Rolando enters Sluggers Training Center with an abundance of experience.  His career began in 1997 when the Chicago White Sox selected him in the 9th round as a shortstop in his senior year at Coachella Valley High School.  Born and raised in the Coachella Valley, he went on to play eight years in the minor leagues between three organizations, the Chicago White Sox, Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta Braves.  Rolando spent four years as a positional player and an additional four years as a pitcher.  His best year as a hitter came in the summer of 1998 where he played under catching icon, Tony Pena, where he compiled a .354 batting average, which was second in the Arizona League.  At the end of that summer he was named Topp’s Player of the Month for the month of July and also named to the Arizona League All-Star team.  Going into spring training in 1999, Rolando was named the11th prospect in the Chicago White Sox organization.  Rolando went on to hit for another two seasons before being hampered due to a serious hand injury.  Garza finished his hitting career with over one thousand minor league at bats and a .265 career batting average. However, Rolando didn’t quit… His strong right arm strength, ranked among the best in the organization, and was put to the test on the mound.

His transition to the mound was introduced in the spring in 2001. The transition was heavily felt his first year. After adapting to the physical and mental part of pitching, Rolando posted a personal best in 2003 with a 2.85 ERA in his third full season as a pitcher. In the following year, Garza was plagued by elbow injuries. In 2005, he underwent Tommy John (elbow reconstructive) surgery. Upon completion of his rehabilitation, Rolando experienced another arm problem in his right shoulder, which required surgery. This knocked any possibility and left Rolando with a slim chance of a comeback. Rolando states, “ It’s not the severities of the injuries, but the crucial time of development, I have lost the last 2 ½ years.”

His professional career experience includes five years as personal instructor.  He has provided instruction to young players around the desert.  Additionally, Rolando was employed by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays baseball organization in the summer of 2006 as the strength and conditioning coach for the short season A-ball team, Hudson Valley Renegades.  Rolando has accumulated nine years of professional experience between four professional organizations, and in the last two school years, Rolando served as a Student Coach for College of the Desert.

Moreover, Garza has turned to another chapter of his life and is currently a full-time student and will begin his third year in college, majoring in Kinesiology. He has a conjoint schedule between College of the Desert and Cal State, San Bernardino beginning January 2008.

“I am very excited to be part of the Sluggers training staff.  My hope and desire is to instill, through my experience, the fundamentals of the game.   My passion for pitching and hitting mechanics has been learned through trial and error.  I take pride in conveying and teaching the information so players can develop and have longevity in their careers.”