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'Pudge' Rodriguez to retire as a Ranger

Former Texas Rangers catcher Ivan Rodriguez will retire on Monday as a member of the team he spent most of his career with, ESPN.com reported.

Former Texas Rangers catcher Ivan Rodriguez will retire on Monday as a member of the team he spent most of his career with, ESPN.com reported.

The Rangers declined to comment.

Rodriguez, who won the 1999 American League MVP and went to 10 straight All-Star Games with the Rangers, was not able to find a job this spring. The 40-year-old affectionately known as "Pudge" began his major league career with the Rangers in 1991.

Rodriguez was also a four-time All-Star with the Detroit Tigers and won a World Series as a member of the 2003 Florida Marlins.

Rodriguez signed with the Marlins after spending all or parts of 12 seasons with the Rangers. He returned to Texas in 2009 when the Rangers acquired him after catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia was injured late in the season.

Rodriguez was part of three AL West champion teams in Texas in 1996, 1998 and 1999. He hit .332 with 35 homers and 113 RBIs and stole 25 bases during his MVP season.

Besides his 13 Gold Gloves, Ivan Rodriguez will retire as one of the greatest offensive catchers of all-time.

Rodriguez becomes the third longtime catcher to retire since last season ended, joining Jorge Posada and Jason Varitek.

Rodriguez finishes with a .296 batting average, 2,884 hits, 311 home runs and 1,332 RBI. He broke the record of 10 Gold Gloves at catcher that had been held by Johnny Bench and hit .300 or better 10 times.

Rodriguez spent the last two seasons with the Washington Nationals. He decided not to accept a contract offer from the Kansas City Royals, who were interested after Salvador Perez injured a knee and needed surgery. Rodriguez hit only .218 last year with two homers and 19 RBI in 124 at-bats.

Noteworthy * 

Cleveland pitcher Jeanmar Gomez was suspended for five games and fined by Major League Baseball, which concluded he intentionally threw at the Royals' Mike Moustakas last weekend. Gomez hit Moustakas in the third inning of Cleveland's 11-9, 10-inning win at Kansas City on Saturday, causing benches to clear to the second time. Kansas City's Jonathan Sanchez had plunked Cleveland's Shin-Soo Choo in the top half.

* The Los Angeles Angels are close to finalizing a contract extension for Gold Glove shortstop Erick Aybar, who likely would be a sought-after free agent in the fall. ESPNdeportes.com reported Aybar is getting a 4-year, $35 million deal.

In games last night * 

At Boston, Mike Napoli hit a two-run homer and drove in four runs, and the Texas Rangers completed a two-game sweep with a 6-3 win over the Red Sox. Josh Hamilton had three singles and drove in a run for the Rangers, who won their sixth straight.

* At New York, Justin Morneau hit two mammoth homers and Jason Marquis won his Minnesota debut, sending the Twins to a 6-5 victory over the Yankees.

* At Toronto, Luke Scott hit a grand slam, Ben Zobrist added a two-run homer and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Blue Jays, 12-2. Matt Joyce and Sean Rodriguez added solo shots for Tampa Bay.

* At Kansas City, Prince Fielder drove in two runs, Max Scherzer (1-1) got his first win of the season and the Detroit Tigers won, 4-3, handing the Royals their seventh straight loss.

* At Chicago, Adam Dunn lined a three-run double, A.J. Pierzynski homered and the White Sox snapped a three-game slide with an 8-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles.