league baseball, there's never been any catcher who can do more as well as he does."
The list of MVP catchers is a roll call of some of the best who've played the position: Bench, Berra, Munson, Elston Howard, Mickey Cochrane, Roy Campanella, Ernie Lombardi and Gabby Hartnett.
Munson and Elston Howard are the only ones not in the Hall of Fame.
The only thing missing from Rodriguez's resume is a championship. Texas won the AL West in three of the past last four seasons but has yet to get out of the first round.
Martinez, the unanimous AL Cy Young winner, had one more first-place vote than Rodriguez., marking only the fourth time that's happened. Rodriguez's 13-point victory was the closest since 1996, when Gonzalez beat Seattle's Alex Rodriguez by three points.
"The guys I competed with, they all had dream seasons," Rodriguez said. "But that's baseball. I feel I had a good season and I felt confident that I had a shot to be MVP and it came true. I'm so happy for it.