Just to make sure it was real and not some sort of flashback to his childhood, he checked the name above the clubhouse locker.
Dereck Rodriguez.
Yep, it was his all right and not that of his father — Hall of Fame catcher Ivan Rodriguez.official nfl jerseys cheap
“I’ve been to a lot of stadiums. But I wasn’t here for me; I was here for my dad,” the right-hander said. “It’s nice coming here and having my name on the locker and not his.”
The San Francisco Giants purchased Dereck Rodriguez’s contract from Triple-A Sacramento, where he went 4-1 with a 3.40 ERA after signing as a minor league free agent on Nov. 15. He will be in the bullpen Monday against Colorado, looking to make his major league debut.
His mom has already arrived in Denver. But his father, whose nickname was “Pudge,” happened to be out of the country in Colombia. Rodriguez said he spoke to his dad, who was “probably the most emotional out of everybody.”
His father was a 14-time All-Star and 13-time Gold Glove catcher who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2017. He played in 2,543 games with Texas, Detroit, Washington, the New York Yankees, Houston and Florida (now Miami).
The father posted on his Twitter account: “Congrats son very proud of you and welcome to the big show.”
To make room on the 40-man roster for Rodriguez, the Giants designated left-hander D.J. Snelten for assignment.
Dereck Rodriguez was actually watching Netflix late Sunday and preparing for his start the next day when he received a call from his manager.
“He told me it’s the phone call I’ve been waiting for my whole life,” he recounted. “I started tearing up and stuff. It was an emotional, fun phone call.”
He quickly called his mom, even though it was early in Florida.nfl authentic jerseys cheap
“Woke her up,” Rodriguez said. “She didn’t sleep. She flew in.”
