Petaca Rodríguez

Carlos "Petaca" Rodríguez Araújo (December 23, 1915 – November 15, 1990) was a Colombian professional baseball pitcher. He is considered one of the greatest Colombian baseball players of all time.

Career Rodríguez began playing in Colombia's amateur leagues as an outfielder, before transitioning to pitching in Barranquilla. He debuted with the Colombia national baseball team at 23 years old, at the 1938 Bolivarian Games. He also appeared in three Amateur World Series (AWS) tournaments in 1944, 1945, and 1947, as well as the 1946 Central American and Caribbean Games. At the 1946 games, he led the tournament earned run average (0.00) over 29 innings pitched (second only to Diomedes Olivo's 36.1 IP). Jorge Pasquel, then-president of the Mexican League, offered Rodríguez a $5,000 contract to sign with Monterrey; Rodríguez declined the offer.

Rodríguez led the Colombian team to its first world championship in baseball at the 1947 Amateur World Series, held in Cartagena. His participation in the tournament was controversial; Cuba withdrew from the tournament, alleging that Rodríguez had forfeited his amateur status after playing in Panama's professional league.

Rodríguez played with several teams in the Colombian Professional Baseball League, including Indios de Cartagena, Torices de Cartagena, and Vanytor de Barranquilla.

Rodríguez was left off the Colombian roster for the 1952 Latin American Series due to a purported disagreement with the manager, Juan González Cornet. But in 1956, he again played with the Colombian national team at the 1956 Global World Series, held in Milwaukee; Rodríguez allowed only three hits in a 7–1 victory over the Netherlands. Rodríguez eventually retired in 1957.