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Francisco José Rodríguez, Sr. (born January 7, 1982), nicknamed "Frankie" and "K-Rod", is a
Venezuelan Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...
former
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 ...
pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...
. He 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 Anaheim Angels / Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim,
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 ...
,
Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. As one of the American L ...
,
Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...
and
Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...
. Rodriguez pitched for the Angels from to , and the Mets from to midway through the season. He served as the closer for both teams. Rodriguez then pitched for the Brewers until July 2013, mostly in a setup role, and for the Orioles for the rest of before returning to the Brewers for and , this time as the team's closer. He was then traded to the Detroit Tigers in 2016, and became the Tigers' closer. In his rookie season, Rodríguez tied
Randy Johnson Randall David Johnson (born September 10, 1963), nicknamed "The Big Unit", is an American photographer and former professional baseball pitcher who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (1988–2009) for six teams, primarily the Seattle M ...
for the record for most victories in a single postseason, recording five wins en route to the Angels winning the
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...
;
Stephen Strasburg Stephen James Strasburg (; born July 20, 1988) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball (MLB). Strasburg was selected by Washington with the first overall pick in the 2009 Major League ...
later accomplished this feat as well. Rodríguez holds the major league record for saves in a single season, with 62, set in 2008 while pitching for the Angels. He is a three-time league leader in saves (2005, 2006, and 2008) and a six-time All-Star. Rodríguez is one of only six Major League pitchers to accumulate a total of 400 or more saves in his baseball career.


Professional career


Los Angeles Angels (2002–2008)


2002–2004

Rodríguez signed as an
undrafted In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
amateur
free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
in 1998. 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 ...
, Rodríguez moved to relief pitching in 2002 after elbow and shoulder injuries shortened his 2001 minor league season with the
Lake Elsinore Storm The Lake Elsinore Storm are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. The Storm plays their home games at Lake Elsinore Diamond (Pete Lehr Field), which opened in 1994; the park se ...
. In 2002, he made his major league debut. At the time, he was the youngest pitcher in the American League. Because of the multiple injuries to the Angels
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 ...
, the club brought him up during the middle of September. He emerged as a postseason relief hero,
winning Winning may refer to: * Victory Film * ''Winning'' (film), a 1969 movie starring Paul Newman * '' Winning: The Racing Life of Paul Newman'', a 2015 documentary by Adam Carolla and Nate Adams Music * ''Winning'', an album by Ten Foot Pole, 2022 ...
five postseason games despite never having won a Major League game before. Although he threw a lively fastball, his sharp-breaking
curveball In baseball and softball, the curveball is a type of pitch thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball, causing it to dive as it approaches the plate. Varieties of curveball include the 12–6 curve ...
was his most effective pitch, made even better in 2002 by his late season emergence and hitters lack of experience seeing such a huge 12 to 6 late break from a pitch with fastball velocity. The pitch was almost unstoppable in the 2002 postseason. Because Rodríguez had played very little in the major leagues, hitters in the postseason had very little idea what to expect from him, a situation that often favors the pitcher. The combination of high 90's fastball, the previously unseen high velocity late breaking curve, and the very occasional change up was too much. In the 2002 American League Division Series against the
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...
, he got two victories (with 1 win resulting from a blown save). The Angels won the division series against the Yankees in 4 games. During the
2002 American League Championship Series The 2002 American League Championship Series (ALCS) was a matchup between the Wild Card Anaheim Angels and the Central Division Champion Minnesota Twins. The Angels advanced to the Series after dethroning the reigning four-time AL Champion New Yo ...
vs the
Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...
, he went 2–0 with seven strikeouts in innings. The Angels won the series in 5 games. During the
2002 World Series The 2002 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB)'s 2002 season. The 98th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the American League (AL) champion Anaheim Angels and the National Leag ...
against the
San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yor ...
, he had a 1–1 record with 13 strikeouts in innings. At 20 years, 286 days old, he became the youngest pitcher ever to win a World Series game. The Angels won the World Series in 7 games due in large part to a rookie set up man that was scheduled for and delivered 3-6 high pressure outs a game. In 2003, Rodríguez became a
setup man In baseball, a setup man (or set-up man, also sometimes referred to as a setup pitcher or setup reliever) is a relief pitcher who regularly pitches before the closer. They commonly pitch the eighth inning, with the closer pitching the ninth. As ...
. He gave up an
earned run In baseball, an earned run is any run that was fully enabled by the offensive team's production in the face of competent play from the defensive team. Conversely, an unearned run is a run that would not have been scored without the aid of an err ...
in 9 of his first 15 games, but rebounded to only allow 9 in his last 44 appearances. For the 2003 year, Rodriguez made 59 appearances going 8–3 with a 3.03 ERA. In 2004, Rodríguez was selected for the
All-Star Game An all-star game is an exhibition game that purports to showcase the best players (the "stars") of a sports league. The exhibition is between two teams organized solely for the event, usually representing the league's teams based on region or div ...
. 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 Mark Alan Clear (born May 27, 1956) is an American former two-time All Star Major League Baseball relief pitcher who played for the California Angels (1979–80, 1990), Boston Red Sox (1981–85), and Milwaukee Brewers (1986–88). He batted and ...
(105 in 1980),
DeWayne Buice DeWayne Allison Buice (born August 20, 1957) is a former professional relief pitcher. Buice played two seasons for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, California Angels and half a season for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He ...
(109, 1987),
Bryan Harvey Bryan Stanley Harvey (born June 2, 1963) is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from to for the California Angels of the American League and the Florida Marlins of the National Lea ...
(101, 1991),
Troy Percival Troy Eugene Percival (born August 9, 1969) is an American baseball coach and former professional baseball pitcher. He gained fame as a closer. During a 14-year baseball career spanning from 1995 to 2009, he pitched for four Major League Baseball ...
(100, 1996), and
Scot Shields Robert Scot Shields (born July 22, 1975) is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher. He played his entire baseball career with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of Major League Baseball (MLB). He was the last member of the Anaheim ...
(109, also in 2004). He finished the 2004 year 4–1 with 123 strikeouts and a 1.82 ERA in 69 relief appearances. During the 2004 American League Division Series, Francisco Rodriguez had two losses as the Angels lost the division series to the
Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...
in three games.


2005–2007

Entering the 2005 season, veteran Angels closer
Troy Percival Troy Eugene Percival (born August 9, 1969) is an American baseball coach and former professional baseball pitcher. He gained fame as a closer. During a 14-year baseball career spanning from 1995 to 2009, he pitched for four Major League Baseball ...
departed as a
free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
which allowed Rodriguez to become the Angels' full-time closer. Rodríguez ended the season 2–5 with a 2.67 ERA in 66 relief appearances and tied the
American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...
lead in saves with 45. Rodriguez got his first two 2 career postseason saves during the 2005 American League Division Series as the Angels won the division series against the Yankees in 5 games. He got one save in the
2005 American League Championship Series The 2005 American League Championship Series (ALCS), the second round of the 2005 American League playoffs, which determined the 2005 American League champion, matched the Central Division champion Chicago White Sox against the West Division ch ...
, which the Angels lost to 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 ...
in 5 games. 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 The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...
leader
Trevor Hoffman Trevor William Hoffman (born October 13, 1967) is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher who played 18 years in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1993 to 2010. A long-time closer, he pitched for the Florida Marlins, San Diego P ...
and six more than American League runner-up
Bobby Jenks Robert Scott Jenks (born March 14, 1981) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox from 2005 through 2011. According to the ''Baseball Almanac'', his ...
. On September 10 against 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 ...
, he became the youngest closer in Major League Baseball history, at the age 24 years and 246 days, to accumulate 100 career saves. He accomplished this feat a year younger than the previous record holder,
Gregg Olson Greggory William Olson (born October 11, 1966) is an American former professional baseball player, coach, scout and television sports commentator. He played in Major League Baseball as a right-handed pitcher from through , most prominently a ...
. Rodriguez held this record until April 10, 2018, when
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 ...
closer
Roberto Osuna Roberto Osuna Quintero Jr. (born February 7, 1995) is a Mexican professional baseball pitcher for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays and Hous ...
acquired his 100th career save. Osuna, at the age of 23 years and 62 days, accomplished the feat about a year and a half younger than Rodriguez. 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 Vladimir Alvino Guerrero Sr. (born February 9, 1975), nicknamed "Vlad the Impaler", is a Dominican former professional baseball player who spent 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a right fielder and designated hitter. He played for ...
and
John Lackey John Derran Lackey (born October 23, 1978) is an American former professional baseball starting pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 2002 through 2017 for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Cardinals and ...
. Rodriguez recorded the save as the American League defeated the National League, 5–4. Rodriguez finished the 2007 season 5–2 with a 1.73 ERA and 40 saves in 64 relief appearances. In the 2007 American League Division Series against the Boston Red Sox, Rodriguez pitched only of an inning with an ERA accumulating 54.00. In Game 2 Rodriguez gave up a three-run walk-off home run to Manny Ramirez as the Red Sox won the game 6-3. The Angels eventually lost the division series to the Red Sox in just 3 games.


2008: Single season saves record

Rodríguez received his second career
Delivery Man of the Month Award Major League Baseball (MLB) honored its best relief pitchers with a Delivery Man of the Month Award for one pitcher during each month of the regular season from 2005 through 2013. The awards were initially part of a sponsorship agreement between ...
after posting 11 saves in 12 appearances during the month of June. 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 John Andrew Smoltz (born May 15, 1967), nicknamed "Smoltzie" and "Marmaduke", is an American former baseball pitcher who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1988 to 2009, all but the last year with the Atlanta Braves. An eight-time A ...
in 2003. 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. On August 20, 2008, he set both his and the Angels single season record with his 48th save. With his 50th save on August 24, 2008, Rodríguez became the first relief pitcher to reach that number since
Mariano Rivera Mariano Rivera (born November 29, 1969) is a Panamanian-American former professional baseball pitcher who played 19 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, from 1995 to 2013. Nicknamed "Mo" and "Sandman", he spent most ...
in 2004 and the ninth overall. 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. 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. On September 2, 2008, Rodríguez saved his 200th career game (54th of the season), becoming the youngest player in history to reach that number. On September 10, 2008, while facing the
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...
, Rodríguez saved his 56th game of the season and clinched the
American League Western Division The American League West is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. The division has five teams as of the 2013 season, but had four teams from 1994 to 2012, and had as many as seven teams before the 1994 realignment. Although its teams curr ...
title for the Angels. On September 11, 2008, while facing the
Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West division. The team joined the American League ...
, Rodríguez saved his 57th game of the season, tying
Bobby Thigpen Robert Thomas "Bobby" Thigpen (born July 17, 1963) is a former relief pitcher in Major League Baseball. He is noted for setting the major league record of 57 saves during the season, which has since been broken by former Los Angeles Angels of An ...
's 1990 major league record. On September 13, 2008, while again facing the Mariners, Rodríguez recorded his 58th save of the season, setting a new MLB record. 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. Rodríguez finished his record-setting 2008 regular season performance with 62 saves in 69 opportunities, appearing in an AL-leading 76 games. It was his fourth consecutive season of recording at least 40 saves. He finished third in AL
Cy Young Award The Cy Young Award is given annually to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball (MLB), one each for the American League (AL) and National League (NL). The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall ...
voting and sixth in AL Most Valuable Player Award voting. The Angels again faced the Red Sox in the
2008 American League Division Series The 2008 American League Division Series (ALDS), the first round of the 2008 American League playoffs, consisted of two best-of-five series. They were: * (1) Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (Western Division champions, 100–62) vs. (4) Boston Re ...
. Rodriguez lost a game and the Angels would lose the series to the Red Sox in four games.


New York Mets (2009–2011)

On December 10, 2008, Rodríguez signed a three-year, $37 million 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 ...
. Rodríguez, who had worn number 57 for his entire career, switched to number 75, as Mets ace
Johan Santana Johan Alexander Santana Araque (; born March 13, 1979) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball starting pitcher. Santana pitched in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins from 2000 to 2007 and for the New York Mets from 200 ...
wore number 57 at the time. On April 6, 2009, Rodríguez recorded his first save as a Met against the
Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...
. 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. He returned to the team the next day. He was selected to play in the 2009 All-Star game and pitched a scoreless 9th inning. On September 30, 2009, Rodríguez surrendered a walk-off grand slam to
Justin Maxwell Justin Adam Maxwell (born November 6, 1983) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Washington Nationals, Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals, and San Francisco Giants . Biography ...
to cap a five-run ninth inning that lifted the
Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadiu ...
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 Lee Smith is the name of: Arts, entertainment and media *Lee Smith (fiction author) (born 1944), American author of fiction *Lee Smith (film editor) (born 1960), Australian film editor *Lee Smith (musician) (born 1983), American drummer *Lee Smith ...
did in 1995 (on August 7, Rodriguez surrendered a grand slam to
Everth Cabrera Everth Cabrera (born November 17, 1986) is a Nicaraguan professional baseball infielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres and Baltimore Orioles. He led the National League (NL) in stolen bases in 2012, and was a ...
with no outs to cap another five-run ninth inning that gave the
San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penna ...
a 6–2 win over the Mets). Rodríguez finished the 2009 season 3–6 with a 3.71 ERA and 35 saves converted out of 42 opportunities. It was his fifth consecutive season of 30 or more saves. During his suspension-shortened 2010 season, Rodriguez appeared in 53 games going 4–2 with a 2.20 ERA and 25 saves. Rodriguez started the 2011 season with 42 relief appearances going 2–2 with a 3.16 ERA and 23 saves.


Milwaukee Brewers (2011–2013)

On July 12, 2011, immediately following the
All-Star Game An all-star game is an exhibition game that purports to showcase the best players (the "stars") of a sports league. The exhibition is between two teams organized solely for the event, usually representing the league's teams based on region or div ...
, Rodríguez was traded to the
Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...
along with cash, for Adrian Rosario and Danny Herrera. The
Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
noted the Brewers had two potential closers in Rodríguez and their existing closer,
John Axford John Berton Axford (born April 1, 1983), nicknamed "Ax Man", is a Canadian professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Milwaukee Brewers, St. Louis Cardinals, Cleveland Indians, Pitts ...
. Rodríguez expressed his unhappiness in September to being used as the
setup man In baseball, a setup man (or set-up man, also sometimes referred to as a setup pitcher or setup reliever) is a relief pitcher who regularly pitches before the closer. They commonly pitch the eighth inning, with the closer pitching the ninth. As ...
to Axford. Axford finished the season with a streak of 43 consecutive save opportunities converted. In 31 games for the Brewers, Rodríguez was 4–0 with a 1.86 ERA. Overall for the 2011 season, he was 6–2 with a 2.64 ERA in 73 appearances. He had 23 saves, all with the Mets. Through 2011, he was 4th among all active pitchers in career saves (291) and games finished (445), and 8th in fielding percentage (.970). Rodriguez made two appearances in the 2011 NLDS vs the
Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The f ...
and struck out four. The Brewers won the series against the Diamondbacks in five games. He appeared in three games of the 2011 NLCS vs the
St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...
. His ERA during the series was 3.00 and his new team of the Brewers would eventually lose the series to the Cardinals in six games. In January 2012, Rodríguez signed a one-year, $8 million contract with the Brewers through arbitration. The Brewers again planned to have Rodríguez and Axford in the bullpen, shifting between the two depending on who has been struggling of late. In 2012, Rodriguez made a career high of 78 relief appearances going 2–7 with a 4.38 ERA and only 3 saves. On October 29, 2012, the Brewers granted Rodriguez free agency. They re-signed him to a minor league deal on April 17, 2013 worth $2 million plus incentives if he made the major league team. After a brief stint at the Brewers' spring training complex, Rodriguez joined the Brewers. He appeared in 25 games, going 1–1 with a 1.09 ERA and 10 saves before being traded in July to the
Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. As one of the American L ...
.


Baltimore Orioles (2013)

On July 23, 2013, the Brewers traded Rodríguez to the
Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. As one of the American L ...
for minor league prospect
Nicky Delmonico Nicholas John Delmonico (born July 12, 1992) is an American former professional baseball outfielder and current hitting coach of the Birmingham Barons, the Double-A Chicago White Sox affiliate. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Ch ...
. Rodríguez struggled in his Orioles tenure, posting a 4.50 ERA in 23 appearances with the team. Overall in 2013, combined with both teams, he made 48 total relief appearances with a 3-2 record, a 2.70 ERA, and 10 saves.


Second stint with the Brewers (2014–2015)

On February 7, 2014, Rodríguez signed a one-year deal to return to the Milwaukee Brewers. Rodriguez was named the Brewers closer to start the 2014 season. On July 6, Rodriguez was selected as an All Star for the 5th time in his career, and the first time since 2009. On August 28, Rodriguez recorded his 1,000th career strikeout in a game against the
San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penna ...
, becoming the ninth player among the Top 20 career saves leaders to also record at least 1,000 strikeouts. Rodriguez finished his 2014 campaign posting a 5–5 record with a 3.04 ERA, 73 strikeouts, and converting 44 saves in 49 opportunities. During the season, he rose to tenth place on the all-time saves list. On February 27, 2015, the Brewers re-signed Rodriguez a two-year, $13 million deal. Milwaukee also held a club option for the 2017 season. Rodriguez would be paid $3.5 million in 2015 and $5.5 million in 2016. The deal also included a $2 million deferral and a $2 million buyout on the Brewers' 2017 club option worth $6 million. On July 6, Rodríguez was selected as an All Star for a second consecutive season and for the 6th time in his career. During the season, Rodríguez moved up three places on the all-time MLB saves list. On June 8, Rodríguez recorded his 359th career save, moving him past
Troy Percival Troy Eugene Percival (born August 9, 1969) is an American baseball coach and former professional baseball pitcher. He gained fame as a closer. During a 14-year baseball career spanning from 1995 to 2009, he pitched for four Major League Baseball ...
and into ninth place on the all-time list. On July 17, he recorded his 368th career save, passing
Jeff Reardon Jeffrey James Reardon (born October 1, 1955) is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1979–1994 with the New York Mets, Montreal Expos, Minnesota Twins, Boston Red Sox, Atlanta B ...
for eighth place on the list. On August 19, Rodríguez recorded save number 378, passing
Joe Nathan Joseph Michael Nathan (born November 22, 1974) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Francisco Giants, Minnesota Twins, Texas Rangers, Detroit Tigers, and Chicago Cu ...
for seventh place on the all-time list, while also making him the major leagues' active career saves leader. On September 27, Rodríguez
finished Finished may refer to: * ''Finished'' (novel), a 1917 novel by H. Rider Haggard * ''Finished'' (film), a 1923 British silent romance film * "Finished" (short story), a science fiction short story by L. Sprague de Camp See also *Finishing (disa ...
his 600th career game, becoming only the 17th pitcher all time to finish 600 games. He finished the season with a 1-3 record and a 2.21 ERA. He made 55 relief appearances and had 38 saves in 40 save chances.


Detroit Tigers (2016–2017)

On November 18, 2015, Rodríguez was traded to the
Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...
in exchange for Javier Betancourt and Manny Piña. During the 2015–16 offseason, Rodríguez contracted the
Zika virus ''Zika virus'' (ZIKV; pronounced or ) is a member of the virus family ''Flaviviridae''. It is spread by daytime-active ''Aedes'' mosquitoes, such as '' A. aegypti'' and '' A. albopictus''. Its name comes from the Ziika Forest of Uganda, whe ...
while in his native Venezuela. He said it took two months before he "ultimately felt like himself again" and he still felt lingering effects in
spring training Spring training is the preseason in Major League Baseball (MLB), a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for Schedule (workplace), roster and position spo ...
. On May 24, Rodríguez recorded his 400th career save, becoming just the sixth pitcher in Major League Baseball history to reach the milestone. On August 29, Rodríguez recorded his 423rd career save, passing
Billy Wagner William Edward Wagner (born July 25, 1971), nicknamed "Billy the Kid", is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He pitched for the Houston Astros (1995–2003), Philadelphia Phil ...
for fifth all-time in saves. On September 5, Rodríguez recorded his 425th career save, passing
John Franco John Anthony Franco (born September 17, 1960) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a left-handed relief pitcher between and . Franco established himself as an All-Star player with the Cinci ...
for fourth place on the all-time saves list. Rodríguez appeared in 61 games for the 2016 Tigers, posting a 3.24 ERA with 44 saves in 49 save chances. The season saves total is the second most for a Tiger pitcher in franchise history, trailing only the 49 saves recorded by
José Valverde José Rafael Valverde (born March 24, 1978) is a Dominican former professional baseball pitcher who played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Houston Astros, Detroit Tigers, and New York Mets. He is nicknamed ...
in
2011 File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
. For the first time in his career, Rodríguez had fewer strikeouts (52) than innings pitched (). Following the 2016 season, the Tigers exercised the $6 million club option to bring back Rodríguez for the 2017 season. Rodríguez began the season as the Tigers closer. On May 9, 2017, manager
Brad Ausmus Bradley David Ausmus (; born April 14, 1969) is an American former professional baseball manager and catcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). In his 18-year MLB playing career, Ausmus played for the San Diego Padres, Detroit Tigers, Houston Ast ...
announced that Rodríguez was being demoted from his closer role after blowing his fourth save of the young season, which included blown saves in back-to-back games on May 6 and 7. Justin Wilson replaced Rodríguez as the team's closer. After being demoted from the closer role, Rodríguez continued to struggle, allowing seven runs in innings, including two home runs. The Tigers released Rodríguez on June 23. During the season he registered a 2–5 record with a 7.82 ERA, and 1.658
WHIP A whip is a tool or weapon designed to strike humans or other animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain. They can also be used without inflicting pain, for audiovisual cues, such as in equestrianism. They are generally e ...
, while allowing nine home runs in innings.


Washington Nationals

On July 5, 2017, Rodríguez signed a minor league deal with the
Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadiu ...
, and was assigned to the
Harrisburg Senators The Harrisburg Senators are a Minor League Baseball team of the Eastern League, and the Double-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, who play their home games at FNB Field on City Island, which opened in 1987 a ...
of the
Class AA Double-A (officially Class AA) is the second-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946, below only Triple-A. There are currently 30 teams classified at the Double-A level, one for each team in Major League ...
Eastern League. After pitching five innings, he was released by the Nationals on July 14.


Philadelphia Phillies

On January 29, 2018, Rodríguez signed a minor league deal with the
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 ...
with an invite to spring training. He was released on March 24.


Long Island Ducks

On April 30, 2018, Rodríguez signed with the
Long Island Ducks The Long Island Ducks are an American professional minor-league baseball team based on Long Island in Central Islip, New York. The Ducks compete in the North Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB), an independent "partne ...
of the independent
Atlantic League of Professional Baseball The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB) is a professional independent baseball league based in the United States. It is an official MLB Partner League based in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States. The Atlantic League's ...
. He became a free agent following the 2018 season.


Acereros de Monclova

On June 11, 2019, Rodríguez signed with the
Acereros de Monclova The Acereros de Monclova (English: Monclova Steelers) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League based in Monclova, Coahuila, Mexico. Their home ballpark is Estadio de Béisbol Monclova, which has a capacity of 11,000 people. The Acere ...
of the
Mexican League The Mexican League (, ) is a professional baseball league based in Mexico and the oldest running professional league in the country. The league has 18 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games each season. Five te ...
. He was released on July 13, 2019.


Pitching style

Rodríguez throws four pitches. He progressed through the minor leagues and into the major leagues throwing a hard four-seam fastball that averaged 95 mph in 2007, but the pitch has settled into the 89–92 mph range through the 2016 season. He also throws a
two-seam fastball A two-seam fastball is a pitch in baseball and softball. It is a variant of the straight fastball. The pitch has the speed of a fastball and can also include late-breaking action caused by varying the pressure of the index and middle fingers on t ...
at 88–91 mph. His off-speed pitches are a
curveball In baseball and softball, the curveball is a type of pitch thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball, causing it to dive as it approaches the plate. Varieties of curveball include the 12–6 curve ...
at 76–79 mph and a
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 ...
at 82–85 mph. He uses his changeup more against left-handed hitters. It has a whiff rate of 48% since 2007, the third-highest among all changeups thrown by relief pitchers. Rodríguez has been a strikeout pitcher throughout his career, compiling an average of 10.6
strikeouts per 9 innings pitched In baseball statistics, strikeouts per nine innings pitched (K/9, SO/9, or SO/9IP) is the mean of strikeouts (or Ks) by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by multiplying the number of strikeouts by nine, and dividing by the nu ...
through the 2016 season.


Personal life

Rodríguez's nickname of "K-Rod" became popular during the 2002 playoffs. It is a play on "A-Rod", the nickname of former
third baseman A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the scoring system us ...
Alex Rodriguez Alexander Emmanuel Rodriguez (born July 27, 1975), nicknamed "A-Rod", is an American former professional baseball shortstop and third baseman, businessman and philanthropist. Rodriguez played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the ...
, with "K" representing the common abbreviation for
strikeout In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It usually means that the batter is out. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters, and is deno ...
. Rodríguez is a practitioner of the
Santería Santería (), also known as Regla de Ocha, Regla Lucumí, or Lucumí, is an African diaspora religions, African diasporic religion that developed in Cuba during the late 19th century. It arose through a process of syncretism between the tradit ...
religion. Rodríguez has competed in the
2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
and
2009 World Baseball Classic The 2009 World Baseball Classic (WBC) was an international baseball competition. It began on 5 9 and finished 5 26. Unlike in 2006, when the round-robin format of the first two rounds led to some eliminations being decided by run-difference ti ...
for the Venezuelan team with his former teammate
Johan Santana Johan Alexander Santana Araque (; born March 13, 1979) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball starting pitcher. Santana pitched in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins from 2000 to 2007 and for the New York Mets from 200 ...
. Rodriguez has 9 children.


Incidents

On June 13, 2009,
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...
reliever
Brian Bruney Brian Anthony Bruney (born February 17, 1982) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Arizona Diamondbacks, New York Yankees, Washington Nationals, and Chicago White Sox. He won the 200 ...
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." 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. In May 2010, Rodríguez and
bullpen coach In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, who determines the starting lineup and batting order, decides how to substitute players during the game, and makes strategy decisio ...
Randy Niemann Randal Harold Niemann (born November 15, 1955) is an American professional baseball coach and a former pitcher who appeared in 122 Major League games, all but 10 in relief, in 1979–80 and 1982–87 for the Houston Astros, Pittsburgh Pirates, Ch ...
got into a heated exchange while the pitcher was preparing to enter a game. Mets
manager Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activities o ...
Jerry Manuel Jerry Lorenzo Manuel Sr. (born December 23, 1953), nicknamed "The Sage," is a former major league manager. He previously managed the Chicago White Sox from 1998 to 2003 and the New York Mets from the middle of 2008 to 2010 and played in the major ...
later said the matter was resolved, without saying what caused the dispute. On August 11, 2010, Rodríguez was arrested after allegedly assaulting Carlos Peña, 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. Rodríguez remained in police custody at Citi Field on a charge of third-degree
assault An assault is the act of committing physical harm or unwanted physical contact upon a person or, in some specific legal definitions, a threat or attempt to commit such an action. It is both a crime and a tort and, therefore, may result in crim ...
, a
misdemeanor A misdemeanor (American English, spelled misdemeanour elsewhere) is any "lesser" criminal act in some common law legal systems. Misdemeanors are generally punished less severely than more serious felonies, but theoretically more so than adm ...
in the state of New York, and was arraigned that afternoon. 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 A chief operating officer or chief operations officer, also called a COO, is one of the highest-ranking executive positions in an organization, composing part of the "C-suite". The COO is usually the second-in-command at the firm, especially if t ...
Jeff Wilpon said. Rodríguez suffered a torn ligament in his right thumb, possibly during the altercation, requiring season-ending surgery. The Mets suspended Rodríguez indefinitely, preventing him from attending or performing any activity with the team, as well as having his pay suspended until he was physically able to perform again. 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. Rodriguez was charged with domestic violence in Wisconsin relating to a September 17, 2012, incident in which he allegedly hit and kicked the mother of his child. He was facing a fine of $10,000 and/or up to 9 months in prison. Charges were subsequently dropped against Rodriguez when the victim and the eyewitness (housekeeper) both returned to Venezuela and did not respond to the district attorney on the case.


See also

*
List of Major League Baseball annual saves leaders The following is a list of annual leaders in saves in Major League Baseball (MLB), with separate lists for the American League and the National League. The list includes several professional leagues and associations that were never part of MLB. ...
*
List of Major League Baseball players from Venezuela From 1939 to 2019, 397 Venezuelan baseball players born in Venezuela have played in Major League Baseball. This list shows players who appeared in at least one game in MLB, including number indicating order of arrival, name of player, position, ...


References


External links


Francisco Rodríguez
at Pura Pelota (Venezuelan Professional Baseball League) {{DEFAULTSORT:Rodriguez, Francisco 1982 births Living people Acereros de Monclova players American League All-Stars American League saves champions Anaheim Angels players Arkansas Travelers players Baltimore Orioles players Boise Hawks players Brevard County Manatees players Butte Copper Kings players Detroit Tigers players Hagerstown Suns players Harrisburg Senators players Lake Elsinore Storm players Long Island Ducks players Los Angeles Angels players Luis Aparicio Award winners Major League Baseball pitchers Major League Baseball players from Venezuela Mexican League baseball pitchers Milwaukee Brewers players Nashville Sounds players National League All-Stars New York Mets players Potomac Nationals players Rancho Cucamonga Quakes players Salt Lake Stingers players Baseball players from Caracas Tiburones de La Guaira players Venezuelan expatriate baseball players in Mexico Venezuelan expatriate baseball players in the United States World Baseball Classic players of Venezuela 2006 World Baseball Classic players 2009 World Baseball Classic players 2013 World Baseball Classic players 2017 World Baseball Classic players