Gordon Rhodes

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name=Gordon Rhodes

|image=Gordon_Rhodes.jpeg

|image_size=

|caption=

|position=Pitcher

|bats=Right

|throws=Right

|birth_date={{Birth date|1907|8|11}}

|birth_place=Winnemucca, Nevada, U.S.

|death_date={{death date and age|1960|3|22|1907|8|11}}

|death_place=Bellflower, California, U.S.

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate=April 29

|debutyear=1929

|debutteam=New York Yankees

|finalleague = MLB

|finaldate=September 7

|finalyear=1936

|finalteam=Philadelphia Athletics

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label=Win–loss record

|stat1value=43–74

|stat2label=Earned run average

|stat2value=4.85

|stat3label=Strikeouts

|stat3value=356

|teams=

New York Yankees ({{mlby|1929}}–{{mlby|1932}})
Boston Red Sox ({{mlby|1932}}–{{mlby|1935}})
Philadelphia Athletics ({{mlby|1936}})

}}

John Gordon Rhodes (August 11, 1907 – March 22, 1960) was a professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1929 to 1936. He played for the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, and Philadelphia Athletics. Listed at {{convert|6|ft|0|in}} and {{convert|187|lb|kg}}, he batted and threw right-handed.

Biography

Rhodes played four sports—baseball, basketball, football, and track—at West High School in Salt Lake City, and then attended the University of Utah for a year before signing a professional baseball contract.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/56084818/rhodes-dies-in-california/ |title=Rhodes Dies In California |newspaper=Deseret News |location=Salt Lake City |page=34 |date=March 24, 1960 |access-date=July 25, 2020 |via=newspapers.com}} His baseball career spanned 12 years, 1928 to 1939; he spent parts of eight seasons in the major leagues (appearing in 203 games) and parts of seven seasons in the minor leagues (appearing in 174 games).{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=rhodes001joh |title=Gordon Rhodes Minor Leagues Statistics & History |website=Baseball-Reference.com |access-date=July 25, 2020}}

Rhodes made his major league debut in April 1929 at age 21,{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/56081457/tigers-lose-mound-tilt-to-browns-sox/ |title=Tigers Lose Mound Tilt to Browns; Sox Victors |agency=AP |newspaper=San Francisco Examiner |page=19 |date=April 30, 1929 |access-date=July 25, 2020 |via=newspapers.com}} after his contract was purchased by the New York Yankees from the Hollywood Stars of the Pacific Coast League.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/56081037/gordon-rhodes-a-likely-looking-yankee/ |title=Gordon Rhodes A Likely Looking Yankee |first=Lank |last=Leonard |author-link=Lank Leonard |newspaper=Long Branch Daily Record |location=Long Branch, New Jersey |page=9 |date=April 16, 1929 |access-date=July 25, 2020 |via=newspapers.com}} During parts of four seasons, he went 7–9 in 41 games (17 starts) with the Yankees.{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rhodego01.shtml |title=Gordon Rhodes Stats |website=Baseball-Reference.com |access-date=July 25, 2020}} He was then traded to Boston in August 1932, in the same transaction that brought Wilcy Moore to the Yankees.{{cite web |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/R/Prhodg101.htm |title=Gordon Rhodes |website=Retrosheet |access-date=July 25, 2020}}

Rhodes spent parts of four seasons with the Red Sox, recording a career-high total of wins, 12, in both 1932 and 1933. However, he did not have a winning record in any of his years with Boston, compiling a 27–45 record in 124 games (90 starts) with the Red Sox.

Rhodes, minor league catcher George Savino,{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=savino001geo |title=George Savino Minor Leagues Statistics & History |website=Baseball-Reference.com |access-date=July 25, 2020}} and cash were sent to the Philadelphia Athletics in December 1935, in a deal that brought Jimmie Foxx and Johnny Marcum to Boston. With the Athletics, Rhodes collected 9 wins in 1936, but led American League pitchers with 20 losses and 26 home runs allowed.

During his major league career, Rhodes posted a 43–74 record with 356 strikeouts and a 4.85 ERA in 200 appearances, including 135 starts, 47 complete games, one shutout, four saves, and {{frac|1048|2|3}} innings of work. As a hitter, he had a .194 batting average (69-for-356) with two home runs and 34 runs batted in.

Nicknamed "Dusty", Rhodes was born in Salt Lake City, Utah; he died at the age of 52 in Bellflower, California. Rhodes was inducted to the Utah Sports Hall of Fame in 1982.{{cite web |url=https://www.utahsportshalloffame.org/honorees/ |title=Honorees |website=utahsportshalloffame.org |access-date=July 25, 2020}}

Notes

Rhodes' places of birth and death are listed as they appear in baseball sources. An alternate source with a family connection to Rhodes has given his place of birth as Winnemucca, Nevada, and place of death as Long Beach, California.{{cite web|title=The original Dusty Rhodes story |url=http://baseballpastandpresent.com/2010/08/16/the-original-dusty-rhodes-story/ |website=Baseball: Past and Present |first=Graham |last=Womack |access-date=2 January 2017 |date=16 August 2010}} Rhodes' draft registration card, which he signed in October 1940, lists his place of birth as Salt Lake City.{{cite web |url=https://www.fold3.com/image/630542985 |url-access=subscription |title=WWII Draft Registration Card |agency=Selective Service System |date=October 1940 |access-date=July 25, 2020 |via=fold3.com}} Long Beach was noted as his place of death in contemporary news reports;{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/56077926/former-utah-hurler-dies-in-california/ |title=Former Utah Hurler Dies In California |newspaper=The Salt Lake Tribune |page=24 |date=March 24, 1960 |access-date=July 25, 2020 |via=newspapers.com}} Long Beach and Bellflower are adjacent communities.