Bobby Rose (baseball)
Robert Richard Rose (born March 15, 1967) is an American former professional baseball infielder and coach. He played for the California Angels in Major League Baseball (MLB), and for the Yokohama BayStars of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). During his playing career, he batted and threw right-handed and was listed at and . He later served as a hitting coach in Minor League Baseball. Baseball career North America Rose played baseball for San Dimas High School in California, where he had a .515 batting average during his senior season in 1985. He was selected by the California Angels in the fifth round of the 1985 MLB draft and signed with the team. He played in the Angels' farm system for several teams from 1985 through 1992, except for 1987. Rose sat out the 1987 season, working for a graphics company in Orange County, California, before returning to baseball the following year. His longest assignments were with the Quad Cities Angels of the Class A Midwest League for 264 games during 1986 and 1988, and the Edmonton Trappers of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League for 216 games during 1990–1992. Over seven seasons, Rose appeared in 648 minor-league games, registering a .288 average with 49 home runs and 372 runs batted in (RBIs). Primarily a used as a third baseman, second baseman, and shortstop, Rose made several appearances as a catcher, first baseman, and outfielder—he also pitched in one game. Rose played a total of 73 major league games during 1989–1992; the most MLB games he played during one season was 30 in 1992. He batted .245 with five home runs and 23 RBIs with the Angels, while defensively playing primarily at second base (43 games), along with appearances at first base, third base, and in the outfield. Rose was selected as the Angles starting second baseman at the start of the 1992 season. However, he soon began to struggle and Rene Gonzales started platooning the position with him. On May 19, Rose hit a home run in his last major-league at bat. Two days later, he and the team were involved in an accident when the team bus veered off a road in Deptford Township, New Jersey. Rose’s suffered a severely sprained right ankle in the accident and was placed on the 15-day disabled list. After, he rehabilitated in the minors on stints with the Palm Springs Angels and the Trappers. On October 16, however, the Angels sold his contract to the Yokohama Taiyo Whales in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). Japan After Rose's contract was sold by the Angels to the then-Yokohama Taiyo Whales of NPB's Central League (CL), the team was renamed as the Yokohama BayStars prior to the 1993 season. In his first season with the team, he played in all 130 games and tied for the most RBIs in the CL with 94. He also received the Best Nine Award for best second baseman in the league. Rose's success continued over the next several seasons and he became