Steve Rodriguez

Infobox MLB retired
bgcolor1=#003279
bgcolor2=#bd1021
textcolor1=white
textcolor2=white
name=Steve Rodriguez


width = 200px
position=Second baseman/Shortstop
birthdate=birth date and age|1970|11|29
city-state|Las Vegas|Nevada
bats=Right
throws=Right
debutdate=April 30
debutyear=by|1995
debutteam=Boston Red Sox
finaldate=October 1
finalyear=by|1995
finalteam=Detroit Tigers
stat1label=Batting average
stat1value=.179
stat2label=Runs scored
stat2value= 5
stat3label=Stolen bases
stat3value= 2
teams=
*Boston Red Sox {1995)
*Detroit Tigers (1995)

Steven James Rodríguez (born November 29, 1970) is a former second baseman/shortstop in Major League Baseball who played briefly for the Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers during the by|1995 season. Listed at 5' 8", 170 lb., Rodríguez batted and threw right-handed. A native of Las Vegas, Nevada, he was selected by Boston in the fifth-round of the 1992 draft out of the Pepperdine University.

Baseball career

College

A two-time Pepperdine Waves All-American (1991-92), Rodríguez helped his team claim its only national championship in the 1992 College World Series, when he was named West Conference Player of the Year and also was a member of the All-Tournament Team, earning Player of the Series honors against Mexico and Cuba. In 1991, Rodríguez collected a .419 batting average –the third-highest single-season average in school history–, and his 104 base hits that season are also a Pepperdine single-season record, as he finished with a .382 average in the round-robin phase of the 1991 Pan American Games for the Bronze Medal USA baseball team. Then, in 1992, Rodríguez was named one of the West Coast Conference's Top Fifty Athletes of all time.citeweb|url=http://www.malibubaseballcamp.com/staff.htm|publisher=www.malibubaseballcamp.com|title=Steve Rodriguez - Staff director|accessdate=2008-07-25] [citeweb|url=http://lmulions.cstv.com/genrel/112901aaa.html|publisher=lmulions.cstv.com|title=West Coast Conference Announces Top 50 Student-Athletes in League History|accessdate=2008-07-25]

Major League Baseball

In a 18-game major league career, Rodríguez was a .179 hitter (7-for-39) with five runs, two doubles, and two stolen bases without home runs or an RBI. He also played in the Red Sox, Tigers, Dodgers and Expos minor league systems from 1992-98, hitting .263 with 16 home runs and 205 RBI in 613 games.citeweb|url=http://www.pepperdine.edu/pr/stories/rodriguez.htm|publisher=www.pepperdine.edu|title=Steve Rodriguez Lives the Pepperdine Tradition|accessdate=2008-07-25]

Coaching

Following his playing career, Rodríguez served as an assistant coach at his alma mater from 2000 to 2003, and has been head coach since 2004 to present. He was hired as the sixteenth head coach in the history of the Pepperdine baseball program in June 2003, to become only the third former Pepperdine player head coach for the Waves in the program’s sixty-five-year history.

Taking over a young team in 2004, Rodríguez guided Pepperdine to the WCC Championship where the Waves swept conference rival Loyola Marymount University in the best-of-three WCC championship series.

Personal life

Rodríguez and his wife, Kimberlee, live in Agoura Hills, California. They have one daughter, Julia, and one son, Nolan.

References

External links

* [http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/R/steve-rodriguez.shtml The Baseball Cube]
* [http://www.baseball-reference.com/r/rodrist01.shtml Baseball Reference]
* [http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Steve_Rodriguez BR Bullpen]
* [http://www.pepperdine.edu/pr/stories/rodriguez.htm Pepperdine University stories]
* [http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/R/Prodrs001.htm Retrosheet]