At eight years old, a boy in Puerto Rico threw so hard he terrified his teammates at pitcher and third base, so his father strapped a mask on him and made him a catcher. This deep dive follows Ivan Pudge Rodriguez from delivering flyers in Vega Baja to a 21-season career that altered the fundamental geometry of a baseball diamond.

Studying idol Johnny Bench before he even caught, Rodriguez skipped Triple-A and debuted at 19, throwing out two runners in his first game. We examine the pop time and instantaneous transfer that made runners stop trying, his record-breaking offense for a catcher, the PED scrutiny he denied, and a mind that eventually surpassed his fading physical tools.

• Why a 60 percent caught-stealing rate deterred runners from even attempting
• How his cannon freed pitchers to use full windups instead of slide  ...