Rodriguez Recruited Rodriguez

Alex and Ivan Rodriguez share much more than their last name.

Long before they were multimillionaires and new teammates on the Texas Rangers, they began a friendship while sitting together to sign autographs at a charity event one afternoon.

Over the years, they kept up the way baseball players do, through box scores and highlight film, and stayed in touch the way friends do, through phone calls and time together when their paths crossed.

In the last few months, the Rodriguezes have had many more opportunities for quality time.

First, Ivan moved his offseason home to Miami after years of urging by Alex. Then Alex, prodded by Ivan, signed with the Rangers, pairing them on the field for at least the next two seasons.

“The story has a lot of irony in it,” said Alex, who in December signed a record $252 million, 10-year contract with Texas, the team for which Ivan has played his entire career.

“I recruited him the last four or five years to come live in Miami and finally he’s made the move. And whoever thought I’d be playing with him in Texas? It’s going to be real nice.”

Ivan was expected to arrive in Port Charlotte, Fla., over the weekend with the pitchers and catchers--something he’s rarely done in his career and perhaps an early sign of Alex’s influence. Alex was expected later in the week.

“We’re both going to help each other out a lot here,” Alex said. “We’re going to want to outdo each other in good ways, push each other.”

Ivan said: “He knows how to play this game. I think he’s going to be great and he’s going to be happy here with us.”

Alex and Ivan give Texas quite a dynamic duo: Two guys considered the best all-around players at their positions and both still in their 20s.

Their friendship is a bonus, although one that shouldn’t be overlooked--considering the problems that could be caused by a free agent strolling into a locker room with a higher profile and fatter paycheck than the resident All-Star.

“Alex and I are good friends,” said Ivan, who’ll make $8.5 million this season to Alex’s $21 million. “When he played with Seattle, we communicated by phone. He’s a great guy.

“He’s excited to be here, very happy to be my teammate. It’s exciting knowing that the Rangers are going to have him for 10 years.”

Ivan played an active role in luring Alex to Texas, selling him on the organization, fans and community. Alex knew Ivan was sincere because in 1997 he gave the Rangers a home-team discount rather than seek a bigger payday through free agency.

“I call him Barry Switzer,” Alex said, snickering, “because he’s such a great recruiter.”

The roles might be reversed when Ivan’s contract expires after the 2002 season, although Alex probably won’t have to push hard. Ivan already has said he’d like to spend the rest of his career as a Ranger.

Known to teammates and fans as Pudge, 29-year-old Ivan has won a Gold Glove every year since he turned 20. In recent years his bat has become as feared as his powerful arm. That combination helped him win the AL MVP award in 1999 and become one of the best all-around catchers in baseball history.

A-Rod was the top overall pick in the 1993 draft and became Seattle’s starting shortstop 13 months later. He’s set all sorts of slugging records for his position and has a reliable glove, too. His combination of skills and youth--he’s only 25--is why many considered him the most desirable free agent ever.

About the only thing missing from their resumes is a World Series. They’ve been close, though. One of them has been in the playoffs each of the last six seasons: Alex with the Mariners in 1995, ’97 and ‘00, Ivan and the Rangers in ‘96, ’98 and ’99.

In Texas this season, Ivan will probably bat second and Alex surely will hit third. A hot streak by one should help the other, as well as the rest of the lineup.

Defensively, Alex and Ivan are perhaps the game’s best players at their positions--shortstop and catcher, two of the four vital up-the-middle spots on the diamond.

“This year we’re going to have a very, very good shot to go all the way,” said Ivan, adding that he’s fully recovered from the broken right thumb that ended his 2000 season in late July. “It’s going to be nice.”

The Rodriguezes share another trait: They’ve spent the majority of their careers in the shadow of a bigger star.

Alex spent six seasons with Ken Griffey Jr., while Ivan’s first nine seasons were with Juan Gonzalez. Gonzalez was the AL MVP in 1996 and ‘98; Griffey won it in ’97. Alex was the runner-up to Gonzalez in ‘96, losing by a three points that could be traced to Seattle voters giving their first-place votes to Griffey -- as Alex had asked them to do.

“The best thing for me about playing with a guy like Ken Griffey Jr. was that it pushed me to the next level,” Alex said. “Hopefully, I did the same for him. I think the team benefited greatly.”

The new teammates have been working out together in Miami. They recently hooked up in Texas for the team’s winter carnival, even signing autographs together again.

“Pudge is a great worker, probably the hardest-working guy I’ve ever seen. It’s been fun,” Alex said. “To me, it’s a great advantage to work out with one of the game’s best.”