Cookie Rojas: Former Mets Coach Appearing in Two Mets Post Seasons (1997 - 2000)
Moniker: His mother gave him the nickname "Cuqui" meaning adorable & it eventually found it's way to Cookie, the name stuck his whole life.
Born into an upper middle class family, his father wanted him to be a doctor, but Octavio wanted to play baseball for the Havana Sugar Kings. At the time Havana was an affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds.
Born into an upper middle class family, his father wanted him to be a doctor, but Octavio wanted to play baseball for the Havana Sugar Kings. At the time Havana was an affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds.
Reds Career: In 1956 he was eventually signed by the Reds as a second baseman at the age of 17. In 1959 although they won the International League title the team moved to Jersey City, NJ the next year to avoid the turmoil in Cuba & the chance Fidel Castro would nationalize the team.
In 1962 Cookie debuted as the Reds starting second baseman in the first game ever played at the new Dodger Stadium. A week later he got his first career hit, that coming off the great Dodger Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax.
After one season with the Reds he was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies for pitcher Jim Owens, mostly because rookie Pete Rose was the Reds second baseman of the future.
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Rojas soon earned the starting second base job in Philly, leading the league in fielding percentage three straight seasons. In 1965 he hit .303 (eighth best in the league) & made his first All Star appearance.
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MLB Fashion: Rojas will forever be remembered for sporting thick frame eyeglasses during his playing days.
K.C. Royals Career: In K.C. he became one of the American League’s best second baseman of the early seventies. In 1971 he batted .300 with a .357 on base % & posted a .991 fielding percentage quickly becoming a Royals fan favorite.
From 1971 to 1974 he made four straight All-Star teams making history as well.
Rojas was also a good contact hitter, who didn’t strike out much, only going down on strikes fifty times or more twice in his entire career. He was a pure singles hitter without power, similar to most second baseman of his era. He never hit more than nine HRs in a season.
In 1973 he had career highs in RBIs (69) & doubles (69) while batting .276.
Post Seasons: With the Royals he won two divisional titles & played in two ALCS (1976 & 1977). In the 1976 ALCS loss to New York, he batted .333 with a Game #4 RBI sac fly off Dick Tidrow. He also stole a base in the final Game #5 loss.
After the 1977 season, he was released by the Royals, at the age of 38, His successor was long time Royals second baseman Frank White.
Retirement- Coaching: After his playing days he became a coach & major league scout. Rojas also had two brief stints as manager. In 1988 with the California Angels then in 1996 with the Florida Marlins for just one game, after Rene Lachemann was fired. Rojas was just the third Cuban born manager to manage in the major leagues.
Rojas got into a heated argument with Williams, as Mets manager Bobby Valentine tried to separate Rojas from the dispute he kept going. When the umpire bumped into Rojas, Cookie was infuriated & shoved the umpire back going after him.
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In the Mets 2000 NL pennant season, he returned as the third base coach . In the 6th inning of Game #1 of the Subway World Series, Rojas took the blame for sending in Timo Perez from third base as he was thrown out at home plate. Perez would be accused of watching Todd Zeile's double which at first looked like a possible. The base running the delay caused the out.
Family: Cookie & his wife Candy Rosa have three sons together with many grandchildren.
In 1962 Cookie debuted as the Reds starting second baseman in the first game ever played at the new Dodger Stadium. A week later he got his first career hit, that coming off the great Dodger Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax.
Phillies Career: In Philly he played behind fellow Cuban, Tony Taylor at second base. In the 1964 pennant race he was versatile for manager Gene Mauch playing in the outfield while hitting .291 for the season.
Jim Bunning's Perfect Game: On June 21st, Fathers Day, in the first game of a double header with the Mets at Shea Stadium, Jim Bunning pitched a perfect with Rojas playing shortstop. As the game went one he was nervous about possible blowing an opportunity for Bunning. He went 1-3 at the plate that day.
On September 20th the Phillies had a 6.5 game lead in first place but a ten game losing streak had them finish second tied with the Reds just one game behind the eventual World Champion Cardinals.
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In his seven seasons in Philadelphia he hit over .290 & was amongst the league’s top ten in singles as well as sacrifice hits twice. In 1967 he led the league with 16 sac hits batting .259. Rojas is a member of the Phillies team Hall of Fame.
Flood Trade: In October 1969 Rojas was part of the famous Curt Flood trade, he along with Dick Allen & Jerry Johnson were to go to St. Louis in exchange for Tim McCarver, Curt Flood, Joe Hoerner & Byrone Browne. Flood refused the trade challenging the reserve clause. Willie Montanez was sent instead of Flood. Flood was soon forced out of the game getting no one to support him along the way.
Rojas struggled mightily in St. Louis, hitting .106 in 23 games & by June he was sent to the Kansas City Royals for Fred Rico.
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K.C. Royals Career: In K.C. he became one of the American League’s best second baseman of the early seventies. In 1971 he batted .300 with a .357 on base % & posted a .991 fielding percentage quickly becoming a Royals fan favorite.
From 1971 to 1974 he made four straight All-Star teams making history as well.
1972 All Star Game: In the 1972 Mid-Summer Classic at Atlanta, Cookie became the first AL player born outside of the United States to hit a HR in an All-Star Game. The HR came in the 8th inning off Montreal's Bill Stoneman, it was a two-run shot, scoring the Red Sox Carlton Fisk putting the AL ahead. The NL would tie it & win the game in the bottom of the 10th inning on a Joe Morgan walk off base hit.
Rojas never made more than 13 errors in a season during his A.L. years.
Rojas never made more than 13 errors in a season during his A.L. years.
In 1973 he had career highs in RBIs (69) & doubles (69) while batting .276.
After the 1977 season, he was released by the Royals, at the age of 38, His successor was long time Royals second baseman Frank White.
Trivia: Frank White is first all time for the Royals in games played & Rojas is second (880).
Career Stats: In his 16-year playing career Rojas would play 1833 MLB games with 1660 hits 713 runs scored 254 doubles 25 triples 54 HRs & 593 RBIs while batting .263.
Rojas has played all nine positions at one point in his career, with 1446 games at second base, 162 games in the outfield, 46 at third base, 39 at short, seven at catcher & even pitched in one game in 1967.
Mets Coach: In 1997 Rojas joined the New York Mets, as the team's third base coach, under manager Bobby Valentine. He remained with the Mets for four seasons 1997-2000 getting to two post seasons.
1999 Post Season Drama: In Game #4 of the 1999 NLDS the Mets Darryl Hamilton hit a ball that bounced down the left field line. Umpire Charlie Williams called the close play foul.
Valentine & the Mets Robin Ventura as well as the other umpires tried to calm down the usually low keyed Rojas.
Cookie was ejected as well as suspended for five games, missing most of the NLCS. Manager Bobby Valentine hung Rojas jersey in the Mets dugout until he returned.
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After that season, Rojas left the Mets organization. He went on to serve as bench coach for the Toronto Blue Jays (2001-2002).
Broadcaster: Rojas currently became a Spanish television broadcaster for the Florida Marlins.
Broadcaster: Rojas currently became a Spanish television broadcaster for the Florida Marlins.
He is the father of former MLB player Victor Rojas who works on the MLB Network.
His son Victor Rojas was a long time Los Angeles Angels TV broadcaster, an MLB network analyst & GM of the AA Frisco Rough Riders.
His other son Mike Rojas coached in the minors also worked as a bullpen coach in Detroit & Seattle.