Frank Rodriguez

{{for multi|the Minnesota politician|Frank J. Rodriguez Sr.|the radio personality|Frank Ski|Frank Rodriguez, the rock organist|? and the Mysterians|the New York Mets closer|Francisco Rodríguez (Venezuelan pitcher)}}

{{Infobox baseball biography

| name = Frank Rodriguez

| team = Maritime Privateers

| caption =

| position = Pitcher / Coach

| birth_date ={{birth date and age|1972|12|11}}

| birth_place =Brooklyn, New York, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| bats =Right

| throws =Right

|debutleague = MLB

| debutdate =April 26

| debutyear =1995

| debutteam =Boston Red Sox

|finalleague = MLB

| finaldate =July 22

| finalyear =2001

| finalteam =Cincinnati Reds

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label=Win–loss record

|stat1value=29–39

|stat2label=Earned run average

|stat2value=5.53

|stat3label=Strikeouts

|stat3value=371

| teams =

Boston Red Sox (1995)
Minnesota Twins (1995–1998)
Seattle Mariners (1999–2000)
Cincinnati Reds (2001)

| awards =

Dick Howser Trophy (1991)

}}

Francisco Rodriguez (born December 11, 1972) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball.

Amateur career

Rodriguez won the Dick Howser Trophy in 1991. At the time of the award, Rodriguez was playing for [https://howardcollege.edu/ Howard Junior College] in Big Spring, Texas. As the equivalent of the Heisman Trophy for college football, The Dick Howser Trophy is the annual national award for the outstanding collegiate baseball player. Since 1991, no other junior college baseball player has won the award. Rodriguez was an outstanding shortstop and pitcher for the Howard College Hawks and he led his team to the 1991 National Junior College World Series Championship held annually in Grand Junction, Colorado.

Professional career

Rodriguez was drafted as a shortstop by the Boston Red Sox in the second round of the 1990 amateur draft. An agreement was reached a few weeks into the 1991 season, after which he was assigned to the Class A-Short Season Elmira Pioneers. When his new teammates greeted him at the Elmira-Corning Regional Airport, the Brooklyn native was wearing clothes with the New York Yankees logo. After Rodriguez advanced to Class A Lynchburg Red Sox, the Red Sox realized he had greater value as a pitcher, a position he quickly began playing.

He made his major league debut for the Red Sox on Wednesday, April 26, 1995.

Soon after, he was traded to the Minnesota Twins for closer Rick Aguilera. He did not pitch well for the Twins, posting a 25–32 record with the team in over three years of service. The Seattle Mariners claimed him off waivers in May 1999 where he then played for the Mariners through the end of the 2000 season. He next played for the Cincinnati Reds in 2001 then did not pitch in the majors again.

He finished with an MLB career record of 29–39 and ERA of 5.53.

In 2008, he returned to pro baseball playing for the Newark Bears of the Atlantic League where he pitched to a 2–1 record, with 7.79 ERA.

Coaching career

{{Asof|2021}}, Rodriguez is an assistant coach for the baseball team at SUNY Maritime College in the Bronx, New York.{{cite web |title=Frank Rodriguez - Assistant Coach - Staff Directory |url=https://maritimeathletics.com/staff-directory/frank-rodriguez/325 |publisher=Maritime College Athletics |access-date=May 15, 2020 |language=en }}{{Dead link|date=April 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}{{cite web |title=Baseball Coaches |url=https://maritimeathletics.com/sports/baseball/coaches |website=Maritime College Athletics |publisher=SUNY Maritime |access-date=4 August 2021 |language=en}}

- Mercy University, Pitching Coach.{{cite web | url=https://mercyathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/coaches/frank-rodriguez/636 | title=Frank Rodriguez - Baseball Coach }}