| Rodney Linares | |
|---|---|
.png) Linares withLeones del Escogido in 2021 | |
| Tampa Bay Rays – No. 27 | |
| Coach | |
| Born: (1977-08-07)August 7, 1977 (age 47) Brooklyn, New York, U.S. | |
Bats: Right Throws: Right | |
| Teams | |
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Rodney Linares (born August 7, 1977) is aDominican–Americancoach for theTampa Bay Rays ofMajor League Baseball. He managed theDominican national team at the2023 World Baseball Classic.
Linares played as an infielder at theRookie-level ofminor league baseball in 1997 and 1998. Born inBrooklyn, New York, he threw and battedright-handed, stood 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 m) tall and 180 pounds (82 kg).
He became a coach and instructor for theHouston Astros at the age of 21 in 1999, and spent two decades in the Astro organization as a batting coach and minor leaguemanager.[1] He is the son of Dominican baseball playerJulio Linares, a member of the Houston organization since 1973 as a coach, manager, special assignments scout and key official for the club's operations in the Dominican Republic.[2] Julio also spent three years (1994–96) as a coach for the MLB Astros.
After becoming a manager in the Astro organization in 2007, Rodney Linares oversaw the development of such players asJose Altuve,Alex Bregman,Carlos Correa,J. D. Martinez andGeorge Springer.[2][3] In 2018, he managed theTriple-AFresno Grizzlies[4] to an 82–57, first-place finish in thePacific Coast League's Pacific Northern Division; he led the Grizzlies into the second round of the PCL playoffs, where they fell to theMemphis Redbirds.[5] Between 2012 and 2016, his teams qualified for the playoffs in five straight seasons, and Linares won theClass A-AdvancedCalifornia League's Manager of the Year Award in 2013 and theDouble-ATexas League'sManager of the Year Award in 2015.[1] His minor-league managerial record over 12 seasons (2007–18) is 762–697 (.522); he has also helmed clubs in theArizona Fall League and theDominican Winter League. He makes his winter home inSan Pedro de Macorís.[1]
The Rays hired Linares as their third base coach in November 2018.[3] In November 2022, he was promoted to bench coach after incumbentMatt Quatraro was hired as the manager of theKansas City Royals.[6]
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Corpus Christi Hooksmanager 2015–2017 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Fresno Grizzliesmanager 2018 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Tampa Bay Raysthird base coach 2019–2022 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Tampa Bay Raysbench coach 2023–present | Succeeded by Incumbent |