World Series: Fernando Rodney joins exclusive group of players
Fernando Rodney appeared in game two of the World Series for the Washington Nationals Wednesday, officially joining a unique group of players.
Washington Nationals reliever Fernando Rodney has had his fair share of big-league accomplishments. He’s a three-time all-star, led the league in saves in 2013 with the Mariners, and has been a hot commodity in the bullpen for postseason teams.
He has been to quite a few postseasons since his major-league debut in 2002. As a result, he joins a niche group of players who have participated in all rounds of the MLB postseason and for both the National and American Leagues.
Rodney’s postseason experience began in 2006 when he pitched out of the bullpen for the AL Champion Detroit Tigers. The Tigers cruised through the division and championship series’ but lost to the eventual champion St. Louis Cardinals in five games.
He first appeared in the recent wild card in 2013 with the Tampa Bay Rays. Those Rays lost in the divisional round to the eventual world-champion Red Sox.
When Rodney was a Cub in 2015, he got his first experience on a National League team in the postseason. Those Cubs, however, would be swept but the NL-champ Mets.
It was not until this year and game two of this year’s World Series with the Nats that Rodney collected them all. These are when he actually appeared:
ALWC: Tampa Bay Rays, 2013
NLWC: Arizona Diamondbacks, 2017
ALDS: Tampa Bay Rays, 2013
NLDS: Chicago Cubs, 2015
ALCS: Detroit Tigers, 2006
NLCS: Chicago Cubs, 2015
WS (AL): Detroit Tigers, 2006
WS (NL): Washington Nationals, 2019
Who did he join when he made this historic appearance?
Jon Lester
Accomplished: Chicago Cubs, 2018
Lester is the only other pitcher in this club. Lester has seen a lot of the American League postseason and a majority of it was with the Red Sox.
Lester began his career in 2006 and had plenty of national attention because not only was he a valued prospect, but a cancer survivor.
Baseball has many individual battles and titles and championships to attain, but Lester’s greatest victory has to be beating cancer.
It didn’t take long for Lester to find himself pitching in the postseason either. The five-time all-star first helped the 2007 Red Sox collect their second trophy in three years when they swept the Rockies.
He didn’t actually start in the division series until the next year but there would be no title defense after they got bounced by the Rays in the ALCS.
He never got to pitch in the AL wild-card game until 2014 as a member of the Oakland A’s. That was unfortunately as far as that A’s team got.
All of his National League postseason appearances were as a member of the Cubs, and he collected his third ring and the Cubs’ first in 106 years in 2016. In 2015, he and Rodney collected their NL firsts in the postseason.
ALWC: Oakland Athletics, 2014
NLWC: Chicago Cubs, 2018
ALDS: Boston Red Sox, 2008
NLDS: Chicago Cubs, 2015
ALCS: Boston Red Sox, 2007
NLCS: Chicago Cubs, 2015
WS (AL): Boston Red Sox, 2007
WS (NL): Chicago Cubs, 2016
Also in this group, a former teammate of Rodney, and a recent teammate of Lester.
Ben Zobrist
Accomplished: Chicago Cubs, 2018
Zobrist has been somewhat of a good luck charm in the postseason for several teams.
Beginning his career in 2006, Zobrist also quickly found himself in the postseason in 2008; all the way to the World Series even.
Zobrist accomplished all of his separate feats with two teams only. Though not all series did he debut in the same year, the Tampa Bay Rays were his AL team and the Chicago Cubs was his NL team.
Zobrist was even the World Series MVP of the Chicago Cubs’ first crown since 1908. That of course came after helping the Kansas City Royals claim the crown the prior year over the New York Mets; the very same Mets that swept the Cubs in the 2015 NLCS.
Zobrist was teammates of course with Lester in 2016 but also with Rodney back in 2013. That 2013 team was beaten by the eventual world-champion Red Sox; featuring their staff ace… Lester.
ALWC: Tampa Bay Rays, 2013
NLWC: Chicago Cubs, 2018
ALDS: Tampa Bay Rays, 2010
NLDS: Chicago Cubs, 2016
ALCS: Tampa Bay Rays, 2008
NLCS: Chicago Cubs, 2016
WS (AL): Tampa Bay Rays, 2008
WS (NL): Chicago Cubs, 2016
The final member, and first member to accomplish the feat certainly ended his career on a high note.
Carlos Beltran
Accomplished: Houston Astros, 2017
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The first, and by far most unique, member of the club to end all clubs is none other than Carlos Beltran.
Beltran had a long career as more of a journeyman around the MLB. Despite his individual and his teams’ success, there was one thing lacking from his mantle of accomplishments; a World Series ring.
The switch-hitting outfielder had to play for nearly a decade before making his first trip to the postseason. In 2004, the Houston Astros acquired Beltran in a trade with the Royals to help bolster their roster in a postseason push. It ultimately ended in the NLCS at the hands of the NL-champion Cardinals.
Beltran returned again in 2006 with the Mets but they still fell short; again at the hands of the Cardinals.
Beltran wouldn’t even return to the postseason until 2012 when he was a member of… the Cardinals. But back to back postseason runs in ’12 and 2013 ended just before the ring ceremony. They lost to the Giants in the 2012 NLCS and the world-champion Red Sox in the 2013 World Series.
It wasn’t until his age-40 season that Beltran finally collected the ring many players covet so dearly. It would also be his last season as he announced he would retire after the confetti had fallen.
To bring it full circle, the team he won the World Series with? The now AL Houston Astros.
ALWC: New York Yankees, 2015
NLWC: St. Louis Cardinals, 2012
ALDS: Texas Rangers, 2016
NLDS: Houston Astros, 2004
ALCS: Houston Astros, 2017
NLCS: Houston Astros, 2004
WS (AL): Houston Astros, 2017
WS (NL): St. Louis Cardinals, 2013
Red Sox sign Taiwanese pitcher Chih-Jung Liu. dark. Next
Now that he is a member, the only thing Rodney is missing to truly feel a member of this club is to accomplish the feat that the other three have done before him as well; win the World Series.