ST. LOUIS — At an age when many of his current teammates were already training for a future in baseball, Richard Rodriguez was tending to his family's farm in the Dominican Republic. That tedious, tiresome work picking bountiful crops of plantains and rice inspired him to remain in those fields upon completing his education.
He only stumbled onto baseball at 16 years old when a childhood friend encouraged him to begin taking the sport seriously, causing him to not sign his first professional contract until four years later when the Astros discovered him at a tryout. He's since been traded, designated for assignment after pitching only five times in the majors last September and signed as a minor-league free agent by the Pirates in December.
Rodriguez, one of four non-roster invitee relievers this spring, didn't make the opening day roster at 28 years old. Yet, the lanky right-handed reliever showed Ray Searage in a bullpen between the backfields at Pirate City why the front office thought he could help the Pirates in 2018 and has since become the franchise's latest improbable success story, though he didn't pitch in the team's 4-3 win over the Cardinals on Wednesday at Busch Stadium.
"What’s allowed my career to take off and gain success is the relationships I have here and the confidence they’ve given me, especially with coaches and players," Rodriguez told DKPittsburghSports.com through translator Mike Gonzalez. "The coaches have perfected my craft and they’ve poured so much confidence in me. That’s allowed me to blossom."
To continue reading, log into your account:
