“I consider myself someone in uniform. It’s something I know more about in my career”, this is how Luis Rojas responded to the sports press on Legends Day, held last Sunday by the National Federation of Professional Baseball Players when he was asked which job he preferred the most, between leader and manager.
Rojas said that he is getting to know the manager dynamics in the day-to-day exercise, while he has been studying field work as a leader for 20 years.
“I grew up as a fan of this team, it’s a family tradition and that’s why in both positions, both as leader and manager, I have the same degree of responsibility and I have the same challenge and the excitement of winning, but I feel more comfortable as a manager”, Rojas said.
The current general manager of the Leones del Escogido affirmed that the current season has been disappointing due to the poor performance of the scarlet team, which as of this Friday, December 9, has a record of 13 wins and 29 losses.
“It’s hard to fall asleep when things are going so bad, you start thinking about things that need to be improved, you feel a lot of emotion when you win and the same pain when you lose.” He also admitted that the work has been difficult for him, since he has not been able to give it the attention that the position deserves.
He also said that it is not in his plans to return as manager in the winter league, because he understands that there are many capable people to take over in the red team.
Experience with Yankees
For Luis, the transition from the Mets to the Yankees was easy. He had gone through the position of manager of the other New York team, for two seasons. In his tenure with the Metros between 2020 and 2021, he had a record of 103 wins and 119 losses.
Previously, he had served as a quality control coach for the organization where he remained for 16 years, also being an instructor and manager in the minor leagues.
“By wearing this uniform, you carry a lot of responsibility, because there are many names that have put on that jacket, plus all the championships and above all the responsibility with the fans and the team.”
For the Dominican, being part of the group that Boone leads in the Yankees, was a lot of learning and helped him gain confidence, since he indicated that the former player from the winningest team in Major League history is a leader within the group.
“Boone is a great leader, he trusts everyone around him, that’s why he delegates easily and lets you propose ideas on how to make and prevent careers, he has the same relationship with all the coaches,” Rojas concluded.