News

January 1, 2012.........Puerto Rico.

Drive Sports' John Rodriguez still puts a charge into the fastball when he wants to. Spending his winter in the warmer climates of Puerto Rico, J-Rod finds his home run stroke leading both his club in Ponce and the winter league with seven (7) round-trippers thus far. The once World Champion outfielder for the 2006 St. Louis Cardinals, and former New York Yankee prospect, Rodriguez is healthy, feeling good, and ready to make a serious run this coming spring, as a power left-handed bat for a big league club.

Drive Sports CEO Frank Giglio on Rodriguez: "John has always worked hard during his professional baseball career, encountering many of the same challenges all players do as they advance. He is a terrific baseball mind and a fierce competitor. Having played in the Major Leagues, John understands the value of hard work and remaining healthy, but also how performance sometimes goes unrecognized. He is still a power threat at any level of professional baseball, and has proved it time and again. I'm looking forward to some great moments ahead, because there's plenty of life in that bat!"

Rodriguez is a career .298 hitter in the Major Leagues, across two seasons. By way of background, he attended Brandeis High School, and was drafted by the San Diego Padres in 16th Round (425th overall) of the 1995 MLB Draft but did not sign. He signed as an undrafted free agent by the Yankees in 1996. Rodriguez played in the Yankees minor league system for eight seasons before signing with the Cleveland Indians in 2005. He was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals later that year and forced a major league call-up to replace the injured Reggie Sanders by hitting .342 with 17 home runs in 34 games with Triple-A the Memphis Redbirds. He performed well enough that the Cardinals signed him to a one-year contract following the season. On July 20, 2005, Rodriguez hit his first career home run off Ben Sheets of the Milwaukee Brewers.

Rodriguez got more playing time for the 2006 Cardinals and was on the postseason roster, winning a championship ring when the Cardinals won the 2006 World Series.

For more information on Drive Sports' John Rodriguez, please contact Dan Berry (Drive Sports' Vice President of Player Relations) at: (631) 844-0003 or email us: info@drivesports.com.