With apologies to Johnny Bench and Yogi Berra, Pudge Rodriguez will be the best catcher in the history of baseball before he's finished, if he isn't already. So why is this very likely his last season with the Texas Rangers?

Lots of people, including Rangers owner Tom Hicks and general manager John Hart, complicate this question. But it comes down to this: Sometimes you don't appreciate what you've got until it's gone.

	Ivan Rodriguez Catcher Texas Rangers Profile
	2001 SEASON STATISTICS GM R HR RBI SB AVG 111 70 25 65 10 .308

Rodriguez is 30 years old and is a 10-time All-Star and 10-time Gold Glover. He became a .300 hitter for the first time in 1995, and has batted .300 every year since. He hit 20 home runs for the first time in '97, and has hit at least that many every year since.

Given the dearth of quality catchers, there's no real way to estimate the impact Rodriguez has had on the Rangers' won-loss record during his 11-year career. Texas had gone 0-for-19 at reaching the playoffs before his arrival and has won four division titles with him.

Some managers believe he has had more impact on winning than any position player in the last decade, including Alex Rodriguez. Yet the same management that made a 10-year, $252-million commitment to A-Rod has made no attempts to extend I-Rod's contract, which expires at the end of this season.

Rodriguez insists that is OK with him. "I don't think about the contract extension," he said this spring. "I have one more season with the Rangers. After that, we'll see what happens."

The catching Rodriguez isn't exactly impoverished, of course. In addition to a homestead in his native Puerto Rico, he owns his own Miami mansion, complete with a statue of himself and Colombian immigrants who serve as nanny, cook and gardeners for his wife and three children.

Rodriguez will earn $9 million this season. That's not only $12 million less than Alex Rodriguez, but ranks him in a tie for fourth with Rafael Palmeiro on a Texas team that last season had the highest payroll ever for a last-place team ($92.7 million).

The addition of free agents Chan Ho Park and Juan Gonzalez have taken total salaries beyond $100 million this season, and there's no guarantee they will escape the cellar. In fact, given the strength of Seattle, Oakland and an improved Anaheim, they will have a tough time finishing over .500 even though their lineup includes four likely Hall of Famers and a leading Rookie of the Year candidate in third baseman Hank Blalock.

Hicks insists he has a plan. "What I'm doing this year is investing in the future," the owner said. "We're going to take a hit in the short term to make money in the long term."

There's no better investment he could make in the future than hanging onto the rock he has behind the plate. But the Rangers have taken a wait-and-see attitude with Rodriguez, citing questions about his durability after September surgery to repair patella tendinitis in his right knee.

Manager Jerry Narron does not sound concerned. "I hope Pudge is my biggest problem," Narron said. "If so, we'll have a pretty good year. I don't foresee him having any problems."

Catchers On The Spot

ESPN analysts tell us who's on the hot seat: Dave Campbell Todd Hundley, Cubs. The Cubs signed Hundley to a four-year deal before last season, then he went out and hit .187 with 12 homers. He hasn't been the same since he hit 41 homers with the Mets in 1996. Hundley needs to either turn his career around or the Cubs will have to declare him a bust. Tom Candiotti Ivan Rodriguez, Rangers. He needs to rebound to his MVP form for the new-look Rangers. Pudge and company could be playing in October if they pitch well. Rob Dibble Jason Varitek, Red Sox. Last year, Red Sox pitchers were 51-36 with a 3.57 ERA before Varitek got hurt and 31-43 with a 4.83 ERA after. They'll need him to play at least 130 games this season.

Rodriguez says he understands why Hart has said it's unlikely any contract talks will take place before the end of the season. "They want to watch me and see how my knee is doing, and see how I'm going to perform this year," he said. "I understand. I'm just going to stay healthy and do my job. I'm not angry."

Whether Rodriguez says it or not, the reality is this is a crazy stance to take with the franchise's most valuable player, especially when you're throwing money around like confetti. There was no more reliable performer in the '90s than the squatty catcher, who averaged catching 136 of every 162 games in his full big-league seasons.

Rodriguez has caught only 203 games in two years since winning the American League MVP Award in 1999, twice suffering season-ending injuries. But it was a freak event that sidelined him in 2000. He broke his thumb when his hand hit Mo Vaughn's bat as he threw to second.

Toughess should never be an issue with Rodriguez. In his third major-league season, he suffered a broken cheekbone when Hubie Brooks hit him with his backswing. He had surgery the next day and was back in the lineup three days later.

Loyalty has never been a problem, either.

Doug Melvin, then the Rangers' GM, was preparing to trade Rodriguez to the New York Yankees in a trading deadline blockbuster in 1997 when the catcher came into the club offices by himself and worked out the five-year extension that expires at the end of this season.

Melvin and New York's Bob Watson were discussing the framework of a deal that would have sent Jorge Posada, Eric Milton and Tony Armas Jr. to Texas for Rodriguez, who was eligible for free agency after the season. "My gut feeling was we were going to have to move him," Melvin said. "I remember telling my wife that I could get run out of town, because there was a good chance I'll have to trade Pudge."

Perhaps Hart believes he can create a similar market for Rodriguez this July. Once the Rangers have fallen far behind Seattle and Oakland, Rodriguez's future will become a primary topic of conversation in Texas.

Because he attained 10-and-five status last season (10 years in the big leagues, five with the same team), Rodriguez has full veto power over any trades. While he says his preference is to stay in Texas, it's likely he would approve a deal to any club that extends him an agreeable contract extension. If Hart agrees on a deal, expect it to come with a 72-hour window for the team acquiring him to work out an extension.

Some people around the Rangers' organization are hoping Rodriguez experiences a sub-par season, which would reduce his leverage and make it more likely he stays put. That's a risky game to play with this guy.

Five other catchers to watch
1. Charles Johnson, Marlins. Spring training thumb injury has set a bad tone for a guy whose game collapsed in the second half last season. Florida's on the hook for $30 million over the next four years, so it needs Johnson to get it together and play like the organizational coverboy he is supposed to be.
2. Ben Davis, Mariners. Scouts still love him, but he's never lived up to advance billing. The Pat Gillick seal of approval means nobody should be surprised if he has a breakout season.
3. Mike Lieberthal, Phillies. It killed Lieberthal to be sidelined after May 12 last year. His return is one of the best things manager Larry Bowa has going for him.
4. Toby Hall, Devil Rays. Will the former UNLV All-American become Tampa Bay's first homegrown All-Star? He'll hit fifth for manager Hal McRae and could provide 25 homers and 80-plus RBI.
5. Todd Hundley, Cubs. Nobody needs a fast start more. Hundley should benefit from the addition of Moises Alou and Fred McGriff, which takes the focus off him. If his 2001 funk carries into '02 (and a .178 spring average indicates it probably will) he'll once again be manager Don Baylor's biggest problem.

Phil Rogers is the national baseball writer for the Chicago Tribune, which has a web site at www.chicagosports.com.