My dad had a scratchy VHS of old Cubs games he taped off WGN back when he worked in Chicago for a year, and the 1977 walk-off against the Reds was always his favourite clip to show me, Rosello sliding that single through the hole at short. I must have watched it a dozen times as a kid in our kitchen in Munich without ever once watching real baseball. Strange to read his name in an obituary now and hear my dad's voice explaining the play all over again.
Their story
David Rosello Rodríguez, known throughout baseball as Dave Rosello (and sometimes Davey), was a Puerto Rican professional baseball infielder who spent nine seasons in Major League Baseball with the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians. Born on 26 June 1950 in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, he signed with the Cubs as a…
David Rosello Rodríguez, known throughout baseball as Dave Rosello (and sometimes Davey), was a Puerto Rican professional baseball infielder who spent nine seasons in Major League Baseball with the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians. Born on 26 June 1950 in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, he signed with the Cubs as a non-drafted free agent on 11 November 1968 and reached the majors on 10 September 1972. He died on 30 September 2026 in Kissimmee, Florida, at age 76.
Rosello grew up in Mayagüez, a western Puerto Rican city with a deep baseball culture, and attended Eugenio María de Hostos High School. At 5-foot-11 and about 160 pounds, he batted and threw right-handed and developed as a versatile middle infielder. That flexibility (second base, shortstop, and third base) became the foundation of a long professional career that stretched from Class A Quincy in 1969 through Triple-A Charleston in 1982.
In the minors he climbed through Quincy (Midwest League), San Antonio (Texas League), and Wichita (American Association). Contemporary accounts describe him as a three-time American Association All-Star whose glove and range kept him in prospect conversations even when his bat lagged. In 1972 with Wichita he hit .271 in 137 games and earned a September call-up. He debuted against Philadelphia on 10 September 1972 and collected a hit in four at-bats.
With Chicago from 1972 through 1977 he was primarily a reserve, filling in behind established infielders. His heaviest workload came in 1976, when the Cubs asked him to inherit shortstop from six-time All-Star Don Kessinger. Rosello started Opening Day and appeared in a career-high 91 games, batting .242 with a .359 on-base percentage and drawing 41 walks against 33 strikeouts. The starting role did not stick. By 1977 he was again a depth piece, yet he produced one of the most memorable moments of that Cubs season.
On 28 July 1977 at Wrigley Field, Chicago and Cincinnati played a 13-inning, 16-15 marathon remembered for 43 hits and 11 home runs. With the Cubs' bench exhausted, Rosello and outfielder Bobby Murcer alternated between shortstop and second depending on the batter. In the bottom of the 13th, with two outs, Rosello punched a single between third and short that scored pitcher Rick Reuschel with the winning run. Cubs historian Al Yellon later called it Rosello's lasting place in franchise lore. Multiple reports also identify him as the Cubs' first Puerto Rican infielder and about the sixth Puerto Rican player in club history, a pioneering note that sits beside his modest counting stats.
After the 1977 season Chicago traded him to Cleveland for minor leaguers Norm Churchill and Bruce Compton (neither reached the majors). Rosello spent 1978 with Cleveland's Triple-A Portland Beavers, then returned to the majors for three seasons (1979-1981) as a utility infielder. His best power year was 1979 (three home runs, 14 RBI). Across nine big-league seasons he played 422 games, hit .236 with 10 home runs and 76 RBI, and finished with a .318 on-base percentage. Cleveland released him on 26 March 1982. He played that summer for the Charleston Charlies (International League), appearing mostly at third base, then left affiliated baseball in the United States.
Away from the field, his family obituary portrays a friendly, funny coach who loved teaching the game, golf, travel, beach days, and shared meals. He was devoted to his wife, Virgen Rodríguez, children Noemí Rosello Rodríguez and David E. Rosello Rodríguez, stepchildren Jonathan L. Soto Rodríguez and Christopher L. Soto Rodríguez, and five grandchildren. One favorite tradition was Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios. Cause of death was not made public.
Rosello's career was never defined by All-Star banners or Hall of Fame debates. It was defined by durability, positional flexibility, a pioneering place in Cubs Puerto Rican history, and one wild July afternoon when a little-used infielder found the hole and sent Wrigley into hysterics. Those are the threads that still connect Mayagüez, Wrigley Field, Municipal Stadium in Cleveland, and a quiet Florida retirement to the same name: Dave Rosello.
Biography adapted from Wikipedia; Baseball-Reference; Retrosheet; Legacy/Porta Coeli obituary; The Big Lead / Yahoo Sports (J.P. Hoornstra); Bleed Cubbie Blue (Al Yellon); Yardbarker.
In their own words
“Davey Rosello, who plays only when the Cubs have to go six deep for an infielder, found the hole he was looking for in the 13th inning Thursday.”
Richard Dozer, Chicago Tribune, on Rosello's 28 July 1977 walk-off single (quoted via Bleed Cubbie Blue)
“He found it with a slashing single through the cavity between third and short, and with this, the 24th Cub hit of the season's wildest Wrigley Field melodrama, he drove in the winning run of a 16-15 Cub victory over the Cincinnati Reds.”
Richard Dozer, Chicago Tribune, 29 July 1977 coverage (via Bleed Cubbie Blue)
“His was the third hit after two were out as shadows streaked the field. He was a player who was not supposed to be playing. His hit scored a pitcher who was not supposed to be pitching.”
Richard Dozer describing Rosello driving in Rick Reuschel, 28 July 1977
“The Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds tangled in one of the most incredible, exciting, and entertaining games in the 61-year history of the vine-covered baseball shrine.”
Bob Logan, Chicago Tribune, on the 16-15 game Rosello decided
“I recall him as a fielder with a decent glove and range, though modern defensive metrics don't give him much.”
Al Yellon, Bleed Cubbie Blue, on Rosello's Cubs tenure
“Dave Rosello is a footnote in Cubs history.”
Al Yellon introducing the walk-off heroes profile, before describing the 1977 hit that made Rosello memorable
“David Rosello Rodriguez... lived a life marked by kindness, laughter, and devotion to the people he loved most.”
Porta Coeli Funeral Home family obituary, 2026
“Coaching was more than a pastime to him. It was a way to inspire, teach, and connect with those around him.”
Family obituary describing Rosello's post-playing passion for baseball coaching
Photos
1Dave Rosello with the Cleveland Indians, 1981 postcard portrait
Jan 1981 · by People Forever
that game against the Reds was absolute chaos, 16-15 in 13 innings, I remember my grandfather talking about it for years