Not until you here the rest of the story as Paul Harvey used to say.
Rodriguez was drafted by the Reds out of the University of Miami in the 20th round of the 2006 draft. He was a teammate of Yonder Alonso, the Reds number 1 pick two years later. Rodriguez knew Yasmani Grandal, another Reds' top pick out of the 2010 draft.
Unlike his fellow Hurricane alumni, Rodriguez didn't get the "Golden Boy" treatment.
He hit .236 in his first full season of professional baseball with the Dayton Dragons. He finished with a .201 batting average at Sarasota and Chattanooga in 2008.
The Reds released him.
Rodriguez refused to give up his major league dreams.
Rodriguez played in independent leagues for El Paso and Sioux Falls. The Padres signed him in February 2011 and invited him to spring training this year.
Grandal went on the disabled list with a strained oblique. Rodriguez got the call.
Cueto and Rodriguez were in the minor leagues in the Reds' organization together, playing in Sarasota and Chattanooga.
Rodriguez got the call to make his major league debut against Cueto in Great American Ball Park on Thursday.
Rodriguez hit a home run off Cueto in his first at bat and an amazing comeback story was now complete. It was a solo home run in an eventual 9-4 loss but to Rodriguez it justified all of his struggles and hard work.
He fought back tears thinking about the work that it took to be here on this day. He wrestled with the emotions when he thought of the support his mother, Ylya, gave him during the last three years when his career appeared over.
"It's been a long road," Rodriguez said. "I've always had my family and my mom behind me 100 percent of the time. I love this game. You're playing and you're trying to get back here. You're trying to get a chance to play in the major leagues, to play in front of fans. I was very blessed to get that call."
"It was unbelievable facing Johnny. I came up with him through the Reds. He's been a top pitcher up here for two or three years. I was just trying to have a good at bat. When the results came, I can't explain it. I got goose bumps. I told the guys I blacked out. After hitting the ball I didn't remember it until the next inning."
He choked back tears before he continued.
"All I could think about was all the hard work. I just thought of my mom, you know."
He got a great reception by his teammates that was unforgettable.
"It was awesome. I'm just very blessed to be here. All the guys on the other team (Reds) that I played with too. Every time they came to the plate, they were congratulating me. I got just as big hugs from them as I got in this clubhouse when I saw them in batting practice. I couldn't be more blessed."
The home run was the first one that Cueto allowed in 80 innings since Todd Helton homered on May 25th. Rodriguez, the righthanded hitter, was the first righthander to hit a home run off Cueto since Ryan Zimmerman did so on August 17, last season - a span of 169 innings.
San Diego manager, Bud Black, even in defeat took joy from Rodriguez accomplishment.
"Isn't that great. His first major league at bat, he hits a home run off Johnny Cueto. It's a day he'll never forget. I'm sure a lot of us won't forget. Here's a guy that two days ago was in Lake Elsinore in Class A. That's special. That's why you come to the ball park because you're going to see something like that happen on any given day."
For every highly paid player in the major leagues there are guys like Eddy, who don't have quite the ability but have twice the desire to play in the major leagues. Black, a former major leaguer himself, points out the realities of the hard road to the big leagues for most guys.
"We had Eddy in major league camp. There's a lot of players like Eddy that are grinding through professional baseball hoping for a moment like today. That's why you'll see guys continue to play, no matter where they are until they don't have a job. A lot of guys persevere and a lot of guys get better and get an opportunity. These things happen. It's great to see a guy pushing through the game and when the opportunity arises does something special."
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| Professionally edited by ML Schirmer for proofreading services Call 513-240-3120 |
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