How Jonathan Rodriguez helped Carlos Martinez - A Hunt and Peck

Earlier Thursday morning Joe Schwarz posted a Q&A he held with Jonathan Rodriguez. Rodriguez is slated to start his year at first base in Memphis, but, as Joe wrote, it would not be surprising to see him on the major league squad at some point this season. At the bottom of the article Joe included a link to an article written by Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post Dispatch in August of 2015. The article discusses Carlos Martinez and his path to the majors and how Rodriguez helped him on his way:

There to greet him [Martinez] when he reported, among coaches and officials, was Rodriguez, who took Martinez into the apartment and under his wing. It was Rodriguez who helped Martinez get his first bank account. It was Rodriguez who led a group of Latin players to McDonald's so that he could show them how to order on their own. And it has been Rodriguez, now the cleanup hitter at Class AA Springfield, who Martinez has kept texting throughout this season.

The rest of the article is well-written and paints an interesting picture of the transition Latino players must make. Going to a new country with a different language and a different culture seems incredibly difficult, but kind people like Rodriguez might make it a little easier.

Goold: A major hand from a minor-leaguer | St. Louis Cardinals | stltoday.com

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KNOW THINE ENEMY...

the nl central

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