Ricardo Rodriguez (rodriri03)

Ricardo Antonio Rodríguez

• Bats Left, Throws Right
• Height 6' 3", Weight 165 lb.

• Debut August 21, 2002
• Final Game August 8, 2005
• Born May 21, 1978 in Guayubin, Monte Cristi, D.R.

BR page

Biographical Information

Ricardo Rodriguez was a successful minor league pitcher who spent parts of four seasons in the Major Leagues.

He was signed as an amateur free agent by the Los Angeles Dodgers in September 1996 and had perhaps his best minor league season in 2000 for the Great Falls Dodgers of the Pioneer League. He went 10-3 with a 1.88 ERA and 129 strikeouts in 95 2/3 innings. The next year, in 2001, he was voted Pitcher of the Year in the Florida State League, going 14-6, 3.21, with 154 strikeouts in 154 1/3 innings for the Vero Beach Dodgers. He was sent to the Cleveland Indians in a deadline trade in 2002 that brought veteran reliever Paul Shuey to the Dodgers. He made his Major League debut with Cleveland a few weeks later, on August 21st and also pitched with them in 2003, going 3-9 in 15 starts over the year's first half. He was then included in another deadline deal that season, being shipped to the Texas Rangers with Shane Spencer in return for Ryan Ludwick. He spent the remainder of the season in the minor leagues, however, not joining the Rangers until 2004, when he went 3-1 and pitched a complete game shutout in a late-season call-up. The Rangers were counting on him to be part of their starting rotation in 2005, but he disappointed, going 2-3, 5.53 in 10 starts before losing his job.

After the season, he was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies in the deal that brought Vicente Padilla to Texas. Rodriguez not only failed to make the Phillies' major league roster following the trade, but was released on April 12th. He was signed by the Atlanta Braves, but after spending a few months in their system, was released again in late July. He was picked up by the St. Louis Cardinals, but was let go one more time at the end of the season without having pitched an inning in the majors at any point in 2006. He posted an ERA of 6.00 between the Richmond Braves and Memphis Redbirds that year, to go along with a record of 8-12, which explains why he did not get a call back to the Show. He spent 2007 with the Albuquerque Isotopes in the Florida Marlins' organization, going 2-4, 6.43.

Ricardo spent 2008 with the independent Edmonton Cracker-Cats, going 8-2 with a 3.84 ERA; he was third in the hitter-friendly Golden Baseball League in ERA. He began 2009 with the Saraperos de Saltillo, going 3-0 with a 6.75 ERA in 7 games, then moved to Taiwan's Sinon Bulls. With Sinon, he was 1-7 with a 5.80 ERA.

Rodríguez signed with the 2010 KIA Tigers but was injured in spring training and tested positive for banned substances, leading to his release; he was replaced by Matt Wright.

Notable Achievements

• 2001 Pitcher of the Year Florida State League Vero Beach Dodgers