Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
K-Rod Got Angry After Being Told, "Man Up, And Play Better"
By
Jen Chung
Published Aug 13, 2010
Modified Aug 13, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published Aug 13, 2010
Modified Aug 13, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
So, why did Francisco Rodriguez, the Mets' pricey closer, blow up at his girlfriend's father and beat him up after Wednesday's game? According to the Daily News, Rodriguez got seriously pissed off when Carlos Pena told him, "Stop acting like a baby. Man up, and play better." Then K-Rod's mother told Pena to shut up, only to prompt Pena to allegedly to respond, and then K-Rod jumped in, saying, "You can't talk to my mami that way!"
The Post says that Rodriguez, who has been suspended for two games (that'll cost him over $141,000) and was released on his own recognizance (he's barred from the Long Island home he shares with girlfriend Daian Pena), and his girlfriend were fighting, with Rodriguez cursing at her. When Carlos Pena, 53, stood up to him, Rodriguez allegedly pummeled him to the extent that security needed to be called.
After the altercation, Rodriguez left CitiField (the Mets called NYPD for help, but by the time they arrived, he was gone), but returned when he was called by a Mets official. Prosecutors alluded to his "history of violence" during the arraignment, and apparently there were incidents in Los Angeles and Venezula that prompted Daian Pena, the mother of Rodriguez's twin baby girl and baby boy, to be worried about her well-being.
Mets players seem to be voicing support for K-Rod: Jose Reyes, whose wife and kids saw the incident, told the News, "No, that's his family. What happened there, we don't know what was the problem there. ...We're going to support him because we need him here. He's our closer," while Carlos Beltran said, "Everybody has family issues, but family issues are to be addressed at home, not in the family [lounge at City Field]. He knows he made a mistake. But... he’s our closer, he’s our guy. We have to support him, even though we don’t agree with what he did here.”
And manager Jerry Manuel said, "We’ve had a lot of things go on here. We are men and things come our way. We still have a job to do to perform, which right now we’re not doing very well, but you still have to put forth your best effort.”
Tagged
assault
baseball
Carlos Pena
citi field
francisco rodriguez
Jerry Manuel
mets
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Early Addition: Eric Adams did not convince a Wisconsin town to build a data center
Because the vote against it was unanimous, here are your early links: Jacket weather, swishing your Guinness, spooky decorations in North Jersey and more.
By
James Ramsay
Published Oct 14, 2026 at 8:28 a.m. ET
Hit-and-run driver arrested trying to flee to Uzbekistan after deadly crash, NYPD says
Police arrested 22-year-old Sobirjon Abdurazakov for a hit-and-run that killed a 62-year old Lyft driver.
By
Brittany Kriegstein
News
Hit-and-run driver arrested trying to flee to Uzbekistan after deadly crash, NYPD says
Police arrested 22-year-old Sobirjon Abdurazakov for a hit-and-run that killed a 62-year old Lyft driver.
By
Brittany Kriegstein
NY measles outbreak more widespread than official count, health officials say
By
Caroline Lewis
A NYC judge brought his gun into court for an ‘experiment’. Now he’s censured.
By
Samantha Max
The Bronx is getting a new casino and a reimagined Ferry Point Park, too
By
Willow Higgins
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .