Dusty Rhodes | |
---|---|
Outfielder | |
Born: May 13, 1927 Montgomery County, Alabama |
|
Died: June 17, 2009 Las Vegas, Nevada |
(aged 82)|
Batted: Left | Threw: Right |
MLB debut | |
July 15, 1952 for the New York Giants | |
Last MLB appearance | |
September 27, 1959 for the San Francisco Giants | |
Career statistics | |
Batting average | .253 |
Home runs | 54 |
Runs batted in | 207 |
Teams | |
Career highlights and awards | |
|
James Lamar Rhodes (May 13, 1927, Mathews, Alabama – June 17, 2009, Las Vegas, Nevada[1]) was an outfielder with a 7 year career from 1952–1957, 1959. He played for the Giants franchise of the National League (1952-57 in New York, 1959 in San Francisco).
Of him, manager Leo Durocher said "a buffoon is a drunk on a hitting spree". In the 1954 season, he was often used as a pinch-hitter for Monte Irvin, and came through with an incredible number of clutch hits.
In the first game of the 1954 World Series, Rhodes had a pinch hit home run in the bottom of the tenth inning off Bob Lemon to win the game.[2] The next day he delivered a pinch hit single in the fifth inning and then remained in the game to play left field. In the seventh inning he hit a homer off Early Wynn to help ensure the victory.[3]
Roy Campanella, the Brooklyn Dodger catcher, said of Durocher and his action of pinch-hitting Rhodes: "If they have to pinch hit Rhodes for Irvin, they must be hurting." Willie Mays mocked this assumption in his autobiography. Mays considered Rhodes to be a "fabulous hitter", as did Durocher, who wrote in his autobiography, "...boy could he hit!", while commenting on Rhodes atrocious fielding abilities.[4]
After his sports career, Dusty Rhodes worked for a friend on a tug boat for 25 years, a job which Dusty said he loved. Dusty stated after his career when asked why his career was so short, "After Durocher left the Giants, baseball wasn't fun anymore."
Awards | ||
---|---|---|
Preceded by Billy Martin |
Babe Ruth Award 1954 |
Succeeded by Johnny Podres |
|
|