Mets Closer Offers Relief

Mets closer, Francisco "Frankie"-"KRod", Rodriguez, has been slamming the ninth inning door shut for years. Now, he has become a set-up man in offering relief help to another Venezuelan pitcher...one he idolized.

As reported in the NY Times by David Waldstein, Rodriguez has been lending his experience and help to the son of the player he idolized: Ugueth Urbina.

Urbina, who was a two time All Star and closer on the World Champion 2003 Florida Marlins, has been sitting in prison serving a 14 year prison sentence since 2007. Urbina was convicted of attempted murder in the assault of people who worked for him, because he believed they had stolen some items from him. Urbina allegedly attacked the men with a machete and doused them with gasoline. Urbina denies and refutes these charges, and hopes to have his sentence commuted.

KRod idolized Urbina while growing up in Venezuela, and the two have become friends. Urbina's son, Juan, a left handed pitcher, is in the Mets low minor league system. Urbina's request? For Rodriguez to look after his 16 year old son. KRod was only too happy to oblige.

During Spring Training, Rodriguez has taken Urbina and some of his other Latin and Venezuelan teammates back to his Spring Training home. He feeds them and let's them play video games. He drives them back to their hotel room to ensure that they do not break curfew.

The senior Urbina wanted KRod to watch after his son, and teach him the ways and show him the ropes. Rodriguez was only too happy to help. He remembers how difficult it was for a young kid in a foreign country to try and succeed. Rodriguez admitted that in 1998 his first year in the Angels organization, “There was nobody. I just sat in my hotel room.”

KRod didn't want the same for the son of a man he so well respected. He has taken time this Spring to teach Juan and his teammates not only about baseball, but about America. He feels it's the least he can do.

“I’m not doing this just because it’s Ugueth Urbina’s son. I’m doing it because these are kids from Venezuela like I was. When I came here, I was 17 years old and I didn’t know any English or anything about American culture, and I suffered a lot. I don’t want anyone else to go through the same thing that I went through.”

It's nice to see the Mets closer offering his talents to set-up - to help set-up a young talent for success in Major League Baseball.