NEW YORK -- The Yankees held Old Timers' Day on Sunday and Ivan Rodriguez was not there. His time with the Yankees amounted to 33 games in 2008.
It could have been much more. Rodriguez almost became another Yankees legend with his own plaque in Monument Park next to fellow catchers Bill Dickey, Thurman Munson and Yogi Berra.
How close did he come in 1997?
"There was a deal in place," said former Rangers president Tom Schieffer.
If the deal had gone down, Rodriguez probably would be going into the Hall of Fame this summer as a Yankee.