Meet The Newest Colorado Rockies Reliever, Jorge Rondon

Mar 23, 2014; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Jorge Rondon (68) delivers a pitch against the Houston Astros at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Jorge Rondon was recalled by the Colorado Rockies after Adam Ottavino was placed on the disabled list Monday (retroactive to Saturday). Let’s meet the Rox’s newest reliever.

The newest Colorado Rockies reliever, Jorge Rondon, who turned 27 at the start of Spring Training, has one big league inning to his name: a scoreless frame he tossed with the St. Louis Cardinals last season in Los Angeles. He allowed just a walk while retiring the other three batters he faced.

Let’s meet Rondon, because, well, I didn’t know a damn thing about him before today. It’s only fair for the big leaguer to get a little recognition as he will throw very soon for the Rockies – likely this week in Arizona!

Important notes on Rondon:

• Rondon was born February 16, 1988 in Calabozo, Guarico, Venezuela. Calabozo appears to be a good distance away from Barquisimeto, Caracas, Valencia, Maracay, Maracaibo, and some of the other Venezuelan baseball hot-beds where so many players have gotten their start.
• Calabozo is an agricultural center, home to 153,000 people and a college, and is “a place of considerable commercial importance because of its situation in the midst of a rich cattle-raising country,” according to Wikipedia. Apparently, the region also makes some of the best cheese in Venezuela. Let’s hope Rondon throws the high cheese this week!!!! (Womp, womp.)
• Rondon is only the fifth professional baseball player from Calabozo, and only the second big leaguer. In fact, if he can throw more than two games with the Rockies, he can become Calabozo’s most successful baseball player; a catcher named Toby Hernandez got two at-bats in three games for the Toronto Blue Jays in 1984, picking up a hit off Brewers pitcher Bob McClure on June 25^th of that year.
• Of the three minor leaguers from Calabozo, only Joel Linares appears active, after tossing 64.1 innings in 2014 with the Padres’ Dominican Summer League team (I presume as rookie/short season leagues begin in another couple months, he’ll find himself on a roster).
• The Cardinals signed Rondon as an amateur free agent in 2006, and he was in their system through 2014, compiling 309 minor league appearances (41 starts and 118 games finished), spanning 529.1 innings pitched.
• His best minor league season was probably 2014, when he tossed 62.1 innings in 51 games in AAA Memphis, finished with 10 saves, a 5-4 record, and a 3.03 ERA, allowed just three home runs and finished with a 1.267 WHIP.
• Rondon’s only big league inning sure wasn’t easy; he faced the Los Angeles Dodgers on June 29 of last year, tossing the bottom of the seventh in Dodger Stadium with the Cardinals losing 6-0.
• Rondon faced the heart of the Dodgers’ order: Yasiel Puig (flew out to right field), Adrian Gonzalez (grounded out to second base), Matt Kemp (walked on a 3-1 pitch), and Andre Ethier (grounded out to shortstop).
• Rondon throws hard. FanGraphs clocked his fastball at 95.6 mph in his inning of work last season against the Dodgers.
• According to Baseball America (via MLB Trade Rumors), Rondon’s fastball has touched 100 mph.
• Here’s more (from two and a half years ago, when he was first added to the Cardinals’ 40-man roster) on Rondon’s velocity.
• Control has been a problem at times for Rondon. He’s allowed 4.2 walks per nine innings across his minor league career, including 6.5 per 9 in 2011 and 5.4 per 9 in 2010.
• Rondon had been throwing well in Albuquerque, allowing just two hits and two walks – and one run – in 6.2 innings with four strikeouts, across five games. Small sample sizes, of course, but he was arguably the best reliever on the team at the time of his call-up.

Congratulations, Jorge Rondon, for being recalled, and welcome (back) to the big leagues! Here’s hoping your stay is effective, and longer than it was last season; after toiling for ten seasons in the minor leagues, you’ve earned it, friend.

The pride of Calabozo will undoubtedly take the hill soon for the Rockies, and we wish him the very best with the club.

And yes, we are going to make #ThePrideOfCalabozo a thing. Think of it as the new #CoorsShield.