Burrulote Rodríguez

Luis Ernesto Rodríguez

• Born July 11, 1902 in Santo Domingo D.R.
• Died December 1, 1964

Biographical Information

Burrulote Rodríguez was a prominent figure in the early history of Dominican baseball. As a player, he played catcher, pitcher, outfield and first base. He was the catcher when Licey won its first Dominican title in 1924. He was the first manager of the Dominican national team, guiding them to a 5-3 finish in the 1941 Amateur World Series to tie for 4th. He then managed the Dominicans to a Silver Medal and 9-3 record in the 1942 Amateur World Series. During that tournament, he nearly led to a riot, throwing a bat on the field in response to constant harassment due to his nickname, which means donkey.

In the 1943 Amateur World Series, Rodríguez managed the Dominicans to a 5-7 finish but they still won the Bronze Medal as only four teams played that year and only Cuba topped .500. Horacio Martínez replaced him at the reigns of the Dominicans in 1944. Burrulote returned for the 1946 Central American and Caribbean Games and led the Dominican entry to a Silver Medal, ahead of Cuba and behind only Colombia.

In 1968, he was inducted into the Dominican Sports Hall of Fame as part of the second class chosen.

Primary Sources

• Dominican Sports Hall of Fame
• A History of Cuban Baseball by Peter Bjarkman