Home Plate Update March 2020 | Page 3

Pudge Rodriguez Statue Unveiled Outside Globe Life Field Baseball Hall of Famer and Texas Rangers legend Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez now has a permanent tribute at the new Globe Life Field. The Rangers unveiled a statue of Rodriguez on March 4 outside the stadium's southwest entrance. Rodriguez and his family were there to mark the moment, just days before the stadium opens for the 2020 season. "Having my statue in the new ballpark, sitting in the home plate area for life, is going to be a dream," Rodriguez said. Texas Rangers Hall of Famer Tom Grieve was also on hand to speak to Rodriguez's legacy. "There's going to be kids that come to the ballpark that didn't see Pudge play," Grieve said. "Some of them don't remember who Pudge is. It will be a tremendous THANK YOU NOTES TO GLOBE LIFE PARK IN ARLINGTON opportunity for those of us who do to tell our kids, to tell our grandkids, all the things we remember about Pudge and what made him such a special Rangers player." Rodriguez said he considers the statue to be one of the greatest rewards he's received from the Rangers. The statue will soon be joined by other pieces including the Tom Vandergriff and Nolan Ryan statues currently at Globe Life Park. Fans of the Texas Rangers write thank you notes to share their favorite memories at Globe Life Park in Arlington. 3