Rojas Jr. Rolls on in Double-A

CURVE, Pa. - Baseball has been part of Curve outfielder Mel Rojas Jr.'s life for as long as he can remember.

The son of the former major league pitcher with the same name, young Rojas was around major league ballparks and clubhouses for many years as a kid.

"It was pretty cool," Rojas Jr. said during a recent interview at Peoples Natural Gas Field. "All of the major league players and all of the stadiums, too. I was impressed every time I went to a new ballpark."

The players who caught his eye?

"I'd have to say Sammy Sosa when my dad played for the Cubs," Rojas Jr. said. "He was always keeping the clubhouse busy and excited and ready for the game.

"Pedro Martinez, too," Rojas Jr. said thinking back to his youth. "He (Martinez) played with my dad with the Montreal Expos. And, Turk Wendell, but I'm not sure how many people remember him. He was pretty cool, a crazy guy," he said of the former Mets pitcher.

Rojas Jr. said he didn't want to follow in his dad's steps as a pitcher.

"He actually told me not to pitch," Junior said, laughing. "With pitchers, so much depends on their arms. If they get hurt, then they're out. Outfielders can play, even if we have something wrong - ankle, knee - but pitchers can't.

"It's tough to get to the major leagues," he continued, "but position players seem to last longer than pitchers when they get there."

Junior said his dad's career was cut short by injury.

"A shoulder (injury), that's what took him out of baseball," Junior said.

Young Rojas thinks pitchers do not have as long careers as other players.

"For some reason, pitchers don't seem to last that long now," he said. "I don't know what it is. Really, I think doctors are better now, but pitchers used to last longer when my dad pitched."

Rojas said he didn't have a favorite team growing up.

"We just rooted for every team my dad was on," he said. "After he retired, I was a big fan of Manny Ramirez. Wherever he was, that's who I was for."

An outfielder all of his pro career, Rojas said he played shortstop until he was about 17 years old.

"Then they moved me to the outfield," he said. "My footwork in the infield wasn't that good."

Rojas said his father now coaches for the San Diego Padres in the Dominican Republic, but he keeps close tabs on his son.

"He calls me every night, especially when I struggle," Junior said. "He also watches the games on line so he knows what I'm doing."

Born in Indianapolis, Rojas has spent most of his life - he's 22 - in the Dominican Republic. Through a high school advisor, he was able to attend Wabash Valley (Ill.) College where he was impressive enough that the Pirates selected him in the third round of the 2010 draft.

In his only season at Wabash, Rojas batted .398 with 19 doubles, 10 triples, nine homers, 71 RBIs and 94 runs scored in 62 games. He also led the nation in stolen bases, swiping 61 bags in 64 attempts. Those numbers enabled him to be named the 2010 Great Rivers Athletic Conference Freshman-of-the-Year.

After signing, the Pirates sent Rojas to State College where he batted .207 in 43 games with the short-season Spikes. Rojas went to West Virginia (low A) in 2011 where he played in 131 games and batted .246. He spent 2012 with Bradenton (high A) where he finished with a .245 average in 130 games.

A 6-foot-3, 215-pound switch hitter, Rojas was promoted to Altoona for 2013 and he's had an inconsistent start with the Curve. As of May 14, Rojas, the club's starting centerfielder, had a .220 average in 33 games. He's done better from the right side of the plate, hitting .361 in 36 at-bats. However, batting left-handed, his average was just .161 in 87 at-bats.

"I'm happy so far," Rojas said of his progression. "I feel I could have done better, even though I've made some big strides. Everybody would like to get to the big leagues sooner than later.

"I need to stay consistent with my hitting and the defense will take care of itself," he said. "I think I've done a pretty good job in the outfield, but I have to stay consistent with my hitting."

He also thinks the Curve will improve as the season goes on.

"I think we have a pretty good team," he said. "We have good pitching, good defense, good hitting. We went through a little bit of struggles, but we'll be fine.

"It's a pretty good league," he said of the Eastern League. "The pitching is good. There are a lot of veterans and they're consistent so it's not as easy as it sometimes looks."

In Rojas, Curve manager Carlos Garcia sees a young man who has a bright future in baseball.

"He gets better, each and every year," Garcia said. "I remember the first year we got him he didn't look like the player he's turned into now.

"He's a hard worker and he understands what needs to be done to be a big leaguer," Garcia said. "He has a great influence in his dad and he comes from the Dominican Republic where you have to become good to get out of the island.

"All he needs is consistency."