Dusty Rhodes (baseball)

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Dusty Rhodes

Outfielder

Born: May 13, 1927(1927-05-13)

Montgomery County, Alabama

Died: June 17, 2009 (aged 82)

Las Vegas, Nevada

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

RBIs 207

Teams

New York / San Francisco Giants (1952-1957, 1959)

Career highlights and awards

1954 Babe Ruth Award

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 New York Giants and San Francisco Giants, both of the National League.

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."