Ivan Rodriguez named NLCS MVP

Latino Legends in Sports News.

Iván Rodríguez named NLCS MVP

Florida Marlins win three consecutive games against the Cubs to earn a World Series berth.

Written by Nelson Ortiz, Latinosportslegends.com

October 16, 2003 -- All-Star catcher of the Florida Marlins, Iván "I-Rod" Rodríguez was named MVP of the National League Championship Series on Wednesday night after driving in his NLCS-record 10th run and scoring twice as the Florida Marlins beat Chicago in Game 7 at Wrigley Field, 9-6, to complete one of the most memorable comebacks in postseason history.

Florida advanced to the World Series for the second time in its 10-year history and become only the fifth team to come back from a 3-1 deficit and win the pennant.

"Nobody expected us to be in the World Series,'' Rodríguez said.

Rodríguez also got hits in all 11 of the Marlins' postseason games this year.

It's the first trip to the World Series for the 10-time All Star, who was let go by Texas last year in a cost-cutting move.

The Marlins will head off to face Boston or the New York Yankees in the World Series starting Saturday night.

"We didn't lose the pennant, the Marlins won it,'' Cubs manager Dusty Baker said. "We were close and the Marlins took it from us, it's as simple as that.''

Cubs' starting pitcher, Kerry Wood allowed seven hits and seven runs in 5 2/3 innings, the most runs he had allowed since the Phillies scored eight against him in five-plus innings on July 24.

In a cruel twist to the Cubs' faithful, Florida will make its second Series trip in only 11 years of existence. The Cubs, in their 128th season, haven't been to the World Series since 1945 and haven't won a championship since 1908.