José Rodríguez (infielder)
Encyclopedia
José Rodríguez nicknamed "Joseíto" or "El Hombre Goma" in Spanish and "Joe" in English, was a Cuba
n infielder
who played in Major League Baseball
from 1916 to 1918 and in the Cuban League
from 1914 to 1939. In the majors, he played for the New York Giants
and was primarily a second baseman
, while in the Cuban League and the U.S. minor league
s he mostly played first base
. A defensive specialist, according to Roberto González Echevarría
, Rodríguez "was considered the best defensive first baseman in Cuba" of his time. He was also a long-time manager
in the Cuban League and managed for one season in the minors. He was inducted into the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame
in 1951.
Rodríguez was born in Havana
in 1894. His younger brother Oscar also became a baseball player and manager in the Cuban League and the minor leagues and joined José as a member of the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame in 1960.
, in 1915 and was recruited by the New York Giants. He joined the Giants in spring training in 1916. News reports from spring training suggested that Rodriguez "may develop into a high class player like Palmero, the young Cuban pitcher," and that manager John McGraw
expected him "to develop into a star first baseman." After spring training he was assigned to the New London Planters
in the Eastern League, where he hit .263.
Rodríguez debuted with the Giants on October 5, 1916, when he appeared as a pinch runner. In 1917 he was assigned to the Rochester Hustlers
in the International League
, where he hit .252. When he was again called up by the Giants, he played in seven major league games and hit .200 in 20 at bat
s.
After spring training in 1918, Rodríguez was retained by the Giants as their utility infielder. He hit poorly, and after Larry Doyle, the regular second baseman, had surgery in May, the Giants acquired other infielders such as Bert Niehoff
and Ed Sicking. Rodríguez ended the season with a .160 batting average in 40 games. After the season, he was traded to Rochester, ending his major league career.
Rodríguez played the next two seasons as Rochester's first baseman, hitting .264 and .320. When the Rochester team was sold after the 1920 season, the new owners, George Stallings
and Walter Hapgood, sold most their players; Rodríguez was sold to the Bridgeport Americans of the Eastern League. He played in the Eastern League from 1921 to 1930, playing for Bridgeport, the Worcester Panthers
, the Providence Rubes
, and the Pittsfield Hillies
. He hit as high as .316, and his overall minor league average was .284. He played for the Canton Terriers of the Central League
and the Binghamton Triplets
of the New York-Pennsylvania League in 1930 and 1931, before returning to the Eastern League where he ended his U.S. career with the Allentown Buffaloes and Norfolk Tars
in 1931 and 1932.
Rodríguez returned to minor league baseball for one season in 1948 as the manager of the Sherman-Denison Twins in the Big State League.
. The following winter he moved to Almendares. The team, which included Cristóbal Torriente
, Adolfo Luque
, José Méndez
, Ramón Herrera
, and Rafael Almeida
, won the championship, with Rodríguez hitting .286. He again played for a championship team, the Orientals, in the winter of 1917, but hit only .194. The league didn't play in the winter of 1917/18, but in 1918/19 he again played for Almendares and hit .312.
In 1919/20 he moved to Habana
, where he played shortstop
and hit .278. In 1920/21, still with Habana, he played third base
and was part of another championship, hitting .226. The next winter, the Cuban League season terminated after only five games; Rodríguez had returned to first base and hit .368.
The following winter, 1922/23, his role shifted as he became the playing manager of Almendares. In his third season as manager, 1924/25, he won the league championship with a team powered by Negro league
stars, including five future members of the U.S. Baseball Hall of Fame
—Bullet Rogan
, Andy Cooper
, John Henry ("Pop") Lloyd
, Biz Mackey
, and Oscar Charleston
—as well as Dick Lundy, Newt Allen
, and Valentín Dreke, and major leaguers Adolfo Luque and José Acosta.
He won his next championship as manager for Almendares in 1931/32, his last season as a full-time player and a season in which no American players were signed to play in the Cuban league. He continued to play part-time until 1938/39 and to manage for various teams until 1943/44. In 1950 he became the general manager
of the minor league Havana Cubans
.
Rodríguez died in 1953 at the age of 58.
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
n infielder
Infielder
An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field.-Standard arrangement of positions:In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles...
who played in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
from 1916 to 1918 and in the Cuban League
Cuban League
The Cuban League was one of the earliest and longest lasting professional baseball leagues outside of the United States, operating in Cuba from 1878 to 1961...
from 1914 to 1939. In the majors, he played for the New York Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
and was primarily a second baseman
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
, while in the Cuban League and the U.S. minor league
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
s he mostly played first base
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
. A defensive specialist, according to Roberto González Echevarría
Roberto González Echevarría
Roberto González Echevarría is a Cuban-born critic of Latin American literature and culture. He is currently the Sterling Professor of Hispanic and Comparative Literature at Yale University....
, Rodríguez "was considered the best defensive first baseman in Cuba" of his time. He was also a long-time manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
in the Cuban League and managed for one season in the minors. He was inducted into the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame
Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame
The Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame is a hall of fame that honors eminent baseball players from the pre-revolution Cuban League. Established in 1939, by 1961 it had honored 68 players whose names are shown on a marble plaque at Havana's Estadio Latinoamericano...
in 1951.
Rodríguez was born in Havana
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
in 1894. His younger brother Oscar also became a baseball player and manager in the Cuban League and the minor leagues and joined José as a member of the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame in 1960.
United States
José Rodríguez toured the United States with a Cuban team, the Habana RedsHabana (baseball club)
The Habana club was one of the oldest and most distinguished baseball teams in the old Cuban League, which existed from 1878 to 1961. Habana, representing the city of Havana, was the only team to play in the league every season of its existence and was one of its most successful franchises...
, in 1915 and was recruited by the New York Giants. He joined the Giants in spring training in 1916. News reports from spring training suggested that Rodriguez "may develop into a high class player like Palmero, the young Cuban pitcher," and that manager John McGraw
John McGraw
John McGraw may refer to:* John McGraw , , New York lumber tycoon, and one of the founding trustees of Cornell University* John McGraw , , Governor of Washington state from 1893–1897...
expected him "to develop into a star first baseman." After spring training he was assigned to the New London Planters
New London Planters
The New London Planters were a minor league baseball team based in New London, Connecticut, that entered the now defunct Connecticut League in 1913, which had recently renamed itself the Eastern Association with the arrival of teams outside of the state...
in the Eastern League, where he hit .263.
Rodríguez debuted with the Giants on October 5, 1916, when he appeared as a pinch runner. In 1917 he was assigned to the Rochester Hustlers
Rochester Red Wings
The Rochester Red Wings are a minor league baseball team based in Rochester, New York. The team plays in the International League and is the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins major-league club. The Red Wings play in Frontier Field, located in downtown Rochester.The Red Wings were an...
in the International League
International League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
, where he hit .252. When he was again called up by the Giants, he played in seven major league games and hit .200 in 20 at bat
At bat
In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance...
s.
After spring training in 1918, Rodríguez was retained by the Giants as their utility infielder. He hit poorly, and after Larry Doyle, the regular second baseman, had surgery in May, the Giants acquired other infielders such as Bert Niehoff
Bert Niehoff
John Albert Niehoff was a second baseman in Major League Baseball who played for four different clubs between the and seasons...
and Ed Sicking. Rodríguez ended the season with a .160 batting average in 40 games. After the season, he was traded to Rochester, ending his major league career.
Rodríguez played the next two seasons as Rochester's first baseman, hitting .264 and .320. When the Rochester team was sold after the 1920 season, the new owners, George Stallings
George Stallings
George Tweedy Stallings was an American manager and player in Major League Baseball. His most famous achievement – leading the Boston Braves from last place in mid-July to the National League championship and a World Series sweep of the powerful Philadelphia Athletics – resulted in a nickname he...
and Walter Hapgood, sold most their players; Rodríguez was sold to the Bridgeport Americans of the Eastern League. He played in the Eastern League from 1921 to 1930, playing for Bridgeport, the Worcester Panthers
Worcester Panthers
The Worcester Panthers were an Eastern League baseball team based in Worcester, Massachusetts. They existed from 1923 to 1925.They were managed by Hall of Fame baseball player Jesse Burkett in 1923 and 1924. He led them to a79-74 record in 1923, and a 70-82 record in 1924...
, the Providence Rubes
Providence Rubes
The Providence Rubes were an Eastern League baseball team based in Providence, Rhode Island. Their manager was Rube Marquard, after whom the team was presumably named. They were the league champions in 1926, their only year of existence....
, and the Pittsfield Hillies
Pittsfield Hillies
The Pittsfield Hillies was an Eastern League baseball team from 1919 to 1930. They were League Champions in 1919 and 1921.Their home field was at Wahconah Park, Pittsfield, Massachusetts.-1905:...
. He hit as high as .316, and his overall minor league average was .284. He played for the Canton Terriers of the Central League
Central League (baseball)
The Central League was a minor league baseball league that operated sporadically from 1903-1917, 1920-1922, 1926, 1928-1930, 1934, and 1948-1951. In 1926, the league merged mid-season with the Michigan State League and played under that name for the remainder of the season...
and the Binghamton Triplets
Binghamton Triplets
The Binghamton Triplets were a minor league baseball team in Binghamton, New York, affiliated with the New York Yankees ; the team also had brief affiliations with the Kansas City Athletics and the Milwaukee Braves...
of the New York-Pennsylvania League in 1930 and 1931, before returning to the Eastern League where he ended his U.S. career with the Allentown Buffaloes and Norfolk Tars
Norfolk Tars
The Norfolk Tars were a minor league baseball team that existed on and off from 1906 to 1955. Based in Norfolk, Virginia, they played in the Virginia League from 1906 to 1918 and from 1921 to 1928, in the Eastern League from 1931 to 1932 and in the Piedmont League from 1934 to 1955, and from 1934...
in 1931 and 1932.
Rodríguez returned to minor league baseball for one season in 1948 as the manager of the Sherman-Denison Twins in the Big State League.
Cuba
Rodríguez began his professional career in the winter of 1914/15 as the first baseman of the Fe club of the Cuban LeagueCuban League
The Cuban League was one of the earliest and longest lasting professional baseball leagues outside of the United States, operating in Cuba from 1878 to 1961...
. The following winter he moved to Almendares. The team, which included Cristóbal Torriente
Cristóbal Torriente
Cristóbal Torriente was a Cuban outfielder in Negro league baseball with the Cuban Stars, All Nations, Chicago American Giants, Kansas City Monarchs and Detroit Stars over a career that lasted from 1914 to 1928, plus a single game in 1932.-Negro league career:Torriente was born in Cienfuegos, Cuba...
, Adolfo Luque
Dolf Luque
Adolfo Domingo De Guzmán "Dolf" Luque , was an early 20th century Cuban starting pitcher in Major League Baseball.Luque was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 1967....
, José Méndez
José Méndez
José de la Caridad Méndez was a Cuban right-handed pitcher and manager in baseball's Negro Leagues. Born in Cárdenas, Matanzas, he died at age 41 in Havana. Known in Cuba as El Diamante Negro , he became a legend in his homeland. He was one of the first group of players elected to the Cuban...
, Ramón Herrera
Mike Herrera (baseball)
Ramón "Mike" Herrera [er-ray'-ra] was an infielder in Major League Baseball, playing mainly as a second baseman for the Boston Red Sox in part of two seasons. Listed at 5' 6", 147 lb., Herrera batted and threw right-handed...
, and Rafael Almeida
Rafael Almeida
Rafael D. Almeida was a Major League Baseball third baseman from 1911 to 1913 with the Cincinnati Reds.Almeida and Armando Marsans debuted together with the Reds on July 4, 1911...
, won the championship, with Rodríguez hitting .286. He again played for a championship team, the Orientals, in the winter of 1917, but hit only .194. The league didn't play in the winter of 1917/18, but in 1918/19 he again played for Almendares and hit .312.
In 1919/20 he moved to Habana
Habana (baseball club)
The Habana club was one of the oldest and most distinguished baseball teams in the old Cuban League, which existed from 1878 to 1961. Habana, representing the city of Havana, was the only team to play in the league every season of its existence and was one of its most successful franchises...
, where he played shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
and hit .278. In 1920/21, still with Habana, he played third base
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball 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...
and was part of another championship, hitting .226. The next winter, the Cuban League season terminated after only five games; Rodríguez had returned to first base and hit .368.
The following winter, 1922/23, his role shifted as he became the playing manager of Almendares. In his third season as manager, 1924/25, he won the league championship with a team powered by Negro league
Negro league baseball
The Negro leagues were United States professional baseball leagues comprising teams predominantly made up of African Americans. The term may be used broadly to include professional black teams outside the leagues and it may be used narrowly for the seven relatively successful leagues beginning in...
stars, including five future members of the U.S. Baseball Hall of Fame
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of...
—Bullet Rogan
Bullet Rogan
Charles Wilber "Bullet" Rogan, also known as "Bullet Joe" , was an American pitcher and outfielder for the Kansas City Monarchs in the Negro baseball leagues from 1920 to 1938...
, Andy Cooper
Andy Cooper
Andrew Lewis Cooper , nicknamed "Lefty," was an American left-handed pitcher, who hit right-handed, in baseball's Negro Leagues. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006....
, John Henry ("Pop") Lloyd
John Henry Lloyd
John Henry "Pop" Lloyd was an American baseball player and manager in the Negro leagues. He is generally considered the greatest shortstop in Negro league history, and both Babe Ruth and Ted Harlow, a noted sportswriter, reportedly believed Lloyd to be the greatest baseball player ever.He was a...
, Biz Mackey
Biz Mackey
James Raleigh "Biz" Mackey was an American catcher and manager in Negro league baseball. He came to be regarded as black baseball's premier catcher in the late 1920s and early 1930s...
, and Oscar Charleston
Oscar Charleston
Oscar McKinley Charleston was an American center fielder and manager in baseball's Negro leagues from to ....
—as well as Dick Lundy, Newt Allen
Newt Allen
Newton Henry "Newt" Allen was an American second baseman and manager in baseball's Negro Leagues.Born in Austin, Texas, he began his Negro League career late in 1922 with the Kansas City Monarchs and, except for brief stints with other teams in 1931 and 1932, stayed with the Monarchs until his...
, and Valentín Dreke, and major leaguers Adolfo Luque and José Acosta.
He won his next championship as manager for Almendares in 1931/32, his last season as a full-time player and a season in which no American players were signed to play in the Cuban league. He continued to play part-time until 1938/39 and to manage for various teams until 1943/44. In 1950 he became the general manager
General manager (baseball)
In Major League Baseball, the general manager of a team typically controls player transactions and bears the primary responsibility on behalf of the ballclub during contract discussions with players....
of the minor league Havana Cubans
Havana Sugar Kings
The Havana Sugar Kings were a Cuban-based minor league baseball team that played in the Class AAA International League from 1954 to 1960 . They were affiliated with Major League Baseball's Cincinnati Reds, and their home stadium was El Gran Estadio del Cerro in Havana, Cuba.-History:The Sugar...
.
Rodríguez died in 1953 at the age of 58.