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Mike Rojas

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Mike Rojas
Rojas pitchingbatting practice,2012
Manager
Born:(1963-04-17)April 17, 1963(age 61)
Miami, Florida
Bats:Right
Throws:Right
Teams
As coach

Miguel Angel Rojas(born April 17, 1963) is anAmericanformer professionalbaseballplayer and current baseballmanager.He played inMinor league baseballas acatcherfrom 1983 to 1984 for theOakland AthleticsandToronto Blue Jaysorganizations. After his playing career, he continued his involvement in professional baseball as a coach and manager for several organizations. He is the current manager for theNorthwest Arkansas Naturalsof theDouble-ATexas League[1]and theLeones del Caracasof theVenezuelan Professional Baseball League.

Rojas is the son of former MLBsecond baseman,coach, manager andscoutOctavio "Cookie" Rojas,still in baseball as a television analyst on theMiami Marlins'Spanishnetwork. His brotherVictoris the TV play-by-play announcer for theLos Angeles Angels.

Baseball career

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Rojas was born in Miami, Florida. He is a former catcher who played in theOakland AthleticsandToronto Blue Jaysfarm systems during the 1980s. HisBaseball-Referencepage[2]lists him as playing only in 1983–1984, but his mlb biography credits him with four years of minor league service, through 1986.[3]He threw and battedright-handed,stood 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m) tall and weighed 185 pounds (84 kg) as an active player. rom 1987–1991, he coached in thecollegeranks as an assistant withSt. Thomas University.[3]

Aftermanagingin thefarm systemsof theCincinnati Reds,Houston AstrosandChicago White Sox,Rojas joined theDetroit Tigers' organization in2004.He piloted teams at the Short Season-A, Class A andTriple-Alevels. He skippered the Triple-AToledo Mud Hensin2007,the first of his two, one-year stints in that job, and led the club to an 82–61win–loss recordand a playoff berth. However, Toledo was eliminated in the first round by theDurham Bulls.Rojas then became field coordinator for the Detroit farm system in 2008 and, later, director of player development.

He was named Detroit's MLB bullpen coach on July 3, 2011,[4]when his predecessor,Jeff Jones,was promoted to Detroit's pitching coach position. Working under managerJim Leyland,he served in that post until the end of the2013season.

When Leyland retired, Rojas followed coaching colleagueLloyd McClendonto theSeattle Mariners,serving as the Mariners' bullpen coach in2014and2015.[5]

On November 3, 2016, Rojas was named the manager of the Toledo Mud Hens for the second time.[6]In2017,a decade after his original Toledo assignment, he managed the Hens to a 70–71 record and a third place finish in theInternational League's West Division.

On March 7, 2017, Rojas was named the manager of theLeones del Caracas,for the 2017–2018 season.[7]

In 2018, Rojas will spend his first season as a member of theKansas City Royals' organization as their Double-A manager; his father, Cookie, appeared in 880 games for the Royals between 1970 and 1977, and made fourAmerican LeagueAll-Starteams as a second baseman.

References

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  1. ^Flanagan, Jeffrey (10 January 2018)."KC Taps Rojas to Manage Double-A Squad".MLB.Retrieved11 January2018.
  2. ^Minor league page from Baseball Reference
  3. ^abOfficial biography, mlb
  4. ^Newspaper article,The Associated Press
  5. ^Johns, Greg (November 25, 2013)."Mariners announce McClendon's coaching staff".MLB. Archived fromthe originalon April 3, 2015.RetrievedNovember 3,2016.
  6. ^Beck, Jason (November 3, 2016)."Tigers tab Rojas to return as Triple-A manager".MLB. Archived fromthe originalon November 5, 2016.RetrievedNovember 3,2016.
  7. ^"Mike Rojas cerca de dirigir a los Leones del Caracas"(in Spanish). meridiano. March 7, 2017.RetrievedMarch 7,2017.
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Sporting positions
Preceded by Detroit Tigersbullpen coach
2011–2013 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Seattle Marinersbullpen coach
2014–2015 		Succeeded by
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