During a Phillies game a couple of years ago, I asked some writers of a particular age group who they thought was the more popular Phillies player in the 1960s — Tony Taylor or Cookie Rojas.
Nobody could break the tie. For a couple of players who won't be going to the Hall of Fame, Taylor and Rojas were extremely popular in a town known for mistreating some of its brightest stars. (See Mike Schmidt.)
"I think the whole ballclub was popular because we had a good team at that time, and when you went out and played as hard as you could, I think the fans appreciated that," said Rojas.
Rojas has remained in the game in one capacity or another since his playing days ended. He's now the third-base coach for the Mets and was in town for New York's weekend series with the Phils.
Octavio Victor Rojas arrived in Philadelphia in 1963 and appeared in 64 games that season. His first year as a full-timer was in 1964 when he was a regular without a position. He appeared in 109 games all over the diamond and hit for a .291 average for the team that nearly went to the World Series.
"That's just the way (manager) Gene Mauch used to do it," explained Rojas about his utility status. "He'd put me at different positions because he wanted other players (in the lineup), so I had to move all over the place."
Rojas turned in the best season of his career in 1965 when he batted .303 in 142 games and was one of three Phillies selected for the All-Star Game in Minnesota. (Richie Allen and Johnny Callison were the others.) The team, however, slipped from second to sixth place, and general manager John Quinn felt that a few more pieces of the puzzle were needed to put the club over the top.
Veterans Bill White and Dick Groat were acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals and inserted at first base and shortstop, respectively, and Ferguson Jenkins was traded to the Chicago Cubs for pitcher Larry Jackson shortly after the season began. Those moves, however, failed to produce the desired result. The team finished in fourth place.
While the strategy didn't work, the 1966 team might have actually been a better club than the 1964 Phillies.
"I wouldn't say that," Rojas disagreed. "In '64, we showed people who never gave us a chance that we had a good club and that we could be competitive. I think it was as good a team that I've ever seen."
The '64 team was projected to finish in the middle of the pack, but a combination of factors kept the Phillies in contention until the infamous 10-game losing streak in the stretch run.
"The pitching wasn't as good in '66 as it was in '64," continued Rojas. "(White and Groat) were two older players with more experience, but when you compare shortstop, Groat was a better hitter, but he didn't have the range defensively as Bobby Wine and Ruben Amaro."
Two interesting things of note happened to Rojas before his tenure with the Phillies ended. The Cincinnati Red Legs became the first professional team in 1869, and baseball marked that centennial by naming its top all-time teams in 1969. Rojas was selected as the best second baseman in Phillies history (through that year).
"That was one of the proudest moments that I ever had," he remembered. "When you are appreciated that way, especially by the fans, it makes you feel good about yourself."
Rojas also had the distinction of playing all nine positions in Philadelphia, including one inning on the mound when the Phils were getting blown out for the second time in a twin bill with the San Francisco Giants in 1967.
"We had already lost the first game, and Mauch had used quite a few pitchers," Rojas recalled. "We were also losing the second game by a lot of runs, and (Mauch) didn't want to use the same fellows again, so I had an opportunity to pitch an inning."
One of the legends that sprang from that appearance was that Rojas had struck out slugger Willie Mays.
"I don't remember striking anybody out, but I know I faced Willie Mays," he said. "Mays flied out to right field. I faced four batters and gave up a hit, a fly ball and two grounders."
Rojas was shipped to St. Louis with Allen and pitcher Jerry Johnson after the 1969 season for Curt Flood, Tim McCarver, Joe Hoerner and Byron Browne. The Cardinals traded him to Kansas City in 1970.
Rojas hit .300 in 1971, made four more All-Star teams and appeared in two playoff series with the Royals before retiring after the 1977 season. Since then, he's been a coach for the Cubs, Florida Marlins and the Mets and a scout and manager for the California Angels.
Visit the Phillies Web site.