Dave Rosello, the longtime Chicago Cubs infielder who spent the bulk of his major league career on the North Side before finishing with the Cleveland Indians, died Wednesday in Kissimmee, Florida. He was 76.
A native of Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, Rosello appeared in 249 games for the Cubs from 1972 through 1977. He was primarily a reserve middle infielder, valued more for his glove work than his bat during a stretch when the franchise was searching for stability up the middle.
Rosello signed with the Cubs organization and rose through the minors as a shortstop. He earned American Association All-Star recognition three times and, in 1972 at Double-A, led shortstops in both assists and total chances.
He made his major league debut with Chicago on Sept. 10, 1972. Over the next several seasons he filled in at second base and shortstop, collecting limited at-bats while the club relied on established veterans.
In 1976 the Cubs handed him the unenviable job of replacing six-time All-Star Don Kessinger at shortstop. Rosello started on Opening Day and received his heaviest workload of any season, appearing in a career-high 91 games.
That year he hit .242 with a .359 on-base percentage and a .286 slugging percentage. He drew 41 walks against 33 strikeouts, showing the patient approach that defined much of his time in a Cubs uniform.
The regular role did not last. By 1977 Rosello was back in a reserve capacity, though he still contributed in spot duty. On July 28 of that season he delivered a game-winning hit in a wild 16-15, 13-inning victory over the Cincinnati Reds at Wrigley Field, a contest Cubs fans of that era still recall.
After the 1977 season Chicago traded him to Cleveland for minor leaguers Norm Churchill and Bruce Compton, neither of whom ever reached the majors. Rosello’s six seasons with the Cubs produced a .232 batting average, four home runs and 43 RBIs.
He played three more seasons in Cleveland from 1979 to 1981, appearing in 173 games and posting a .244 average. His best power numbers came in 1979, when he hit three home runs and drove in 14 runs, both career highs.
Across nine major league seasons Rosello batted .236 with 206 hits, 10 home runs and 76 RBIs in 422 games. He finished with a .318 on-base percentage and a .313 slugging percentage.
Defensively he logged time at second base, shortstop and third base. Cubs observers from the mid-1970s generally credited him with reliable hands and adequate range, even if advanced metrics later painted a more modest picture.
In 1982 he spent the year at Triple-A in the Cleveland system, mostly at third base, and appeared in 111 games. That marked his final season in professional baseball in the United States.
Rosello was among the early Puerto Rican players to wear a Cubs uniform and is regarded as the franchise’s first Puerto Rican infielder. His path reflected the growing pipeline from the island to Chicago during that decade.
He is survived by two children, two stepchildren and five grandchildren, according to his online obituary.
For Cubs fans who watched the lean years of the 1970s, Rosello remains a familiar name from the infield depth chart, remembered for the stretches he filled and for one memorable afternoon when his bat decided a marathon at Wrigley Field.
