By Nancy Armour
The Associated Press

CHICAGO - Ivan Rodriguez sat home last winter, waiting for phone calls that never came. He was supposedly too old, too injury-prone for teams to risk the big money he wanted.

His hometown Florida Marlins finally took a chance on him, and he's been worth every penny. And then some.

Rodriguez was named MVP of the NL championship series on Wednesday night after driving in his NLCS-record 10th run and scoring twice as the Marlins advanced to the World Series with a 9-6 victory over the Chicago Cubs in Game 7.

"I never pay attention to those kind of comments," Rodriguez said. "This is what you work for, being MVP and to be in the World Series.

"I wanted to show the world Ivan Rodriguez is still healthy, and I have a lot of years in baseball," he added. "Right now, I just want to concentrate on the World Series and try to keep doing what I'm doing, doing my job for my team."

It's the first trip to the World Series for the 10-time All Star catcher, who was let go by Texas last year in a cost-cutting move. When Paul Bako hit a fly to left with two outs in the ninth, Rodriguez ran halfway to the mound, bending slightly at the waist as he watched the ball.

When it dropped into Jeff Conine's glove for the final out, Rodriguez hopped up and down and then ran to the mound, grabbing closer Ugueth Urbina in a bear hug. The rest of the Marlins rushed onto the field and tackled the two.

"I'm very happy for my team. Nobody expected us to be in the World Series," Rodriguez said. "There you go. We're going to be there in a couple days."

It's sweet redemption for Rodriguez, who toyed with the idea of playing overseas when he drew little interest as a free agent. He didn't sign with the Marlins until the end of January, just a few weeks before spring training.

And even though the Marlins were young, Rodriguez made a bold prediction.

"When they signed me, when I did the press conference, I said this team would have enough talent to be in the playoffs," Rodriguez said the day before the NLCS began. "And look at where we are."

They certainly wouldn't be here without him. Rodriguez is hitting .333 in the playoffs, with at least one hit in each of the Marlins' 11 postseason games.

His 10 RBIs in the NLCS broke the record of nine set by San Francisco's Matt Williams in 1989. He now has 16 RBIs in the postseason, breaking the Florida franchise record of 15 set by Moises Alou in 1997, when the Marlins won the World Series.

"Pudge has been outstanding in this series," Marlins manager Jack McKeon said. "I'd say I'd have to go along with the selection of Pudge."

He was huge behind the plate, too. In Game 4 of the division series against the San Francisco Giants, he stood his ground as J.T. Snow barreled over him with what would have been the tying run in the ninth inning.

Snow knocked him over, but Rodriguez held onto the ball to get the out and preserve the win.

"With my effort and my teammates' efforts, we made the World Series," Rodriguez said Wednesday. "And that's the best thing."

There were whispers last winter and early this season that Rodriguez wasn't a good fit for a young pitching staff, that he cared more about personal stats than mentoring inexperienced pitchers.

But he's been a stabilizing force for the young Marlins, who showed the grit and determination of grizzled veterans in this series. The Marlins won three straight elimination games in the NLCS, becoming just the sixth team to ever overcome a 3-1 deficit to win a best-of-seven series.

And it was Rodriguez who set the tone Wednesday night.

Kerry Wood had been dazzling in his Game 5 victory over Atlanta in the division series, but Rodriguez and the Marlins never let him get comfortable. After Rodriguez worked Wood for a nine-pitch walk in the first inning, the next batter, Miguel Cabrera, followed with a three-run homer on a 1-2 pitch.

As Rodriguez rounded the bases, he raised his right arm in celebration.

He came up big again in the fifth inning, with the Marlins trailing. A weary Wood walked pinch-hitter Brian Banks and Luis Castillo, and Rodriguez made him pay.

He hit a run-scoring double that pulled the Marlins within a run. It was his record-breaking 10th RBI of the series.

He scored the go-ahead run two batters later. As he trotted home from first on Derrek Lee's single to center, he pumped his fist triumphantly.

"I'm very happy for my team. I'm very happy for myself, and I'm very happy for this gentleman right here," Rodriguez said, pointing at the 72-year-old McKeon, who is going to his first World Series.

"We're ready for the World Series."