Rafael Roque

Infobox MLB retired
name=Rafael Roque


position=Pitcher
bats=Left
throws=Left
birthdate=birth date and age|1972|1|1
debutdate=August 1
debutyear=1998
debutteam=Milwaukee Brewers
finaldate=September 28
finalyear=2000
finalteam=Milwaukee Brewers
stat1label=Win-Loss record
stat1value=5-8
stat2label=ERA
stat2value=5.36
stat3label=Strikeouts
stat3value=104
teams=
*Milwaukee Brewers (1998-2000)
highlights=

Rafael Antonio Roque (born January 1, 1972 in Cotuí, Dominican Republic) [cite web|url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/R/Proqur001.htm|title=Rafael Roque|accessdate=2008-05-27|publisher=Retrosheet] is a retired baseball player who pitched for three seasons, from 1998 to 2000, with the Milwaukee Brewers.

Early career

Roque began his professional baseball career in 1991 when he signed with the New York Mets minor league system.cite web|url=http://www.baseball-reference.com/r/roquera01.shtml|title=Rafael Roque Statistics|accessdate=2008-05-27|publisher=Sports Reference, LLC] He did not pitch in the minor leagues until the following season, [cite web|url=http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/R/rafael-roque.shtml|title=Rafael Roque Statistics - The Baseball Cube|accessdate=2008-05-27|publisher=The Baseball Cube] and spent six seasons in the Mets organization, winning no more than 6 games in a single season.cite web|url=http://minors.baseball-reference.com/players.cgi?pid=27330|title=Rafael Roque Statistics (Minor Leagues)|accessdate=2008-05-27|publisher=Sports Reference, LLC] After becoming a minor league free agent, Roque signed with the Brewers organization for the 1998 season. In his first year with the Brewers, he combined to win 10 games with the AA El Paso Diablos and the AAA Louisville Redbirds, recording a 5-2 record at Louisville.

Major League career

He was called up to the Major Leagues late in the 1998 season, and made his debut as a starter on August 1 against the Arizona Diamondbacks, earning a no-decision in his first start. [cite web|url=http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/MIL/MIL199808010.shtml|title=August 1, 1998 Arizona Diamondbacks at Milwaukee Brewers Play by Play and Box Score|accessdate=2008-05-27|publisher=Sports Reference, LLC] Over the the course of the season, Roque had a 4-2 record with a 4.88 earned run average. Coincidentally, during his first Major League season, Roque gave up both Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa's 64th home runs. [cite web|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/news/1998/09/23/sosa_sixtyfour/|title=Hurricane, loss tempers Sosa's excitement over HRs|date=1998-09-23|accessdate=2008-05-27|publisher=Associated Press]

Roque was named the Brewers' Opening Day starter for the 1999 season.cite web|url=http://www.baseball-reference.com/pi/gl.cgi?n1=roquera01&t=p&year=1999|title=Rafael Roque 1999 Pitching Gamelogs|accessdate=2008-05-27|publisher=Sports Reference, LLC] He did not earn a win in any of his first 8 starts, and pitched out of the bullpen for much of the remainder of the season.

Roque spent much of the 2000 season in the minor leagues but did appear in four games with the Brewers over the course of the season. These were his last Major League appearances. His major league career ended with a 5-8 record and a 5.36 ERA.

Roque spent 2001 in the Boston Red Sox organization, which proved to be his final season in professional baseball.

References