| Francisco Rodríguez | |
|---|---|
| Milwaukee Brewers | |
| Relief pitcher | |
| Born: January 7, 1982 Caracas, Venezuela |
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| Bats: Right | Throws: Right |
| MLB debut | |
| September 18, 2002 for the Anaheim Angels | |
| Career statistics (through 2011 season) |
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| Win-loss record | 36–27 |
| Earned run average | 2.51 |
| Strikeouts | 806 |
| Saves | 291 |
| Teams | |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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Francisco José Rodríguez Sr. (born January 7, 1982), nicknamed "Frankie" and "K-Rod", is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers.
He previously pitched for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim from 2002 to 2008, and the New York Mets from 2009 to mid-way through the 2011 season where he pitched as the closer for both teams.
Rodríguez holds the major league record for saves in a single season, with 62, set in 2008. He is a three-time league leader in saves (2005, 2006, and 2008).[1]
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Rodríguez signed as an undrafted amateur free agent in 1998. Originally a starting pitcher, Rodríguez moved to relief pitching in 2002 after elbow and shoulder injuries shortened his 2001 minor league season with the Lake Elsinore Storm. In 2002, he made his major league debut. At the time, he was the youngest pitcher in the American League.[1] Because of the multiple injuries to the Angels bullpen, the club brought him up during the middle of September. He emerged as a postseason relief hero, winning five postseason games despite never having won a Major League game before.
Because Rodríguez had played very little in the Major Leagues, hitters in the playoffs had little idea what to expect from him, a situation that often favors the pitcher. In the ALDS against the Yankees, he got two victories (with 1 win resulting from a blown save). Against the Twins in the ALCS, he went 2–0 with seven strikeouts in four and one-third innings. Finally, in the 2002 World Series against the Giants, he had a 1–1 record with 13 strikeouts in eight and two-thirds innings. At 20 years 286 days old, he became the youngest pitcher ever to win a World Series game.
In 2003, Rodríguez became a setup man. He gave up an earned run in 9 of his first 15 games, but rebounded to only allow 9 in his last 44 appearances.
In 2004, Rodríguez was selected for the All-Star Game. On August 24, 2004, he became the sixth pitcher in the Angels' 44-year history to strike out at least 100 batters in a season without starting a game – joining Mark Clear (105 in 1980), DeWayne Buice (109, 1987), Bryan Harvey (101, 1991), Troy Percival (100, 1996), and Scot Shields (109, also in 2004). He finished the year with 123 strikeouts.
Entering the 2005 season, veteran Angels closer Troy Percival departed as a free agent which allowed Rodriguez to become the Angels' full-time closer. Rodríguez ended the season tied for the American League lead in saves with 45.
Rodriguez improved on his share of the 2005 American League saves title by leading the Majors in 2006 with 47 saves, one more than the National League leader Trevor Hoffman and six more than American League runner-up Bobby Jenks. On September 10 against the Toronto Blue Jays, he became the youngest closer in Major League Baseball history, at age 24, to accumulate 100 career saves. He accomplished this feat a year younger than the previous record holder, Gregg Olson.
At the 2007 All-Star Game in San Francisco, Rodriguez was named as one of three Angels to represent the club, along with teammates Vladimir Guerrero and John Lackey. Rodriguez recorded the save as the American League defeated the National League, 5–4.
Rodríguez received his second career DHL Delivery Man of the Month Award after posting 11 saves in 12 appearances during the month of June.[2] Rodríguez set a major league record by recording his 35th save before the All-Star Break, breaking the previous record of 34 set by John Smoltz in 2003.[3] He was a member of the American League All-Star Team for the third time and made a brief appearance in the game, facing two batters while walking one.[4] On August 20, 2008, he set both his and the Angels single season record with his 48th save.[5] With his 50th save on August 24, 2008, Rodríguez became the first relief pitcher to reach that number since Mariano Rivera in 2004 and the ninth overall.[6] He was also the youngest pitcher to ever reach that number at 26 years, 7 months, and 17 days. In addition, he reached that milestone in 129 team games, faster than any pitcher in history.[7] With three saves during the week of August 18–24, including the milestone of number 50, Rodríguez was awarded the American League Player of the Week for the first time in his career.[8]
On September 2, 2008, Rodríguez saved his 200th career game (54th of the season), becoming the youngest player in history to reach that number.[9] On September 10, 2008, while facing the New York Yankees, Rodríguez saved his 56th game of the season and clinched the American League Western Division title for the Angels.[10] On September 11, 2008, while facing the Seattle Mariners, Rodríguez saved his 57th game of the season, tying Bobby Thigpen's 1990 major league record.[11]
On September 13, 2008, while again facing the Mariners, Rodríguez recorded his 58th save of the season, setting a new MLB record.[12] On September 20, 2008, Rodríguez became the first pitcher to reach 60 saves in a season when he closed out a 7–3 victory against the Texas Rangers.[13]
Rodríguez finished his record-setting 2008 regular season performance with 62 saves in 69 opportunities, appearing in a total of 76 games. It was his fourth consecutive season of recording at least 40 saves.[14] He finished third in AL Cy Young Award voting and sixth in AL Most Valuable Player Award voting.[15][16]
On December 10, 2008, Rodríguez signed a three-year, $37 million contract with the New York Mets.[17] Rodríguez, who had worn number 57 for his entire career, switched to number 75, as Mets ace Johan Santana currently wears number 57.[18] On April 6, 2009, Rodríguez recorded his first save as a Met against the Cincinnati Reds.
On May 24, 2009, Rodríguez suffered a back injury and was taken to a local Boston hospital where he was given medication for the pain.[19] He returned to the team the next day.[19]
He was selected to play in the 2009 All-Star game and pitched a scoreless 9th inning.
On September 30, 2009, Rodríguez gave up a walk-off grand slam to Justin Maxwell to cap a five-run ninth inning that lifted the Washington Nationals to a 7–4 victory over the Mets. This made him the first pitcher to allow two walk-off grand slams in one season since Lee Smith in 1995 (on August 7, Rodriguez surrendered a grand slam to Everth Cabrera with no outs to cap another five-run ninth inning that gave the San Diego Padres a 6–2 win over the Mets).
Rodríguez finished the 2009 season with 35 saves in 42 opportunities, his fifth consecutive season of 30 or more saves.
On July 12, 2011, immediately following the All-Star Game, Rodríguez was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers along with cash, and Adrian Rosario and Danny Herrera.
In 31 games for the Brewers, he was 4–0 with a 1.86 ERA.[1] For the season, he was 6–2 with a 2.64 ERA.[1]
Through 2011, he was 4th of all active pitchers in career saves (291) and games finished (445), and 8th in fielding percentage (.970).[1]
Rodríguez's nickname of "K-Rod" became popular during the 2002 playoffs.[20] It is a take-off on "A-Rod," the nickname of baseball star Alex Rodriguez, with "K" representing the common abbreviation for strikeout. Rodríguez is a practitioner of the Santería religion.[21] Rodríguez has competed in the 2006 and 2009 World Baseball Classic for the Venezuelan team with his former teammate Johan Santana. Rodriguez has 5 children in total, Adriana 10, Deiiker 10, Destiny 9 and his girlfriend gave birth to twins, Angelina and Francisco Jr in September 2009.
On June 13, 2009, New York Yankees reliever Brian Bruney criticized Rodríguez, calling his antics on the mound "unbelievable" and saying that Rodriguez has "got a tired act", after seeing his reaction to earning a blown save in 2009 against the Yankees where teammate Luis Castillo dropped a pop-up with two outs in the ninth inning allowing the Yankees to score the winning run. Rodríguez responded by saying "somebody like that, it doesn't bother me," and suggesting that Bruney "better keep his mouth shut and do his job, not worry about somebody else. I don't even know who the guy is. I'm not going to waste my time with that guy. Instead of sending messages through the paper, next time when you see me at Citi Field, come up to me and say it to my face."[22] During batting practice the following day Rodríguez confronted Bruney on the field, pointing and shouting at him before teammates from both sides separated the two.[23]
In May 2010, Rodríguez and bullpen coach Randy Niemann got into a heated exchange while the pitcher was preparing to enter a game. Mets manager Jerry Manuel later said the matter was resolved, without saying what caused the dispute.[24]
On August 11, 2010, Rodríguez was arrested after allegedly assaulting Carlos Pena, the father of his girlfriend Daian Pena after the Mets lost a game at Citi Field. Rodríguez was reportedly upset that he made disparaging remarks about Rodríguez's mother.[25] Rodríguez remained in police custody at Citi Field on a charge of third-degree assault, a misdemeanor in the state of New York, and was arraigned that afternoon.[26][27] He was released without bail, and ordered by a judge to stay away from his girlfriend and her father. The Mets suspended him and placed him on the team's restricted list for two days, which meant he would forfeit two games' salary. "Ownership and the organization are very disappointed in Francisco's inappropriate behavior and we take the matter very seriously," team chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon said.[24] Rodríguez suffered a torn ligament in his right thumb, possibly during the altercation, requiring season-ending surgery.[28] The Mets put Rodríguez on the disqualified list, intending not to pay him until he was physically able to perform.[29] On September 22, 2010, Rodriguez was back in Queens Criminal Court facing seven counts of criminal contempt after sending numerous text messages to Daian Pena in violation of the order of protection. The judge imposed bail of $7,500, which Rodriguez posted.[30]