José Rodríguez (Panama)

José Rodríguez (Chichito)

• Born March 21, 1970

Biographical Information

José Rodríguez played and coached for the Panamanian national team. In Panama, he has played for and managed Panama Oeste.

Rodríguez started at short for Panama in the 1994 Baseball World Cup, hitting .167/.211/.222 and fielding .800 with five errors in eight games. He helped Panama to a Gold in the 1997 Central American Games. In the 1998 Baseball World Cup, he hit .200/.286/.240 but fielded better than four years prior (.923). He was 1 for 4 with two runs in the 2001 Baseball World Cup and had 6 error-free chances at SS, backing up major leaguer Orlando Miller. He won Gold in the 2001 Bolivarian Games.

He backed up Miller again in the 2002 Intercontinental Cup and was 2 for 8 with two times hit-by-pitch. He had 2 putouts, 7 assists and no errors. Panama got the Bronze but it was revoked as four players tested positive for banned substances. He also helped Nicaragua to a Silver in the 2002 Central American and Caribbean Games. He was 0 for 5 with a run in the 2003 Baseball World Cup, when Panama won a Silver for their Baseball World Cup finish; he backed up Luis Iglesias at 3B and Vicente Garibaldo at SS, getting an assist in his lone defensive chance.

He later coached for Panama in the 2013 Central American Games (Silver Medal), 2017 Bolivarian Games (Silver Medal) and 2017 Central American Games (Silver Medal), serving on a staff led by manager Rodrigo Merón, his middle infield mate in the 1998 World Cup.