Rolando Arrojo

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Baseball
Olympic medal record
Gold	Barcelona 1992	Team Competition

Luis Rolando Arrojo Avila (born July 18, 1968 in Havana, Cuba) was a Major League Baseball pitcher who pitched from 1998 to 2002.

Arrojo made his mark with the teams from Villa Clara in the Cuban National Series, where he still is the all-time leader in hit batsmen. He was the staff ace on the Villa Clara team that won 3 consecutive Cuban National Series in 1993, 1994, and 1995. He was a member of the 1992 Olympic team that won the gold medal.

A 1994 Cuban baseball card gives his birthplace as San Juan de los Yeras, Villa Clara, May 29, 1964.

After defecting from the Cuban national team just before the 1996 Summer Olympics, Arrojo signed with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 1997 -- one year before the team started playing, as that expansion team (along with the Arizona Diamondbacks) was permitted to start and maintain a minor league system starting that year. He made his debut with the expansion Devil Rays in 1998 and was an immediate sensation, becoming the team's first All-Star. He finished 1998 with a strong (for the team that went 63-99) 14-12 record and a 3.56 ERA in 202 innings.

However, in 1999, with teams and hitters more familiar with him and with his developing health problems (as critics claimed, these health problems were due to a lack of condition by Arrojo and his refusal to listen to coaches), Arrojo's numbers began to deteriorate, and he showed signs of inability to get left-handed hitters out. He pitched just 140.2 innings with a 5.18 ERA. After the season, the Devil Rays traded him to the Colorado Rockies with Aaron Ledesma for Vinny Castilla. Late in 2000, the Rockies in turn traded him with Rick Croushore, Mike Lansing, and cash to the Boston Red Sox for Jeff Frye, Brian Rose, John Wasdin, and minor leaguer Jeff Taglienti. Arrojo spent the rest of the season in the Red Sox rotation but was largely ineffective. He then spent the following two seasons as a part-time starter and a part-time reliever for the Red Sox with moderate success. He was not re-signed after the 2002 season.