Rodriguez gets call from Tampa Bay Rays
On the Team USA bus and about 15 minutes away from entering Santa Barbara, Angel Rodriguez received a phone call Wednesday.
Rodriguez, a former standout pitcher at Glendale Community College who transferred to Cal State Northridge, had planned to compete for the collegiate national team against the Santa Barbara Foresters at UC Santa Barbara.
Those plans were scrapped after he received a call from a scout with the Tampa Bay Rays, who informed Rodriguez they intended to sign him as a minor league free agent. The right-hander reported Thursday to the Gulf Coast League Rays, the rookie-level team of Tampa Bay in Port Charlotte, Fla.
“We were about to play Santa Barbara and I get the call,” Rodriguez, a former All-Western State Conference South Division honoree, said by phone Thursday. “The Rays wanted to give me an opportunity and I really wanted it bad. It’s the call I had hoped to someday get.
“I’m still speechless and it’s still sinking in. Luckily, some of my family was coming up to see our game Wednesday. I was able to get a ride back from them. I got on an early flight out of Los Angeles [on Thursday] and arrived in Florida.”
Rodriguez, who pitched for Glendale from 2012-13 and helped the Vaqueros win two division championships, graduated from CSUN in the spring. Rodriguez went 5-4 with a 3.07 earned-run average in 18 appearances this past season for the Matadors. He had 70 strikeouts and walked 18 in 82 innings.
“GCC and CSUN gave me an opportunity,” Rodriguez said. “I had to go out there and work hard to get where I’m at.
“I’m not going to stop now. I’m just going to keep at it.”
Glendale Coach Chris Cicuto, who has led the Vaqueros to five division championships in the past six seasons, said Rodriguez proved to be a consummate athlete.
“He’s got great character and proved to be a leader, on and off the field,” Cicuto said. “He always put team goals before his personal goals.
“He’s been rewarded because he put in the hard work. We’re excited for Angel. He’s a competitor, through and through.”
The Gulf Coast Rays, who are managed by former major leaguer Jim Morrison, compete in the league’s Southern Division. They began their season June 24 and were 1-5 through Wednesday.
