Cookie Rojas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cookie Rojas |
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| Second baseman / Manager | |||
| Born: March 6, 1939 Havana, Cuba |
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| debut | |||
| April 10, 1962, for the Cincinnati Reds | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| October 1, 1977, for the Kansas City Royals | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .263 | ||
| Home runs | 54 | ||
| Runs batted in | 593 | ||
| Managerial record | 76–79 | ||
| Winning % | .490 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Octavio Víctor "Cookie" Rojas Rivas (born March 6, 1939) is a Cuban-American former professional baseball player. He also worked as a coach, manager, and is now a television sports presenter. Cookie Rojas played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a second baseman and outfielder. His career lasted from 1962 to 1977.
He is best known for his time with the Philadelphia Phillies. There, he became an All-Star player. Later, he played for the Kansas City Royals. His experience helped the young Royals team become a championship contender.
Cookie Rojas started his career as a second baseman. However, he was a very flexible athlete. He could play almost any defensive position on the field. He was chosen for four straight American League (AL) All-Star teams from 1971 to 1974. In 1971, he led the AL in fielding percentage. He even had a 52-game streak without making any errors at second base.
After his playing days, Rojas became a coach. He coached for the Chicago Cubs and the California Angels. In 1988, he became the manager of the Angels. He later coached for the Florida Marlins, New York Mets, and Toronto Blue Jays. He even went to his first World Series with the Mets in 2000.
In 2003, Rojas started working for the Miami Marlins. He became a color commentator for their Spanish-language TV broadcasts. He was honored in the Kansas City Royals Hall of Fame in 1987. In 2011, he was also inducted into the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame.
Contents
Early Life and Minor League Baseball
Cookie Rojas loved playing baseball. But his father wanted him to become a doctor. Despite this, Rojas signed his first professional baseball contract. He was 17 years old and joined the Cincinnati Reds in 1956. The Reds sent him to their D-level team, the West Palm Beach Sun Chiefs. This team was in the Florida State League.
From 1957 to 1959, Rojas moved up through the Reds' minor league teams. He played for the Wausau Lumberjacks (C-level) in 1957. Then he joined the Savannah Redlegs (Single A) in 1958. After that, he played for the Havana Sugar Kings (AAA) in his home country. Even though he moved up, his batting average dropped each year until 1960. It went as low as .225.
The Reds knew he was a great fielder. But they weren't sure if he would hit well enough for the major leagues. He spent three more seasons in AAA. He played for Havana and the Jersey City Jerseys. He still struggled with his hitting. Also, other good second basemen like Johnny Temple and Billy Martin were already with the Reds.
Finally, Rojas joined the Reds in 1962. He made his major league debut on April 10. But he still didn't hit well, with a .221 average. So, he was sent back to AAA for the rest of the season.
Major League Career Highlights
After the 1962 season, Rojas was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies. He was traded for a pitcher named Jim Owens. The Phillies already had a good second baseman, Tony Taylor. But Rojas never played in the minor leagues again. In 1963, he played second base in 27 games.
In 1965, Rojas became the regular second baseman for the Phillies. He was a very versatile player. He played almost every position, including catcher and pitcher. But he mostly played in the outfield, shortstop, and second base. Playing more often helped his batting. He hit .291 in 1964 and a career-best .303 in 1965. That year, he was chosen for his first All-Star team.
As a Phillie, Rojas formed a great double-play team with shortstop Bobby Wine. Fans and media called them “The Plays of Wine and Rojas.” This was a fun play on words from a famous song.
After the 1969 season, Rojas was traded again. He was part of a big trade that sent Dick Allen to the St. Louis Cardinals. The Phillies traded Rojas to the Cardinals in 1970. At that point, his career seemed to be slowing down. He was only hitting .106.
The Cardinals then traded him to the Kansas City Royals on June 13. The Royals were a new team, only in their second year. They wanted an experienced player to help their infield. Rojas became their main second baseman for the next eight seasons. He was chosen for four straight All-Star games from 1971 to 1974.
In April 1970, a news report mistakenly said Rojas was badly hurt in a car crash. But it was actually another player named Minnie Rojas. In the 1972 All-Star Game, Cookie Rojas hit a two-run home run. This was special because he was the first non-American-born player to hit a home run for the American League in the All-Star game.
Even though fans loved him, Rojas lost his starting job in 1976. Frank White, a younger player, took over at second base. White was better at both hitting and fielding. Rojas stayed with the Royals for two more years. He played different positions like first, second, and third base, and also as a designated hitter.
After the 1977 season, the Royals released him. He didn't play in 1978. He signed with the Chicago Cubs in September but didn't play any games. Then he retired from baseball. Cookie Rojas is second on the Royals' all-time list for games played at second base. Only Frank White has played more.
Career Statistics
Here are some of Cookie Rojas's career statistics:
| Years | Games | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | FLD% |
| 16 | 1822 | 6871 | 6309 | 713 | 1660 | 254 | 25 | 54 | 593 | 396 | 489 | .263 | .306 | .337 | .982 |
His main position was second base. He had a .984 fielding percentage in 1445 games there. This means he made very few errors. He also played all other infield and outfield positions, including catcher.
Coaching Career
After his playing career, Cookie Rojas became a coach and scout for different teams. From 1978 to 1981, he coached for the Chicago Cubs. In 1988, he became the manager of the California Angels. He was only the third Cuban-born manager in major league history. He led the Angels to a 75–79 record before being replaced.
In 1996, Rojas managed one game for the Florida Marlins. This happened after their manager was fired. He then coached for the New York Mets. During the 1999 playoffs, he had an argument with an umpire and was suspended for five games. He was also the Mets' third base coach in 2000. That year, the Mets played in the World Series. From 2001 to 2002, he was a bench coach for the Toronto Blue Jays. He even filled in as manager for three games in 2001.
Personal Life
Cookie Rojas has two sons who are also involved in baseball. His son, Victor, used to be the main play-by-play announcer for the Los Angeles Angels. Now, Victor is the general manager for the Frisco RoughRiders. His other son, Mike, is a minor league manager. Mike also used to be a bullpen coach for the Detroit Tigers and Seattle Mariners.
In 2011, Cookie Rojas was honored. He was inducted into the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame.
Images for kids
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Cookie Rojas
See also
In Spanish: Octavio "Cookie" Rojas para niños
