Rodríguez was born in Manati, Puerto Rico, and raised in Vega Baja. His father, Juan, worked for a U.S.-based construction company, and his mother, Eva Torres, was an elementary school teacher.[3] Iván's first job involved delivering flyers in the shopping malls in Puerto Rico.[4]
He learned baseball at an early age, his biggest rival being Juan González, who he often played against in his youth.[3] As a Little League player, he moved from pitcher to catcher because his father, who was also his coach, thought he was throwing too hard and scaring opposing players with his pitches.[5] Rodríguez attended Lino Padron Rivera High School, where he was discovered by scout Luis Rosa. Rosa reported that "he showed leadership at 16 that I’d seen in few kids. He knew where he was going."[3] Rodríguez signed a contract with the Texas Rangers in July 1988, at the age of 16, and began his professional baseball career.[3] He was traded back to the Texas Rangers on August 18, 2009.
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