Cookie Rojas – 1973 Topps #188

Octavio Victor Rojas Rivas(born March 6, 1939 in Havana, Cuba), better known as Cookie Rojas, is a former Major League Baseball second baseman and outfielder who played for the Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, and Kansas City Royals. After retiring as a player he went on to both coach and manage in the Major Leagues. He is currently the Miami Marlins Spanish language TV color commentator. After the 1962 season, Rojas was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies for relief pitcher Jim Owens. Although the Phillies already had an All-Star second baseman in fellow-Cuban Tony Taylor, Rojas had seen the last of the minor leagues and would man second in 27 games in 1963. Although he became the regular Phillies second baseman in 1965, Rojas would go on to play at every fielding position, including catcher and pitcher, but would see the bulk of his playing time in the outfield and shortstop in addition to second base. Getting more playing time helped improve his batting as Rojas hit .291 in 1964 and a career-high .303 in 1965 when he was named to his first All-Star team. Currently, Cookie Rojas serves as the Marlins’ Spanish television announcer. Rojas also serves as a member of the board of the Baseball Assistance Team, an organization dedicated to helping former Major League, Minor League, and Negro League players through financial and medical hardships.