Francisco Alberto Rosario (born September 28, 1980), is a Dominican

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Mod ...

right-handed In human biology, handedness is an individual's preferential use of one hand, known as the dominant hand, due to it being stronger, faster or more dextrous. The other hand, comparatively often the weaker, less dextrous or simply less subjecti ...

relief pitcher In baseball and softball, a relief pitcher or reliever is a pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed because of fatigue (medical), fatigue, ineffectiveness, injury, or ejection (sports), ejection, or for other strategic ...

, who played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

(MLB) for the

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...

and

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...

, from to . He is currently a free agent.

Baseball career

Rosario was originally signed as an undrafted amateur free agent by the Toronto Blue Jays, on January 11, 1999. He missed all of recuperating from

Tommy John surgery Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, colloquially known as Tommy John surgery (TJS), is a surgical graft procedure where the ulnar collateral ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with either a tendon from elsewhere in the patient's bo ...

. Throughout the minors, Rosario showed flashes of excellence, but was mostly inconsistent. Originally a

starting pitcher In baseball (hardball or softball), a starting pitcher or starter is the first pitcher in the game for each team. A pitcher is credited with a game started if they throw the first pitch to the opponent's first batter of a game. Starting pit ...

, he was converted to the

bullpen In baseball, the bullpen (or simply the pen) is the area where relief pitchers warm up before entering a game. A team's roster of relief pitchers is also metonymically referred to as "the bullpen". These pitchers usually wait in the bullpen if t ...

in mid-. Rosario's MLB debut came with the Blue Jays, in a relief appearance, against the

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team ha ...

, on May 6, 2006. He pitched a hitless 8th inning, while

walking Walking (also known as ambulation) is one of the main gaits of terrestrial locomotion among legged animals. Walking is typically slower than running and other gaits. Walking is defined by an 'inverted pendulum' gait in which the body vaults o ...

one and

striking out ''Striking Out'' is an Irish television legal drama series, broadcast on RTÉ, that first aired on 1 January 2017. Produced by Bl!nder F!lms for RTÉ Television, ''Striking Out'' stars Amy Huberman as Dublin-based solicitor Tara Rafferty, who is ...

one. Rosario's first big league win came on May 10, 2006, with Toronto, against the

Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The te ...

. That night, he pitched a scoreless 5th and 6th inning, giving up only two hits, while striking out three, and not giving up a single walk; out of 31 pitches thrown, 22 were strikes. Rosario made his first, and only, big league

start Start can refer to multiple topics: *Takeoff, the phase of flight where an aircraft transitions from moving along the ground to flying through the air * Starting lineup in sports *Standing start, and rolling start, in an auto race Acronyms *St ...

, August 5, 2006, going three innings for the Blue Jays against the

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...

. He threw 71 pitches, including 41 strikes. Rosario struck out two, walked two, and gave up five

hits Hits or H.I.T.S. may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * ''H.I.T.S.'', 1991 album by New Kids on the Block * ''...Hits'' (Phil Collins album), 1998 * ''Hits'' (compilation series), 1984–2006; 2014 - a British compilation album se ...

, three runs, all of which were earned. Rosario was acquired by the Philadelphia Phillies, on April 5, 2007, for cash considerations. He appeared in 23 games with the Phillies that year. Rosario was injured that June, then spent some time with the Minor League Baseball (MiLB)

Clearwater Threshers The Clearwater Threshers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and the Single-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. They are located in Clearwater, Florida, and have played their home games at BayCare Ballpark since 2 ...

, on a rehab assignment. He missed most of , appearing in just three games that year, all with the Threshers. Rosario then missed all of . On November 23, 2009, Rosario signed a minor league contract with the

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...

, but was subsequently released. On December 11, 2009, he signed a minor league contract with the

Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expans ...

. Rosario was released on March 31, 2010. He subsequently signed with the Mexican League

Guerreros de Oaxaca The Guerreros de Oaxaca (English: Oaxaca Warriors) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League based in Oaxaca City, Oaxaca, Mexico. Their home field is Estadio Eduardo Vasconcelos. History In October 1995, a group of businessmen, l ...

, for the season, pitching in seven games for them, that year. On April 9, 2011, Rosario was released. On April 28, 2012, Rosario signed with the

Diablos Rojos del Mexico The Diablos Motorcycle Club, or Diablos MC for short, is a " one-percenter" outlaw motorcycle club that has chapters in cities across the United States. John E. Irvin, president of the Diablos' San Fernando Valley chapter, and Thomas E. Pastor, ...

. After 5 years with the Diablos, on February 16, 2017, Rosario was assigned to the

Rieleros de Aguascalientes The Rieleros de Aguascalientes (English: Aguascalientes Railroaders) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League based in Aguascalientes, Mexico. History Baseball arrived in Aguascalientes in hand with the railroad at the beginning o ...

. On June 30, 2019, he was released. On July 4, 2019, Rosario was assigned to the

Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos The Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos (''Owls of the Two Laredos''), formerly known as the Tecolotes de Nuevo Laredo (''Owls of Nuevo Laredo''), are a Minor League Baseball team based in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, and Laredo, Texas in the Mexican Leagu ...

. On October 8, 2019, Rosario was released by the Tecolotes. Rosario throws a 92-96 mph

fastball The fastball is the most common type of pitch thrown by pitchers in baseball and softball. "Power pitchers," such as former American major leaguers Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, rely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit, and have thro ...

and a good

changeup A changeup is a type of pitch in baseball and fastpitch softball. The changeup is a staple off-speed pitch often used in a pitcher's arsenal, usually thrown to look like a fastball but arriving much more slowly to the plate. Its reduced speed ...

References

External links

Francisco Rosario
at Pura Pelota (Venezuelan Professional Baseball League) {{DEFAULTSORT:Rosario, Francisco 1980 births Living people Charleston AlleyCats players Clearwater Threshers players Diablos Rojos del México players Dominican Republic expatriate baseball players in Canada Dominican Republic expatriate baseball players in Mexico Dominican Republic expatriate baseball players in the United States Dunedin Blue Jays players Guerreros de Oaxaca players Major League Baseball pitchers Major League Baseball players from the Dominican Republic Medicine Hat Blue Jays players Mexican League baseball pitchers New Hampshire Fisher Cats players Philadelphia Phillies players Syracuse SkyChiefs players Toronto Blue Jays players Dominican Republic expatriate baseball players in Venezuela Cardenales de Lara players Caribes de Anzoátegui players Estrellas Orientales players Peoria Saguaros players Rieleros de Aguascalientes players Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos players Tigres del Licey players