Francisco Rodriguez (Detroit Tigers photo)
Francisco Rodriguez (Detroit Tigers photo)
It's a new day for Francisco Rodriguez, aka K-Rod, who has joined the Washington Nationals' minor league team, with the hopes of returning to the big leagues as a respectable reliever.
K-Rod posted on Instagram a photo of his new Washington Nationals' jersey from West Palm Beach, Fla., home of Nationals training facility, reports Evan Woodberry of MLive. He's expected to head north to Triple-A Syracuse.
In an accompanying message in Spanish, he expressed gratitude for his new opportunity and thanks to those who have supported him. He also had some words for his critics.
His message, translated in English is posted on MLive.
First day in my new office -- grateful to God and the saints for this new phase of my life. There is still a lot of ground to cover and a long way to go. Thanks to all those people for their good wishes. And to those who dedicated themselves to insulting me and telling me all kinds of (crap), thank you because those messages are the ones that drive me to continue fighting for my dreams.
Record wise, K-Rod is regarded as one of the great relievers in Major League history. But his year, he did poorly for the Tigers and his finally straw seemed to be when he gave up a grand slam against Seattle late last week. He was cut the next day.
