Mark Rodrigues

Note: This page is for minor league pitcher Mark Rodrigues. For other players with similar names, Click here.

Mark R. Rodrigues

• Bats Right, Throws Left
• Height 6' 2", Weight 165 lb.
• School Los Medanos College, University of Hawai'i at Manoa
• High School Kaua'i High School

• Born April 6, 1983, in Lihue, HI USA

BR Minors page

Biographical information

Family

Mark Rodrigues is the son of Caridad and Julio Rodrigues of Koloa, Kaua'i. He has a brother named Michael.

Early Development and High School Career

Mark started in baseball early. He joined the Koloa Youth Baseball Association when he was 6 years old. Rodrigues attended Kaua'i High School in Lihue, Kaua'i. While there he earned all-state honors in both baseball and volleyball. He was named Kaua'i Interscholastic Federation player of the year in 2001 and led his team to the KIF championship. Rodrigues was drafted in the 29th round (862nd overall) of the 2001 Amateur Draft by the Montreal Expos, but he chose not to sign with them.

Collegiate Career

Rodrigues played his freshman season at Los Medanos College in Pittsburg, CA. While at Los Medanos, he was again selected in the draft. This time, the Oakland Athletics chose him as their 37th round pick (1118th overall) in the 2002 Amateur Draft.

Following the 2002 season, Rodrigues moved on to the University of Hawai'i at Manoa. One of his prime motivations for picking that particular school was that its games were broadcast in his hometown. He wanted his family to be able to watch him play.

During his sophomore year at Hawai'i (2003), Rodrigues was a hard throwing lefty who consistently threw 92-93 mph. In 2004, before the regular season could start, he underwent Tommy John elbow surgery. He was medically redshirted for the 2004 season and missed the 2005 season also. Following the surgery, Mark became more of a finesse pitcher rather than just a power pitcher.

In 2006, Rodrigues went 4-2 with a 4.66 ERA in 12 starts. He pitched 58 innings and had 28 strikeouts. He earned Western Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week honors on February 13. During the summer, he pitched for the Eau Claire Express in the collegiate Northwoods League. He had an 0-3 record in 7 starts with a 3.72 ERA.

2007 was Mark's senior year at Hawai'i, and he was granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA. Rodrigues had a 9-3 record and a 3.41 ERA in 95.0 innings, striking out 39 with only 10 walks, one complete game and one combined shutout. He was named the Western Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week on March 12. Rodrigues was the male recipient of The Bonham Award, University of Hawai'i athletics' most prestigious honor. It is given annually to the top male and female senior student-athletes.

In February of 2008, Rodrigues participated in the annual Rainbows alumni game.

While at Hawai'i Mark majored in sociology and minored in American studies.

Minor League Career

The Cleveland Indians signed Rodrigues as a free agent on May 27, 2007. At the time he explained why he did not wait around for the draft: "As a sixth-year senior, I figured my chances of being drafted weren’t that high,” he said. “So when they called I took the first opportunity I had to sign."

In 2007, Rodrigues played for the Mahoning Valley Scrappers in the New York-Penn League. In 12 relief appearances, he went 1-1 with a 6.75 ERA. In 24 innings pitched, he gave up 13 walks and 4 home runs while striking out 12. While with Mahoning Valley, Rodrigues had a teammate with the very similar name of Mark Rodriguez. Rodriguez is a right handed reliever.

Mark began the 2008 season in extended spring training. On June 4, he was called up to the Carolina League to pitch for the Kinston Indians. In his two appearances with the KTribe, he was used in relief and was not involved in any decisions. He was then sent back to Mahoning Valley. In 17 relief appearances, he posted a 0-2 record with a 2.66 ERA and 16 strikeouts in 23 and two-thirds innings.

Further reading

• Lanaly Cabalo: "Rodrigues Signs With Indians", Kaua'i Garden Island News, June 4, 2007. [1]
• Al Chase: "Rodrigues Comes Through For Rainbows", Honolulu Star Bulletin, May 30, 2006. [2]
• Dave Reardon: "UH Glad To Have Rodrigues Back: Rodrigues Is Immediately Placed In The Starting Rotation When The NCAA Gives Him Another Year", Honolulu Star Bulletin, January 24, 2007. [3]
• Dave Reardon: "Rodrigues More Finesse-Oriented: The Rainbow Lefty Went From A Hard Thrower To A Pitcher", Honolulu Star Bulletin, March 13, 2007. [4]

Related Sites

• Spring Training video