 
|
PRINCESS ANNE, MD - UMES Baseball Head Coach Bobby Rodriguez, who was recently inducted into the National Hispanic Sports Hall of Fame, was honored Friday night at the Delmarva Shorebirds game as he was named a coach on the Shorebirds All-Decade team.
Starting February 2, 2005 at the Annual Hot Stove Banquet, fans have had the opportunity to vote on who they thought should make up this prestigious All-Decade Team. Then when the voting concluded on May 16, 2005 the votes were tallied and the team of 14 players and 3 coaches was set. Coach Rodriguez served as field coach for the Delmarva Shorebirds, which are the Baltimore Orioles' Class A Affiliate, from 1997 to 2002. His duties there included work with outfielders, third base coach, and hitting instructor. He helped guide the team to win the South Atlantic League Championship in 1997, the first half title in 1998, the title in 2000, and the second half title in 2002. They also made playoff runs in four of his six seasons. As a coach for the Shorebirds he has coached such pro players as Luis Matos, Larry Bigbie, Bryan Roberts, Tim Raines Jr., Jerry Hairston Jr., Mike Bordick, Sidney Ponson, Pat Hentgen, and Delino DeShields. Before moving to the Eastern Shore, Coach Rodriguez was recognized as a High School All-American and was later signed to play in the Mexican AAA League. His first game action came almost 29 years ago when he led off the game with a double in his first professional at bat. One year later he won the Mexican League Championship with the Nuevo Laredo Owls. That year he was the lead-off batter and hit .336. In 1980, he owned Mexican League pitching staffs as he hit .404, winning the Silver Bat Mexican League Batting Title. One year later Rodriguez won another Mexican League Championship as a lead-off hitter with the Mexico City Reds where he hit .372. He was also the top Mexican Native Hitter in 1978, 1979, and 1982 with .343, .363, and .372 averages respectively. Rodriguez's experience also has allowed him to play with or against such legends as Fernando Valenzuela, Willie Crawford, George Scott, Willie Davis, Bump Wills Jr., Louie Tiant, and Diego Segui.
|
|||||||||
| ||||||||||
