The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Rojas promises Mets success
NEW YORK — Luis Rojas never expected to be the man behind the microphone.
Eleven days earlier, he was preparing for his second spring training as the Mets’ relatively anonymous quality control coach. Now he is a major-league manager, just like his dad, tasked with lifting New York’s perennial No. 2 team to its first World Series title since 1986.
“I will lead this team into success,” he promised.
Carlos Beltran’s news conference at Citi Field on Nov. 4 was a coronation, held in the spacious Foxwoods Club high above the diamond. Beltran’s tenure lasted just 84 days, cut short by his role in the Houston Astros’ sign-stealing scandal. Rojas’ introduction in the more Spartan news conference room near the clubhouse felt like
the hastily arranged handover it was.
Rojas’ mother, Lucie, sat in the front row.
“Thank you for raising us right, for teaching us what was right and wrong since early,” he told her, repeating his words in Spanish.
Then he turned his attention to Felipe Alou, his 84-year-old father, who was not in attendance. Dad was a three-time All-Star who managed Montreal for 10 seasons and San Francisco for four. Rojas grew up in big-league clubhouses.
“I want to thank my father, who taught me the game of baseball, who taught me the game of baseball and life and helped me balance that throughout this journey,” Rojas said. “He was my example to follow the whole time, still will be. … My father’s been my college, my university of baseball.”
Uncle Matty was a twotime All-Star and Uncle Jesus played in the big leagues for 15 seasons. Rojas also praised his brother, six-time All-Star Moises Alou, a former Met, who was not on hand.
“You were very impactful in my career,” he said. “Our
discussions led to great ideas.”
Lucie said baseball always has been 100% of the family discussion.
“I’m full of joy right now,” she said through a translator.
General manager Brodie Van Wagenen introduced Rojas by framing the huge expectations of a team led by two-time defending NL Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom and slugger Pete Alonso.
“We have a collection of major-league players that are talented and built to win right now,” Van Wagenen said.
Rojas put on his new uniform No. 19 — dad wore 17 with the Expos and Moises 18. Sequence was not the decisive factor.
“It’s my birthday,” he said, referring to the international style of 1/9 for Sept. 1 rather than the American convention of 9/1.
He was born Luis Rojas Alou, and he went by Alou — the surname of his paternal grandmother — when he started in Baltimore in 2000. At some point while he was with Florida (2001-02) or Montreal/Washington (200305), he was asked to change his name to Rojas as part of Major League Baseball’s push to conform names with birth certificates.