Minervino Alejandro "Minnie" Rojas Landin (November 26, 1933 – March 23, 2002) was a right-handed relief pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played for the California Angels from through after many seasons pitching in Mexican semi-pro leagues, the Mexican League, and the minor leagues. He debuted as a 32 year old rookie starting pitcher for the Angels in but would only make one additional start for the remainder of his major league career. Instead, he became a valuable member of the Angels' bullpen at a time when the role of relief pitchers was evolving in the professional game. Rojas' best major league season was , when he set an Angels franchise record with 27 saves and was named the American League Fireman of the Year. However, his effectiveness was reduced by injuries in , and he missed the second half of the season with tendinitis and other issues in his elbow. In , Rojas pitched briefly in the minor leagues and the Mexican League in an attempt to regain his form, but lingering arm issues led him to retire from baseball without returning to the majors. In 1970, Rojas and his family were involved in a serious automobile accident that killed two of his three children and left him partially paralyzed for the rest of his life. The California Angels organization and players held fund-raisers to help their former teammate, including organizing "Minnie Rojas Day" in 1971. Baseball career Minor leagues / Mexican League Rojas was born in Remedios, Villa Clara, Cuba. He showed promise as a baseball player in his youth, and after a year of compulsory military service, he left his native country to play semi-pro baseball in Mexico. In 1960, he signed a minor league contract with the San Francisco Giants. The Giants did not promote him to the majors after 4 years in their minor league system, so Rojas signed a free agent contract with the independent Jalisco Charros of the Mexican League in 1964. In 1965, Rojas won 21 games as a starting pitcher for Jalisco, attracting the attention of the California Angels. The Angels bought his contract for $2500 and sent him to their AAA affiliate, the Seattle Rainiers, to begin the 1966 season. He was effective as both a starter and reliever against minor league competition, leading the Angels to call him up to the majors in late May. California Angels Rojas