Francisco “El Kid” Rodríguez, known for his intensity, irreverence, and passion, is returning to the field, this time as a coach. The Venezuelan Baseball Federation has appointed him as the manager of the U-15 national team that will participate in the Pre-World Cup, which will take place in late February in the Dominican Republic.
The announcement was made on Monday through the Team Baseball social media accounts, highlighting “El Kid” as a “stellar figure” of the national team. This will be the Caracas native’s first experience as a coach in his career.
The U-15 Pre-World Cup will bring together 12 teams from the Americas, with the top five advancing to the World Cup, which already includes the Netherlands and Italy from Europe, and Chinese Taipei and Japan from Asia.
“El Kid,” an unforgettable player
Francisco “El Kid” Rodríguez is the best Venezuelan closer ever seen in Major League Baseball. His 437 saves, in 513 opportunities, are the fourth-best record in the history of the Big Show. The only players ahead of him are:
- Lee Smith with 437
- Trevor Hoffman with 601
- Mariano Rivera, the only unanimous Hall of Famer, with 652
In his stellar 16-season career, he played for the Los Angeles Angels, New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays, Milwaukee Brewers, Baltimore Orioles, and Detroit Tigers. He made a total of 948 appearances, pitched 976 innings, with a lifetime ERA of 2.86 and a WHIP of 1.15.
Also read: Celebrating 20 years since “El Kid” Rodríguez’s debut
In 2002, his rookie season, he won his only championship ring and went on to be selected for six All-Star Games.
The 68 saves he achieved in 2008 with the Angels are still a record in MLB. The second-highest mark is 57, shared by Bobby Thigpen in 1990 and Puerto Rican pitcher Edwin Diaz in 2018.
In Venezuela, “El Kid” Rodríguez played in 10 seasons, all with the Tiburones de La Guaira, appearing in 93 games and pitching a total of 109 and two-thirds innings. He recorded 32 saves and had a lifetime ERA of 2.71. He won a championship in the 2005-2006 season as a reinforcement for the Leones del Caracas.
His number 57 is retired by the Tiburones, and his name will forever live on the Wall of Honor of the Milwaukee Brewers.
