A LASTING LEGACY
Jose Rojas promised only one thing to the reporter sitting in his living room in the Dominican Republic more than 60 years ago, and it had nothing to do with a bat or a glove. He didn’t know if his sons Felipe, Mateo or Jesus Maria would attain stardom in the major leagues. Rojas was absolutely certain, however, about the quality of the men he was sending to the United States. History will show that Felipe, Matty and Jesus Alou validated their father’s promise.
“The only thing I’m certain about is that I’m sending three men to the world—three men—and that they will not make me look bad,” said the late patriarch of one of Major League Baseball’s greatest families.
Because the New York Giants didn’t understand how surnames are written in the Dominican Republic and throughout most of Latin America, Rojas’ boys earned their fame under their mother’s maiden name, Alou. The eldest
