Ellie Rodríguez, a Puerto Rican baseball catcher, died on April 23, 2026, at age 79.
Born Eliseo Rodríguez Delgado on May 24, 1946, in Fajardo, Puerto Rico, he moved with his family to New York City in 1953 and grew up within walking distance of Yankee Stadium. He attended James Monroe High School in the Bronx, graduating in 1964, and began his professional career that year after signing with the Kansas City Athletics as an amateur free agent.
Rodríguez played in Major League Baseball from 1968 to 1976 for the New York Yankees, Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers, California Angels, and Los Angeles Dodgers.
Ellie Rodríguez, 79, Puerto Rican baseball catcher.