[RCOW] John Rodriguez | The St. Louis J-Rod

Before Julio Rodriguez was a household name, there was another J-Rod patrolling the outfield in St. Louis.

In this week’s edition of Random Cardinal of the Week, Jim Plaza dives into the career of John Rodriguez. A classic "late bloomer," Rodriguez spent eight grueling years in the minor leagues and logged over 2,500 at-bats before finally getting his shot at age 27.

Discover how a "player to be named later" trade turned into a fairy-tale 2005 debut where Rodriguez found himself hitting second in a lineup featuring Albert Pujols, Jim Edmonds, and Larry Walker. From a scorching .438 batting average in early 2006 to earning a World Series ring, John Rodriguez’s story is a masterclass in baseball perseverance.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The legendary "MV3" era of the mid-2000s.

• Rodriguez’s incredible Triple-A stats that forced the Cardinals' hand.

• The 2006 championship run and his life after the Birds.