Francisco Rodriguez

He was a rookie in his first major league spring training camp. He didn't speak English. Who was Francisco Rodriguez to question what was written on the bulletin board inside the Angels' clubhouse in Tempe, Ariz.? Scheduled to pitch one inning that day in 2006 for the Angels against the San Francisco Giants in Scottsdale: Francisco Rodriguez. Looking at the name, Rodriguez was confused. After all, he had pitched three innings the previous day. That meant he was supposed to have the following day off. But there was no way he was going to say anything about it. "You know how the Latino player is, kind of shy when they don't speak the language," he said.

MILWAUKEE — The Dee Gordon effect was evident in the eighth inning Wednesday night, as Milwaukee Brewers reliever Francisco Rodriguez could attest. With the score tied and Gordon having just stolen second base, Rodriguez spun three times and threw behind Gordon to second baseman Rickie Weeks, just to keep the speedy Gordon — the potential go-ahead run — closer to the bag. Milwaukee defeated the Dodgers, 3-2, in 10 innings, but the moment reaffirmed how Gordon's blazing speed can rattle opposing teams, and why it's crucial to the Dodgers' hopes this season that Gordon, their leadoff batter, get on base.

Reporting from Baltimore — Francisco Rodriguez was hurt by the placement of his hand. Then he was stung by the location of a pitch. By the time the Angels reliever completed a disastrous sixth inning Tuesday night at Camden Yards, the Baltimore Orioles had scored four runs on the way to a come-from-behind 6-3 victory. Rodriguez went into the game with the Angels holding a one-run lead and Ty Wigginton on first base after drawing a one-out walk against starter Trevor Bell . But before his second pitch to Luke Scott , Rodriguez pointed to his eyes with the ball in his right hand because he was apparently having trouble seeing catcher Mike Napoli's signs.

Reporting from Tempe, Ariz. — For much of the Angels' success from 2002 to 2009, when they reached the playoffs six times and won a World Series, their bullpen offered the security of a maximum-security prison on lockdown. Whether it was Francisco Rodriguez to Brendan Donnelly to Troy Percival, or Donnelly to Scot Shields to Rodriguez, or Darren Oliver to Shields to Rodriguez, Manager Mike Scioscia's key relievers routinely held late-inning leads. But sometime in 2010 — or maybe it was the end of 2009, when closer Brian Fuentes threw an ill-fated up-and-away fastball that Alex Rodriguez drove for a pivotal 11th-inning home run in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series at Yankee Stadium — the back of the Angels' bullpen, so sturdy for so long, began to buckle.

As a boy growing up in Venezuela, Francisco Rodriguez played baseball because he enjoyed it. Then he got good at it. Really good. And as a result, he says, baseball's not so much fun anymore. "It's not sad," he says, looking sad. "But it makes you realize a lot of things." It made Rodriguez realize that, at the major league level, baseball is a business, not a game. Made him realize that loyalty doesn't always follow a player from the field into contract talks.

Rookie Everth Cabrera hit a grand slam in the ninth inning off closer Francisco Rodriguez to give the San Diego Padres a 6-2 victory over the New York Mets on Friday night. Cabrera, who struck out three times, connected on a 3-and-2 pitch from Rodriguez (2-3) into the right-field stands to give the Padres their 11th win over New York in 14 games. The Padres tied the game in the ninth at 2-2 after Kyle Blanks led off with a walk and scored on fellow rookie Will Venable's double into the right-field corner off Rodriguez.

Graciano Ravelo's baseball school is a long, long way from the pristine diamonds of Edison Field and PacBell Park. It is a patch of yellow dirt enclosed by a rusty chain-link fence. Towering concrete apartments squeeze from all sides. Busted cars, drunks and dog waste fill the cracked asphalt parking lot.

It was completely out of, well, left field. Instead of letting Peter Bourjos replace lumbering left fielder Juan Rivera, the Angels on Tuesday inserted the speedy 23-year-old prospect in center field, where they happened to have a nine-time Gold Glove winner. But Torii Hunter fully endorsed a move in which the All-Star center fielder will start in right field and Bobby Abreu will play left for the foreseeable future, saying it was his decision to help change the Angels' sagging fortunes.

Eric Gagne's fastball hit 98 mph during the peak of his Cy Young Award-winning 2003 season, but it was his 84-mph changeup, which had the look of a fastball but was equipped with rip cord and parachute, that made the Dodger closer so devastating.

Francisco Rodriguez capped a spectacular month Monday by pitching 2 2/3 innings of perfect relief, and his resurgence has moved him back into the Angels' mix of setup men for closer Troy Percival. Rodriguez compiled a 1.15 earned-run average in 10 June appearances, lowering his season ERA from 4.85 to 3.46. The right-hander has not given up a run in 8 1/3 innings dating to June 16.

More deals brewing? The Milwaukee Brewers got a big jump on the rest of baseball when they traded for New York Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez nearly three weeks before the trade deadline. Don't expect the Brewers to stop there. With MVP candidate Prince Fielder unlikely to be back after this season, the Brewers are under pressure to win now and will probably continue tinkering with their roster in an effort to make that happen. One preseason trade that's gone all but overlooked has contributed mightily to making the Brewers contenders.

It was the thrill of a lifetime for Tyler Chatwood to stand on the Angel Stadium mound Monday night, with dozens of family members and friends in the house, an experience the 21-year-old right-hander described as "great, awesome. " There was one little problem, though. "I couldn't feel my body in that first inning," Chatwood said after his major league debut. "There's a lot of adrenaline going through you. You try to control it. " By the time Chatwood found his bearings, the Cleveland Indians had scored four runs and hit two home runs in the first two innings.

Angels 7, Arizona 2 AT THE PLATE: More than half of the Angels' 10 hits were for extra bases in the team's most one-sided win of the spring. One of their six doubles came from Bobby Abreu, who keyed a four-run third inning with a two-run hit. Vernon Wells followed a batter later with a two-run double of his own. Torii Hunter, two for 10 coming in, had a double and a single in three at-bats. The Angels also stole three bases, giving them 17 in 19 tries. ON THE MOUND: Jered Weaver, the Angels' probable opening day starter, gave up three hits but struck out three in three innings.

Reporting from Tempe, Ariz. ? It began with Troy Percival , who passed the baton to Francisco Rodriguez , who passed it to Brian Fuentes , who passed it to ? To be determined. Since he took over as Angels manager in 2000, Mike Scioscia has entered every season knowing exactly who his closer is, but that is not the case this spring. Scioscia made it clear Tuesday that Fernando Rodney , who had a 5.65 earned-run average and four blown saves after replacing Fuentes for the last month of 2010, is not his clear-cut closer entering 2011.

Everyone thought the arm would go, so it seems a bit ironic that a knee injury ultimately led to the demise of Scot Shields, the rubber-armed reliever whose durability and dependability made him one of baseball's best setup men from 2004 to 2008. Shields said Tuesday that he is leaning heavily toward retiring after this season, his inability to bounce back from surgery on his left knee in 2009 and the emergence of several young relievers pushing the veteran right-hander out of the Angels' picture for 2011.

The Major League Baseball schedule for 2011 features a midweek start in March, a midweek ending in September and the Chicago Cubs' first visit to Fenway Park in nearly 100 years. The new-look grid is designed to meet Commissioner Bud Selig's goal: to have the World Series over in October. Game 7 this year is set for Nov. 4. Five openers are scheduled for Thursday, March 31, including the Angels at the Kansas City Royals. Starting in 1999, the season had been slated to start on either a Sunday night or Monday afternoon — except for some special neutral-site trips.

The new president of Panama met with government officials to start forming a Cabinet after calling for better U.S. ties. However, provisional President Francisco Rodriguez ruled out elections until Washington lifts economic sanctions. In a speech before his first day in office, Rodriguez said he will lead Panama to "a new democracy as soon as American aggression ceases and the funds arbitrarily withheld by the United States government are returned."

Maybe it pains Bobby Thigpen that Francisco Rodriguez of the Angels is on pace to shatter his single-season major league saves record. Or maybe the former Chicago White Sox closer, now 45, is too busy managing the Bristol (Va.) Sox of the Appalachian League, a rookie-level affiliate of the White Sox, to squeeze in a few minutes to reminisce about his signature season. Or maybe he's just a grump.

The Angels have seen enough of Jordan Walden's 98-mph fastball and improved slider; Michael Kohn's high-octane, low-mileage repertoire; Bobby Cassevah's heavy sinker; and Rich Thompson's emerging cut fastball to be encouraged about their bullpen going into the off-season. But they've also seen enough young players struggle after being exposed to big league competition to know they can't look at these young relievers and think the Angels' bullpen problems are solved. "The arms are there, the stuff is there, but you have to have the ability to make pitches when it counts," Angels pitching coach Mike Butcher said.

The meek shall inherit the Earth, or at least a sliver of land in Anaheim known as Angel Stadium. Last-place teams continue to embarrass the Angels on their home field, the Cleveland Indians' 6-1 victory Tuesday the latest indignity. Given what seemed like an ideal opportunity to make one final push against slumping Texas in the American League West, the Angels instead have been thrust further into irrelevance by two of the worst teams in baseball. Baltimore swept the Angels in the final three games of their most recent homestand, and the Indians have won the first two games of this series.