This April marks one of the worst months for MLB when it comes to losing some of their legends. We lost the four-time All-Star and the Dodgers legend Davey Lopes on April 9. Then we lost the Angels icon and the three-time All-Star, Garret Anderson, on April 17. So, missing these two legends in a short period was shocking and painful for the fans. But baseball god might have other plans.

As the fans are recovering from losing these two legends, the Yankees veteran catcher and two-time All-Star, Ellie Rodriguez, passed away at 79. One of the MLB’s few catchers to receive a no-hitter from Nolan Ryan is no more.

“The former Puerto Rican Major League catcher Eliseo ‘Ellie’ Rodriguez, who was part of the exclusive group of seven catchers to receive a no-hitter from Nolan Ryan, passed away this Thursday at the age of 79,” ESPN reported.

It’s the end of an era, especially for the baseball catchers. Rodriguez was the catcher for Nolan Ryan’s fourth career no-hitter on June 1, 1975. He notably leaned on Ryan’s curveball and changeup until his fastball began “popping” in the fifth inning. And that’s not all. Beyond this milestone, Rodriguez set an American League record in 1974 for most putouts in a nine-inning game (19) and an extra-inning game (21), both while catching for Nolan Ryan. 

And just when the modern-day sluggers are finding out newer means to steal bases, Rodriguez threw out 41.3 percent of the runners who attempted to steal against him! Impressive defensive stats, and apart from that, Rodriguez was just as dominant in his offense as well. He batted .245, with 16 home runs in MLB spanning 9 years and 5 teams.

While Ellie Rodriguez spent most of his time with the Brewers, Angels, and Royals, like any budding talent, he always dreamt of playing for the Yankees. “From about age 12, Eliseo walked to Yankee Stadium with (his older brother) Jimmy to watch Mickey Mantle, Whitey Ford, Elston Howard, and Yogi Berra, who became Rodriguez’s boyhood idol,” Society for American Baseball Research reported.

So, his love for the Yankees started from a very early stage, and the dream came true on Sunday, May 26, 1968, at Yankee Stadium. Rodriguez was given a chance when the then-Yankees catcher Frank Fernandez was on weekend military duty. The Yankees won the game, but Rodriguez was underwhelming, going 0-for-3 despite throwing out Ken Berry trying to steal.

Hence, with Rodriguez’s passing away, an era of dominance behind the plate comes to an end.

Ellie Rodriguez’s legacy was unlike anyone else

While Rodriguez’s legacy in MLB was similar to that of other legends, few had much more decorated careers. But Rodriguez excelled distinctly, often sounding like folklore.

For reference, apart from MLB, Rodriguez was equally dominant in Puerto Rico’s Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League. He was one of the three players who played 20 or more seasons and one of the five who recorded more than 500 career hits. And if you still find it not distinctive enough, then Rodriguez’s “backward home run” will surely fit in.

In 1977, in a game against the Indios de Mayaguez, Rodriguez hit a home run, but to everyone’s surprise, he rounded the bases backward. While the umpire recorded the run, he was ejected from the game. Reason? No one knows, and that’s typical of Ellie Rodriguez.

Another surprising fact about Rodriguez was his boxing career. Yes, you heard that right. Rodriguez’s first sport before baseball was boxing, which he took up after getting bullied. “One time I got out of school and these guys started pushing me around,” he recalled. That was his start in the boxing ring, and at the age of 16, Rodriguez entered the New York Daily News Golden Gloves competition as a novice 175-pound middleweight and won two bouts.

However, after an injury in his right hand, he took up baseball as his primary sport.

So, while MLB and the larger baseball community lost a legend, an era just ended that comprised dominance and rebellion.