The small apartment in Davenport, Iowa, had two bedrooms, a living room, enough air mattresses for up to six players living there. It also had a television purchased at a Wal-Mart that had to be returned in 90 days so they could get their money back.
They didn’t need much, these minor leaguers, but what they did need was someone to clean the few pots and pans they had.
So Jonathan Rodriguez, as close to a veteran as the Cardinals’ Low-A affiliate had in 2011, put together a cook-or-clean rotation for the roommates.
That was not the only chore he gave Carlos Martinez that summer.