Q&A: Pudge talks 2003 Marlins, famous play at the plate

This story was excerpted from Christina De Nicola’s Marlins Beat e-newsletter. To learn the total e-newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it recurrently in your inbox.

Flashback Fridays maintain a extra particular which means in the course of the 2023 season for the Marlins, who’re celebrating the franchise’s thirtieth anniversary and the twentieth anniversary of their second World Collection championship.

Within the newest Q&A installment, we meet up with catcher Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguezwhom the Marlins signed to a one-year, $10 million contract forward of the 2003 season. Rodríguez was an American League MVP, a 10-time All-Star, a 10-time Gold Glover and a six-time Silver Slugger by the point he arrived in South Florida for the thirteenth of his 21 MLB seasons.

The Corridor of Famer hit .297/.369/.474 with 36 doubles, three triples, 16 homers and 85 RBIs in 144 video games in 2003 — his most in a season in the course of the 2000s. Rodríguez additionally helped information the younger rotation. Rodríguez made the a lot of the Marlins’ World Collection championship run that season by batting .313 with 5 doubles, three homers and 17 RBIs, together with a five-RBI efficiency in Sport 1 of the NL Championship Collection towards the Cubs.

MLB.com: How did issues flip round that season?

Rodríguez: We had a aim in Spring Coaching, and the aim that yr was to play laborious. We did not have essentially the most gifted workforce on the time, as a result of the yr earlier than they misplaced 83 video games. However we had a aim, and the aim was simply to go on the market and play as greatest as we are able to and do the very best that we are able to. We did not do a great job at first of the season. We have been 10 video games beneath .500. However after that, we simply began to select it up.

Dontrelle Willis, Josh Beckett, Brad Penny, Carl Pavano, [Ugueth] Urbina, [Jeff] Conine — all these guys within the lineup, we began clicking, and we began to say, ‘You understand what? It is time to play ball.’ And we began in Cincinnati. We did a vital workforce assembly in Cincinnati, after which from there, we began to play the sport the way in which that we have been imagined to be taking part in.

And clearly an incredible job with the entrance workplace and the GM. We went with Jack McKeon, after which we grew to become an incredible workforce. We have been underdogs. On the time, it helped us so much, as a result of we performed with nothing to lose. And whenever you play with nothing to lose, you play free, you play relaxed, you play comfortably. I believe that was one of many fundamental issues to assist us in 2003, and I believe that is why we gained the World Collection. Proficient workforce, however underdogs, nothing to lose, and all that mixed, labored for us higher.

MLB.com: The place does the NL Division Collection play on the plate rank in your profession?

Rodríguez: (laughs) It harm. It was nice. I believe it was within the high three, to be trustworthy with you. I performed for thus a few years that I keep in mind so many performs that I did. However that one I keep in mind. Everyone is aware of that play in Sport 4 towards J.T. Snow [with] Jeff Conine. Bloop single, house plate, one-bounce good throw. I keep in mind it prefer it was in the present day. It was an incredible play, and to win the sport. All of the gamers celebrating on high of me, I believe it harm [with] all of the gamers on high of me greater than the play, as a result of everyone was on high of me and I used to be attempting to point out the ball to the umpire and I could not as a result of Ugie and all of the gamers have been throughout me. I lastly confirmed it and the umpire referred to as him out, after which lastly I dropped it.