Q&A: Pudge talks 2003 Marlins, famous play at the plate

This story was excerpted from Christina De Nicola’s Marlins Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

Flashback Fridays hold a more special meaning during the 2023 season for the Marlins, who are celebrating the franchise's 30th anniversary and the 20th anniversary of their second World Series championship.

In the latest Q&A installment, we catch up with catcher Iván "Pudge" Rodríguez, whom the Marlins signed to a one-year, $10 million contract ahead of the 2003 season. Rodríguez was an American League MVP, a 10-time All-Star, a 10-time Gold Glover and a six-time Silver Slugger by the time he arrived in South Florida for the 13th of his 21 MLB seasons.

The Hall of Famer hit .297/.369/.474 with 36 doubles, three triples, 16 homers and 85 RBIs in 144 games in 2003 -- his most in a season during the 2000s. Rodríguez also helped guide the young rotation. Rodríguez made the most of the Marlins' World Series championship run that season by batting .313 with five doubles, three homers and 17 RBIs, including a five-RBI performance in Game 1 of the NL Championship Series against the Cubs.

MLB.com: How did things turn around that season?

Rodríguez: We had a goal in Spring Training, and the goal that year was to play hard. We didn't have the most talented team at the time, because the year before they lost 83 games. But we had a goal, and the goal was just to go out there and play as best as we can and do the best that we can. We didn't do a good job in the beginning of the season. We were 10 games below .500. But after that, we just started to pick it up.

Dontrelle Willis, Josh Beckett, Brad Penny, Carl Pavano, [Ugueth] Urbina, [Jeff] Conine -- all those guys in the lineup, we started clicking, and we started to say, 'You know what? It's time to play ball.' And we started in Cincinnati. We did a very important team meeting in Cincinnati, and then from there, we started to play the game the way that we were supposed to be playing.

And obviously a great job with the front office and the GM. We went with Jack McKeon, and then we became a great team. We were underdogs. At the time, it helped us a lot, because we played with nothing to lose. And when you play with nothing to lose, you play free, you play relaxed, you play comfortably. I think that was one of the main things to help us in 2003, and I think that's why we won the World Series. Talented team, but underdogs, nothing to lose, and all that combined, worked for us better.

MLB.com: Where does the NL Division Series play at the plate rank in your career?

Rodríguez: (laughs) It hurt. It was great. I think it was in the top three, to be honest with you. I played for so many years that I remember so many plays that I did. But that one I remember. Everybody knows that play in Game 4 against J.T. Snow [with] Jeff Conine. Bloop single, home plate, one-bounce perfect throw. I remember it like it was today. It was a great play, and to win the game. All the players celebrating on top of me, I think it hurt [with] all the players on top of me more than the play, because everybody was on top of me and I was trying to show the ball to the umpire and I couldn't because Ugie and all the players were all over me. I finally showed it and the umpire called him out, and then finally I dropped it.