SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Ivan Rodriguez is the newest member of the Texas Rangers front office staff.
The Rangers announced that they have hired Rodriguez to serve as a special assistant to general manager Jon Daniels, as well as serve as an instructor and ambassador.
Rodriguez, who played with Texas from 1991-2002 and in 2009, will make his first appearance in his new role next weekend at Rangers spring training.
Daniels said Rodriguez's role essentially has two parts to it. He'll help out with on-field instruction -- he worked with catching prospect Jorge Alfaro this past winter in the Dominican -- and also community relations and sponsorship events.
Daniels called Rodriguez the organization's best homegrown player to this point and said it only made sense for him to get back into baseball with the Rangers. Rodriguez officially retired from the game last April at Rangers Ballpark.
For his career, Rodriguez played in 2,543 major-league games, collecting 2,844 hits and hitting 311 home rusn with a career .296 batting average. His honors included 14 American League All-Star appearances and 13 Gold Gloves, the most ever won by a catcher. In 1999, Rodriguez was named the AL MVP.
-- Drew Davison
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