Minnie Rojas

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Minnie Rojas
Pitcher
Born: (1933-11-26)November 26, 1933
Remedios, Cuba
Died: March 23, 2002(2002-03-23) (aged 68)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
MLB debut
May 30, 1966, for the California Angels
Last MLB appearance
July 24, 1968, for the California Angels
MLB statistics
Win–loss record23-16
Earned run average3.00
Saves43
Teams
Career highlights and awards
  • Led AL in saves (27 in 1967)
  • AL Fireman of the Year
    (1967)
In this
Spanish name, the first or paternal surname
is Rojas and the second or maternal family name is Landin.

Minervino Alejandro "Minnie" Rojas Landin (November 26, 1933 – March 23, 2002) was a Cuban professional

minor leagues
.

In 1967 Rojas led the led the

AL Fireman of the Year. His playing career ended after he was paralyzed in an automobile accident after the 1968 season. His 27 saves in 1967 set a franchise record that stood for 18 years until Donnie Moore set a new record in 1985 with 31 saves.[1]

Baseball career

Minor leagues / Mexican League

Rojas was born in

Mexican League
in 1964.

In 1965, Rojas

California Angels. The Angels bought his contract for $2500 and sent him to their AAA affiliate, the Seattle Rainiers, to begin the 1966 season. He was effective as both a starter and reliever against minor league competition, leading the Angels to call him up to the majors in late May.[3][4]

California Angels

Rojas made his major league debut as a 32 year old rookie

Cleveland Indians and earned the win.[5] Rojas would only make one additional start in the major leagues Instead, he became a valuable member of the Angels' bullpen at a time when the role of relief pitchers was evolving in the professional game. He appeared in 47 games and earned 10 saves as a 32-year-old rookie
.

Rojas' best major league season was

Fireman of the Year and was 24th in the voting for American League MVP
.

Rojas' effectiveness was reduced by injuries in

disabled list
in late July and was eventually shut down for the 1968 season without throwing another pitch.

Rojas attempted to resume his career in 1969 and threw 18 innings in the minor leagues and the Mexican League, but lingering arm issues continued, and he retired from baseball at the age of 35.[7]

Scouting report

Rojas' pitching repertoire consisted mainly of

command and pitch movement. He posted a 23–16 record with a 3.00 ERA and 43 saves in 157 appearances, allowing only 45 unintentional walks in 261 innings over parts of three seasons.[9]

Accident

In 1970, Rojas and his family were involved in a serious automobile accident that killed two of his three children and left him partially paralyzed for the rest of his life. Around midnight on March 31, 1970, the Rojas family's

hit and run auto accident near Key Largo on the Overseas Highway after a fishing trip in the Florida Keys.[10] Rojas' spinal cord was damaged, leaving him partially paralyzed,[11] and his two young daughters, Lourdes and Barbara, were killed.[12] His wife, Maria, and his infant son survived.[13]

The Angels organization, led by team

Anaheim Stadium in March 1971 and donated the proceeds to the Rojas family.[12] Through intense physical therapy, Rojas eventually regained some use of his upper body, but he would not walk again[2][14]

Rojas died in Los Angeles on March 23, 2002, at the age of 68.[1]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Minnie Rojas Los Angeles Times obituary". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c The Windsor Star via Google News Archive Search
  3. ^ Tri City Herald via Google News Archive Search
  4. ^ Minnie Rojas Statistics and History Baseball-Reference.com
  5. ^ Minnie Rojas 1966 Pitching Gamelogs Baseball-Reference.com
  6. ^ Observer-Reporter via Google News Archive Search
  7. ^ Minnie Rojas Minor League Statistics & History Baseball-Reference.com
  8. ^ Reading Eagle via Google News Archive Search
  9. ^ Minnie Rojas Statistics and History Baseball-Reference.com
  10. ^ The Modesto Bee via Google News Archive Search
  11. ^ Weyler, John (April 23, 1995). "Relief Is Trivial Pursuit for Angels : Baseball: A brief look through history shows the team's bullpen has been, for the most part, less than effective over the years". Los Angeles Times.
  12. ^ a b The Press-Courier via Google News Archive Search
  13. ^ "Ex-Cal Angel Hospitalized". Eugene Register-Guard. 1970-04-02.
  14. ^ Herald-Journal via Google News Archive Search

Sources

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