Petaca Rodríguez

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Rodríguez and the second or maternal family name is Araújo.
Petaca Rodríguez
Pitcher
Born: (1915-12-23)December 23, 1915
Cartagena, Colombia
Died: November 15, 1990(1990-11-15) (aged 74)
Cartagena, Colombia
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
Medals
Representing  Colombia
Men's Baseball
Amateur World Series
Silver medal – second place 1947 Caracas Team
Gold medal – first place 1947 Cartagena Team
Central American and Caribbean Games
Gold medal – first place 1946 Barranquilla Team

Carlos "Petaca" Rodríguez Araújo (December 23, 1915 – November 15, 1990) was a Colombian baseball pitcher. He is considered one of the greatest Colombian baseball players of all time.[1][2]

Rodríguez began playing in Colombia's amateur leagues as an outfielder, before transitioning to pitching in Barranquilla. He debuted with the Colombia national baseball team at 23 years old, at the 1938 Bolivarian Games. He also appeared in three Amateur World Series (AWS) tournaments in 1944, 1945, and 1947, as well as the 1946 Central American and Caribbean Games.[3] At the 1946 games, he led the tournament earned run average (0.00) over 29 innings pitched (second only to Diomedes Olivo's 36.1 IP).[4] He was offered a contract by Monterrey of the Mexican League, but did not sign.[5]

Rodríguez led the Colombian team to its first world championship at the 1947 Amateur World Series, held in Cartagena.[3] In the run-up to the series, he petitioned the national government to build a new stadium in Cartagena, which would become the Estadio Once de Noviembre.[6] His participation in the tournament was controversial; Cuba withdrew from the tournament, alleging that Rodríguez had forfeited his amateur status after playing in Panama's professional league.[7]

Rodríguez played with several teams in the Colombian Professional Baseball League, including Indios de Cartagena, Torices de Cartagena, and Vanytor de Barranquilla, before retiring in 1952.[3] He died at the Hospital Universitario in Cartagena on November 15, 1990.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b "Fue el más grande pelotero Colombiano: Fallecio ayer en Cartagena Carlos Petaca Rodríguez" (in Spanish). El Tiempo. 16 November 1990. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  2. ^ "Personajes de Cartagena". Cartagena de Indias (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 31 August 2024.
  3. ^ a b c "Carlos 'Petaca' Rodríguez: ¡Un Idolo del Deporte Cartagenero!" (PDF). IDER Cartagena (in Spanish). Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  4. ^ "Memoria - V Juegos Deportivos Centroamericanos y del Caribe" (PDF). Centro Caribe Sports (in Spanish). Retrieved 14 September 2024.
  5. ^ "Proponese contratar Petaca Rodríguez en el Monterrey de Mexico" (in Spanish). The Panama American. January 19, 1947.
  6. ^ Rausch, Jane M. (2022). "The Development of Baseball in Colombia - A Caribbean Anomaly?". Memorias: Revista Digital de Historia y Arqueología desde el Caribe colombiano (48). doi:10.14482/memor.48.505.892.
  7. ^ "Cuba no mandara su equipo a la Novena Serie Mundial Amateur de Beisbol" (in Spanish). El Universal. 7 November 1947. p. 44. Retrieved 31 August 2024.