Wandy E. Rodríguez (born January 18, 1979) is a
pitcher for the Houston Astros. Rodríguez came to
the Houston Astros through the Astros Dominican
Academy. He is a native of Santiago Rodriguez, in
the North Region (Cibao Region) of the Dominican
Republic. Astros fan's have given Wandy the nickname
"Rally Monkey" because he is such an accomplished
hitter and bunter.
Rodríguez, who ended up with a 10-10 record in the
2005 season, had a rocky September, going 1-4. He
had a 5.53 ERA and struck out 80 batters throughout
the season.
Rodríguez performed decently in the World Series,
though getting a loss, he posted a 2.45 ERA in the
four losses to the Chicago White Sox.
Unlike most pitchers, Rodríguez is a switch-hitter.
Although recently he decided he hit and bunted
better right-handed, so he and Astros hitting coach
Sean Berry decided he would stick strictly to
batting right.
In 2006, after struggling to a 5.22 ERA, Rodríguez
was optioned to the minors on July 21. Brandon Backe
was activated from the 60-day disabled list to take
his place on the major-league roster and the Astros
rotation. However, Rodríguez was recalled on August
19 after Backe had to have Tommy John surgery.
On July 6, 2007 Rodriguez earned his first
complete-game shutout in a masterful 4-hit
performance against the New York Mets.
As of August 11, 2007 Rodriguez has the highest
difference in ERA between pitching at home and on
the road. At home he has a sparkling 1.65 ERA with a
6-2 record. On the road, he has a 8.16 ERA and a 1-8
record.
In the Dominican Republic Baseball league, Rodriguez
plays for the All-time glorious Águilas Cibaeñas
team and ended up winning the 2007 Caribbean Series
championship.
