Ivan Rodriguez likes to tell the story about the Spring Training intrasquad game when he hit a home run off Nolan Ryan and the Hall of Fame pitcher responded by hitting him with a pitch in his next at-bat.

"I remember hitting him, but I don't remember the home run," said Ryan at Rodriguez's retirement news conference on Monday at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.

"I remember I hit the home run," Rodriguez told Ryan when he took the podium. "I really do. Hitting a home run off you is not easy. Maybe it was an intrasquad game, but I remember."

Rodriguez, considered one of the greatest catchers in baseball history, had a 21-year career of memorable moments on the field. Many of them were while wearing a Texas uniform, so it was quite appropriate for Rodriguez to use the Rangers' Hall of Fame Room to make his official announcement.

"It's a very hard day for me," Rodriguez said. "It's the day Ivan Rodriguez officially retires as a baseball player. It has been a great, great run ... for 21 years. It has been beautiful."