Roberto Rodríguez (baseball) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Roberto Rodríguez |
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: February 5, 1941 Caracas, Venezuela |
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| Died: September 24, 2012 (aged 71) Maracay, Venezuela |
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| debut | |||
| May 13, 1967, for the Kansas City Athletics | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 26, 1970, for the Chicago Cubs | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 4–3 | ||
| Earned run average | 4.81 | ||
| Strikeouts | 91 | ||
| Teams | |||
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 Baseball Hall of Fame |
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| Induction | 2011 | ||
Roberto Muñoz Rodríguez (born February 5, 1941 – died September 24, 2012) was a professional baseball player from Venezuela. He was a pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for teams like the Kansas City / Oakland Athletics, San Diego Padres, and Chicago Cubs. In the United States, he was known as Roberto Rodriguez.
Contents
Roberto's Baseball Journey
Roberto Rodríguez was born in Caracas, Venezuela. He was a very smart pitcher. He used different types of pitches to trick batters. These included a fast ball, a slider, a tricky curveball, and a circle change-up. His change-up was one of his best pitches.
Starting in the Minor Leagues
Roberto was seen as a promising young player, called a "prospect." He started his career in the minor league system of the Kansas City Athletics. Minor leagues are where players develop their skills before playing in the big leagues. He also played for the minor league teams of the San Diego Padres and Chicago Cubs.
The Athletics signed Roberto in 1963. He spent seven seasons in the minor leagues, from 1964 to 1970. During this time, he had a good record of 42 wins and 28 losses. His earned run average (ERA) was 3.15. This number shows how well a pitcher prevents runs. He played in 124 games before moving up to the Major League team in May 1967.
Playing in Major League Baseball
Roberto joined the Kansas City Athletics in 1967. He pitched in 15 games, starting five of them. He had one win and one loss, with a 3.57 ERA. He also earned two "saves," which means he finished a game where his team was winning.
On August 27, 1967, Roberto got his first and only Major League win. He helped his team beat the Detroit Tigers 2-1. He did a great job against a strong team of hitters.
After 1967, the Kansas City Athletics team moved and became the Oakland Athletics in 1968. Roberto stayed with the team. In 1970, he returned to the Major Leagues. That year, he played for three different teams: the Athletics, the Padres, and the Cubs.
Roberto played for three seasons in Major League Baseball. He had a total of 4 wins and 3 losses. His ERA was 4.81, and he had seven saves. He also played in the minor leagues for 11 years. There, he had 61 wins and 43 losses.
Playing in Venezuela
Besides playing in the United States, Roberto also played baseball in his home country. He played in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League for 17 seasons. His teammates called him "Pluto."
In Venezuela, he had 64 wins and 49 losses. He also had 59 saves. He was the first pitcher in the league's history to get more than 50 wins and more than 50 saves. Only two other pitchers, Luis Aponte and Giovanni Carrara, have done this since.
After Baseball
After he stopped playing, Roberto became a pitching coach in Venezuela. He helped young players learn how to pitch. He also worked as an instructor at a baseball academy run by Carlos Guillén in Maracay.
In 2011, Roberto Rodríguez was honored for his career. He was inducted into the Venezuelan Baseball Hall of Fame. This is a very special award for baseball players.
Roberto passed away in 2012 in Maracay, Venezuela, when he was 71 years old.
See also
- List of players from Venezuela in Major League Baseball
