STRAIGHTSHOOTER

BY MARTIN GALLEGOS

it’s safe to say Fernando Rodney is comfortable in his own skin. What else would you expect from the game’s presumptive eldest statesman and the No. 2 pitcher on the active saves leader list?

If 45-year-old Bartolo Colon retires, the 42-year-old Rodney will assume the mantle of MLB’s most senior citizen.

Playing for 10 different teams over 16 seasons, the right-handed, three-time All-Star has amassed 325 saves — second only to Craig Kimbrel (333).

The Dominican native took time to talk about his favorite native food, his recent U.S. citizenship, his animal impersonations and his iconic customs (yes, that crooked hat included).

QYour Instagram is full of pictures of good Dominican food. What plate is your favorite?

AFish with coconut. It’s something that I grew up eating because my dad was a fisherman. We always had a lot of fish and coconut around, so we would prepare it by making a salsa made of coconut. It was delicious.

QYou’ve played for 10 different ballclubs. Which has been your favorite home city to play in?

AI really like Tampa Bay because the weather is so nice. But the most beautiful city I played in was Seattle. The ambiance is great and there’s a lot of green everywhere.

QWhat’s the story behind your famous Kermit the Frog impersonation?

AThat started in 2004 when I was recovering from Tommy John surgery. We always ran in a park in Lakeland, Florida, and you always heard frog noises on the trails. Just trying to find ways to entertain ourselves in those days, we started doing the frog noises and that evolved into the Kermit voice. We did impersonations of all the animals we encountered along the way.

QYou became a U.S. citizen last year. Why was that day special for you?

AI think the time warranted it. To be in this country for 17 years already and with the opportunity to do it, I felt it was a good thing to do for me and my family. When the opportunity is there, you should always take advantage of it.

QYou’ll be 42 years old when the regular season begins. What’s the secret to lasting so long in the big leagues?

AI think the most important part is good health. I think God gives that to certain people, and I’m lucky enough to be one of those. Knowing what time to eat, what time to go to bed, when to begin training -- that’s the formula to lasting in this game.

QYou’re often described as the funniest teammate, but who are some of the funniest guys you have played with?

AI had a great time with Joel Peralta in Tampa Bay; he was a good teammate. In Detroit, Miguel Cabrera and Bobby Seay. I loved playing with Erick Aybar in Anaheim, but the guys around this A’s team last year were something else. I was impressed. Of the other nine teams I played for, none had a clubhouse atmosphere quite like this one. It was all positive and a lot of funny guys.

QYou’ve been praised by coaches and teammates for your ability to not allow one bad outing to affect you. What is it about you that allows you to just throw a bad outing in the past and remain so upbeat?

AWhen I debuted in 2002 in Minnesota, I entered a tie game. There was a ground ball, a routine play, and I messed it up and lost the game. We lost the game. After that game, someone told me, “You didn’t lose, you learned something.” You win as a team and lose as a team. You give it your all on the field, don’t blame anybody, just try to learn from the moment.

Soon after that happened, I was talking to Mariano Rivera. I asked him, “How do you prepare after you have a bad game?” He told me forget about it and the next day will bring good things.

QWhat is the story behind your crooked cap?

AMy father was a fisherman. He wore his hat to the left side of his head, and when I asked him why, he said it was because when the sun would come out during a certain time of the day and hit that side, he would turn it that way in order to block the sun. When he passed away, I decided to keep it like that for him.

QWhat is the story behind your bow and arrow celebration?

AIt’s something from my hometown of Samana in the Dominican Republic. There’s a small village they call “La Flecha,” which means “The Arrow.” When I shoot the arrow, the game is over. You can pick it up and celebrate.