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Cookie Rojas

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Baseball Player

The Resume

    (March 6, 1939- )
    Born in Cuba
    Real name: Octavio Víctor Rojas Rivas
    Major League second baseman, Cincinnati Reds (1962) Philadelphia Phillies 1963-69) St Louis Cardinals (1970). Kansas City Royals (1970-1977)
    Manager, California Angels (1988), Florida Marlins (1996)
    Miami Marlins' Spanish-language television color commentator
    Five-time MLB All-Star with Phillies and Royals
    Royals Hall of Fame member

Why he might be annoying:

    His parents wanted him to become a doctor.
    The Reds were loaded at second base, so he was stuck in the minors until they traded him to the Phillies.
    By leaving Cuba to play minor league baseball, he was cut off from his family when Castro took over.
    He was not yet a starter at second in 1964, so he was not responsible for the Phillies’ collapse at the end of that fateful season. However, that was the closest he ever came to playing in a World Series.
    He went to St. Louis as part of the Curt Flood trade that would lead to free agency. But St. Louis gave up on him quickly and traded him to Kansas City for a player who never made the team.
    During the 1999 playoffs, while coaching third base for the New York Mets, Rojas was suspended for five games for getting into a shoving match with umpire Charlie Williams while arguing a foul ball call.

Why he might not be annoying:

    Before becoming a starter for the Phillies, he was the ultimate utility player, playing every position including pitcher and catcher.
    He was part of a strong double play combination with Phillie shortstop Bobby Wine. They were soon referred to as ‘The Plays of Wine and Rojas’ as a pun on the popular Broadway play, ‘The Days of Wine and Roses’.
    Kansas City, in its second year of existence, needed a veteran infielder to solidify its infield, which he did for eight seasons. He made the AL All-Star team four years in a row with the Royals (1971-74).
    He and teammate Freddie Patek danced in the water fountains at Kansas City’s stadium after clinching the West Division for the first time in 1976.
    He finally got into a World Series as a coach with the New York Mets in 2000.
    His mother gave him the Spanish nickname Cuqui, meaning charming or adorable, when he was young. The name got anglicized to Cookie when he started in baseball, and stuck with him throughout his long career.

Credit: BrotherGrem


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    In 2023, Out of 23 Votes: 0% Annoying