John Rodriguez #53

Played baseball at Louis D. Brandeis (N.Y.) High School in Manhattan, where he graduated in 1996...John's youngest brother, Nicholas, 15, just entered high school and plans on pursuing baseball too.

2007

Played for the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds, hitting .263 (42-160) with 8 homers, 22 RBI, a .375 OBP and a .500 SLG despite three trips to the disabled list...a knee injury ended his season in July...Hit .288 (34-118) with 7-HR, 18-RBI, 10-2B and a .568-SLG against right-handers...batted .190 (9-42) with 1 homer and 9 RBI off southpaws...Batted .200 (10-50) in 17 games the month of April and his average dropped to .190 on May 3...hit .304 (31-102) with 7 HR and 22 RBI from May 4 onward...Was hindered by injury and placed on the isabled list in late May...upon returning on June 1, clubbed 4 HR in a 3-game stretch from June 1-3...went 3-for-4 with 2 HR, 3 RBI and 4 runs scored on June 3 vs. Las Vegas (Dodgers)...placed on the DL again on June 23 and returned to action on July 4, when he homered vs. Albuquerque (Marlins)...knee injury forced him to the DL a third time on July 20 and eventually sidelined him for the remainder of the season...Joined the Caribes de Anzoategui of the Venezuelan Winter League after the season...in 17 games, hit .386 (17-44) with 3-HR, 5-RBI, 11-R, a .550 OBP and .636 SLG.

2006

Began his second season with the Cardinals at the Major League level and posted a .301 batting mark...Posted a .300 BA vs. RHP's in 170 at-bats & .308 mark in just 13 AB's against LHP's...Led the team with his 11 pinch-hits & 7 pinch-RBI while also being called on for a team-leading 47 pinch at-bats...Hit .333 (41-123) in his 36 starts for the Cardinals with 11 multi-hit games...Both of his HR's came as pinch hitter, including a 2-run blast 7/16 vs. LA...Had a season-high three hits on 5/13 vs. ARI...Had a season & career-best 8-game hitting streak from 4/27 to 5/5...Was batting .341 through the end of May, including a .393 mark in April...Had pinch-hit double 9/20 at MIL...His pinch-single 9/12 vs. HOU sparked a two-run comeback win...Reached base four times on 7/26 at COL (2-1B,2-BB) & scored 3 times...Doubled off bench on 7/6 at HOU & had first career pinch-HR (off Neive) and double on 7/7 at HOU...Hit RBI-2B on 4/27 vs. WSH off the bench...Had two singles and scored 4/23 vs. CHI...Was optioned to Triple-A Memphis on Aug. 9 before a Sept. 1 recall to St. Louis...Batted .266 (17-64) with three HRs and 7 RBI while walking 11 times with 18 Ks in 20 games at Memphis. Went 2-for-3 with a solo HR on 8/29 at Round Rock.

2005

New York City native made Major League debut 7/18 vs. MIL and collected 1st M.L. hit (single)...Spent eight-plus seasons in the minors with Yankees (1997-2004), Indians and Cardinals...Hit safely in first six games, the longest hit streak by Cardinal to begin a career since Bo Hart (first 7 games in 2003)...He hit safely in his first 10 starts (14-for-38, .368)...Was named the Cardinals July Minor League Player of the Month. ( .375 BA, 8 HR & 24 RBI)...With St. Louis, had hits in 29 of his 36 starts and reached base in 39 of his 56 games...Batted .342 (41-for-120) in 34 games at Triple-A Memphis with 17 HR (T-9th in PCL) & 47 RBI...Played all 3 OF spots and had 13 multi- hit games...Batted .247 w/5 HR & 23 RBI in 46 games at Triple-A Buffalo...Was purchased from Memphis on 7/18, taking roster spot of Reggie Sanders (DL)...Hit first career HR on 7/20 vs. MIL (Sheets) in 2-for-3 effort. Put Cards on board with solo HR in 1st inning on 7/22 vs. CHI...Connected for a pair of doubles & RBI 7/23 vs. CHI before leaving game with right ankle sprain...Had double and HR (#3) 7/28 at SD...Had first career pinch hit in 9th 8/19 vs. SF...Had RBI-single 8/9 at MIL to snap 0-for-10 slide...Collected career-high three RBI 8/24 at PIT with two-run single and HR...Provided game-winning walk-off RBI single 9/12 vs. PIT and was intentionally walked in the 9th on 9/13 vs. PIT, leading to winning RBI single by Eckstein...Had pair of RBI in 9/15 win at CHI (3rd multi-RBI game)...Homered (#5) & walked on 9/18 at CHI, hitting his 2nd career HR off the Cubs' Carlos Zambrano...Started the season 0-for-20 in his first five games at Buffalo...batted .280 the rest of the way prior to his trade to Memphis...Hit in each of his first eight starts at Memphis from 6/10-17 (.400, 14-for-35)...Went 4-for-7 with three runs, two home runs and four RBI on 6/11 at Omaha...Had 2nd two-homer game on 6/15 at Round Rock with five RBI...Posted four two-home run games for Memphis and collected a season-high six RBI on two occasions...Batted .346 with a .448 on-base percentage and .679 slugging percentage while playing winter ball in Puerto Rico for first place Manati...Drove in 28 runs while hitting seven homers and five doubles in 28 games. Delivered a walk-off, three-run home run in the 11th inning of the final game of the season...Did not have enough at-bats to be considered for the batting title but had he, would have ranked 4th in batting average, 3rd in on-base percentage and 1st in slugging percentage...Had one pinch-hit appearance in the Division Series and grounded out to first in Game 3 at SD...appeared in five games of the NLCS vs. HOU, all as a pinch hitter, and went 0-for-2 with two walks and a sac fly...pinch hit in Game 4 at HOU after Edmonds was ejected (arguing balls & strikes) and drove a deep fly to the warning track in center field that was corraled by W. Tavaras...his sac fly drove in the only Cardinals run in Game 6...it was the final Cardinal RBI at Busch Stadium.

2004

Spent his second straight season at Triple-A Columbus in his 8th full season in the Yankees minor league system...collected 52 extra base hits (T11th in the IL) and finished tied for 2nd in the International League with10 triples...was also 7th in on-base % (.388) and 9th in slugging % (.557) and finished just outside the top 10 in runs scored (career-high 78)...also had a career-high 68 RBI...appeared in 97 games in centerfield, 5 games in LF and 1 game at second base...hit .318 (28-for-88) in August with 6 HR & 23 RBI and .368 (35-for-95) in August with 9 2B, 3HR & 20 RBI...homered in 3 straight games, 5/22-24...hit .341 (59-for-173) with runners on base and .347 (34-for-98) with RISP...hit .333 (58-for-174) batting second and .306 (97-for-317) off RHP with 28 2B, 8 3B, 14 HR and 62 RBI off RHP.