Rusty Gerhardt

{{short description|American baseball player}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name=Rusty Gerhardt

|image=

|position=Pitcher

|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1950|8|13}}

|birth_place=Baltimore, Maryland

|death_date=

|death_place =

|bats=Switch

|throws=Left

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate=July 27

|debutyear={{mlby|1974}}

|debutteam=San Diego Padres

|finalleague = MLB

|finaldate=September 24

|finalyear={{mlby|1974}}

|finalteam=San Diego Padres

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label=Pitching record

|stat1value=2–1

|stat2label=Strikeouts

|stat2value=22

|stat3label=ERA

|stat3value=7.07

|teams=

• San Diego Padres ({{mlby|1974}})}}

Allen Russell Gerhardt (born August 13, 1950) is an American former professional baseball player. He was a left-handed pitcher who appeared in 23 games, 22 in relief, for the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball in {{mlby|1974}}.

Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Gerhardt stood {{convert|5|ft|9|in}} tall and weighed {{convert|175|lb}}, and played college baseball at Clemson University. In 1969, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Chatham A's of the Cape Cod Baseball League.{{cite web|author= |url=http://capecodbaseball.org.ismmedia.com/ISM3/std-content/repos/Top/2012website/archives/Current%20Year/All_Time_MLB_CCBL_Alumni.pdf |title=Major League Baseball Players From the Cape Cod League |publisher=capecodbaseball.org |date= |accessdate=January 9, 2020}} Gerhardt was named "Sandlot Player of the Year" by the National Baseball Congress in 1970.{{citation|year=1971|title=Roundup Amateur Baseball News|journal=Baseball Digest|volume=30|issue=2|pages=81}} He was selected by the Padres in the 12th round of the 1972 Major League Baseball Draft.

In {{frac|35|2|3}} big-league innings pitched, Gerhardt allowed 44 hits and 17 bases on balls, with 22 strikeouts. He recorded one save and won two of his three decisions. His one save came on September 7, 1974 (1 2/3rd perfect innings against the Astros).{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/HOU/HOU197409070.shtml|title=San Diego Padres at Houston Astros Box Score, September 7, 1974}}

Gerhardt spent his entire nine-season active career (1972–1979; 1981) in the Padres' organization. After it ended, he became a coach and manager in the farm systems of the Padres and the Texas Rangers. Since the mid-1990s he has been a scouting supervisor for the Major League Baseball Scouting Bureau based in North Texas and Louisiana.