Globe iconLogin iconRecap iconSearch iconTickets icon

Watch Ivan Rodriguez and his family react to the news that he was elected to the Hall of Fame

By Michael Clair

A Hall of Fame career takes a lifetime of devotion to the sport of baseball. From the earliest days of playing catch to grueling workouts with no end in sight, it is only the players with the greatest combination of talent, luck and willpower that even reach the Majors -- much less become the greatest of all time. After managing to check all of those boxes off and putting together a career among the very best, how could one possibly react when told that they've gained admission to the Hall of Fame as one of baseball's immortals? 
Thanks to Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez, whose golden glove and rocket arm terrified basestealers and whose bat threatened opposing pitchers, we know. Just watch as Rodriguez receives the call that tells him he's earned a plaque in Cooperstown. 

That's 45 years of life devoted to the game being paid back in one phone call. Listening to his family react shows that this has been a journey for them, just as much as it was for Pudge. 
His son, a pitcher in the Twins organization, certainly is happy for his old man: 

Teams in this article:
Up Next
What do you get when you combine a block party and a baseball league?
BarberJordan
When baseball's biggest stars need a haircut, they come to José 'Jordan' López
By Matt Monagan •
beephero
Competition, joy and a little pain: Beep Baseball is a world of freedom for blind athletes
By Eric Chesterton •
AP_702417634020
The Metropolitan Museum of Art has one of the best baseball card collections in the world thanks to one man
By Michael Clair •
NYC
Where to live in New York if you've just come into $324 million
By Matt Monagan •