Rick Rhoden
Encyclopedia
Richard Alan Rhoden is a professional golfer
and was a Major League Baseball
pitcher. During his 16 year baseball career, he played for the Los Angeles Dodgers
(1974–1978), Pittsburgh Pirates
(1979–1986) and Houston Astros
(1989) of the National League
; and the New York Yankees
(1987–1988) of the American League
.
. Rhoden overcame a childhood bone disease, osteomyelitis
, and wore a brace until age 12. He attended Atlantic High School
in Delray Beach, Florida
, where he was the star pitcher for the school's baseball team. He did not attend college after graduating from high school in 1971, but played minor league baseball in Daytona Beach
, El Paso
, and Albuquerque
until he was called up to the majors in 1974.
He was elected to the All-Star
team twice (1976 with the Dodgers and 1986 with the Pirates), and won three Silver Slugger
awards (1984–1986).
In 413 career games, Rhoden compiled a 151-125 record, a 3.59 ERA, 1419 strikeouts, and one save. He has also hit nine home runs and had 75 RBIs.
His teams made it to the post-season twice during his career: the Dodgers in two consecutives seasons, 1977 and 1978. In both of those years, the Dodgers reached the World Series against the New York Yankees
, but lost in six games each year.
Rhoden earned a reputation as an outstanding hitting pitcher. He had an eleven-game hitting streak
in 1984, one of the longest all-time for a pitcher.
On June 11, 1988, New York Yankees
manager Billy Martin
made him the Yankees' starting designated hitter, going 0-1 with an RBI on a sacrifice fly. He batted 7th in the lineup, ahead of Rafael Santana
and Joel Skinner
. He was the first pitcher to start a game at DH since the AL
's adoption of the DH rule in 1973. He was pinch hit for by José Cruz
in the Yankees' 8-6 victory over the Baltimore Orioles
.
In his career, Rhoden batted .238 with 9 home runs and 75 RBI.
Rhoden's final game was September 29, 1989 for the Houston Astros.
, and has become a dominant player on the Celebrity Players Tour.
Rhoden has also played a number of Champions Tour
events and has three career top-10 finishes: T-5 in the 2003 Allianz Championship, T-6 in the 2006 3M Championship
and T-8 in the 2005 Constellation Energy Classic
. His career earnings on the Champions Tour exceed $250,000. He became conditionally exempt for the 2006 season. Rhoden's 2007 season was scuttled due to neck surgery, forcing him into the Tour's 2007 qualifying school
. He finished joint first place over the four-day event, earning him a spot into open qualifiers at all regular Champions Tour events in 2008.
Rhoden currently lives in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
.
Rhoden is a regular competitor at the American Century Celebrity Golf Classic
, the annual competition to determine the best golfers among American sports and entertainment celebrities. He won the tournament in 1991, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2003, 2008 and 2009, and has a total of eighteen top ten finishes. The tournament, televised by NBC in July, is played at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course in Lake Tahoe, Nevada.
Professional golfer
In golf the distinction between amateurs and professionals is rigorously maintained. An amateur who breaches the rules of amateur status may lose his or her amateur status. A golfer who has lost his or her amateur status may not play in amateur competitions until amateur status has been reinstated;...
and was a Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
pitcher. During his 16 year baseball career, he played for the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
(1974–1978), Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
(1979–1986) and Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
(1989) of the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
; and the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
(1987–1988) of the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
.
Early years
Rhoden was born and raised in Boynton Beach, FloridaBoynton Beach, Florida
Boynton Beach is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The population was 60,389 at the 2000 census. As of 2006, the city had a population of 66,714 according to the University of Florida, Bureau of Economic and Business Research...
. Rhoden overcame a childhood bone disease, osteomyelitis
Osteomyelitis
Osteomyelitis simply means an infection of the bone or bone marrow...
, and wore a brace until age 12. He attended Atlantic High School
Atlantic Community High School
Atlantic Community High School is a public high school located in Delray Beach, Florida. It is part of the School District of Palm Beach County. Known for its academics, many students attend due to the school's International Baccalaureate program and its ranking as a top-rated school for many...
in Delray Beach, Florida
Delray Beach, Florida
Delray Beach is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 60,020. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S...
, where he was the star pitcher for the school's baseball team. He did not attend college after graduating from high school in 1971, but played minor league baseball in Daytona Beach
Daytona Beach, Florida
Daytona Beach is a city in Volusia County, Florida, USA. According to 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the city has a population of 64,211. Daytona Beach is a principal city of the Deltona – Daytona Beach – Ormond Beach, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which the census bureau estimated had...
, El Paso
El Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
, and Albuquerque
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...
until he was called up to the majors in 1974.
Major League Baseball career
Rhoden broke into the big leagues, at the age of 21, with the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 5, 1974.He was elected to the All-Star
All-star
All-star is a term designating an individual as having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry...
team twice (1976 with the Dodgers and 1986 with the Pirates), and won three Silver Slugger
Silver Slugger
The Silver Slugger Award is awarded annually to the best offensive player at each position in both the American League and the National League, as determined by the coaches and managers of Major League Baseball...
awards (1984–1986).
In 413 career games, Rhoden compiled a 151-125 record, a 3.59 ERA, 1419 strikeouts, and one save. He has also hit nine home runs and had 75 RBIs.
His teams made it to the post-season twice during his career: the Dodgers in two consecutives seasons, 1977 and 1978. In both of those years, the Dodgers reached the World Series against the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
, but lost in six games each year.
Rhoden earned a reputation as an outstanding hitting pitcher. He had an eleven-game hitting streak
Hitting streak
In baseball, a hitting streak refers to the number of consecutive official games in which a player gets at least one base hit.According to the Official Baseball Rules, such a streak is ended when a player has at least 1 plate appearance and no hits...
in 1984, one of the longest all-time for a pitcher.
On June 11, 1988, New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
manager Billy Martin
Billy Martin
Alfred Manuel "Billy" Martin, Jr. was an American Major League Baseball second baseman and manager. He is best known as the manager of the New York Yankees, a position he held five different times...
made him the Yankees' starting designated hitter, going 0-1 with an RBI on a sacrifice fly. He batted 7th in the lineup, ahead of Rafael Santana
Rafael Santana
Rafael Francisco Santana de la Cruz is a former Major League Baseball shortstop who won a World Series ring with the 1986 New York Mets. He currently serves as the Dominican Republic scouting and player development supervisor for the Chicago White Sox.-St...
and Joel Skinner
Joel Skinner
Joel Patrick Skinner is a former Major League Baseball catcher and former third base coach of the Cleveland Indians. Skinner was dismissed effective with the end of the 2009 season on September 30, 2009. He is the son of Bob Skinner, a National League outfielder in the 1950s and '60s...
. He was the first pitcher to start a game at DH since the AL
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
's adoption of the DH rule in 1973. He was pinch hit for by José Cruz
José Cruz
José Cruz Dilan is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. He is also the former first base coach for the Houston Astros. During his 19-year baseball career, he played from 1970-1988 for three different teams, playing primarily for the Astros...
in the Yankees' 8-6 victory over the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
.
In his career, Rhoden batted .238 with 9 home runs and 75 RBI.
Rhoden's final game was September 29, 1989 for the Houston Astros.
Life after baseball: a second career in golf
Since retiring from baseball in 1989, Rhoden has spent a lot of time on the golf course. He has qualified for the United States Senior OpenUnited States Senior Open
The U.S. Senior Open is one of the major championships in men's senior golf. It was first played in 1980 and is administered by the United States Golf Association and is recognized as a major championship by both the Champions Tour and the European Seniors Tour...
, and has become a dominant player on the Celebrity Players Tour.
Rhoden has also played a number of Champions Tour
Champions Tour
The Champions Tour, a golf tour run by the PGA Tour, hosts a series of events annually in the United States and the United Kingdom for golfers 50 years of age and older. Many of the PGA Tour's most successful golfers have gone on to play on the Champions Tour.The Senior PGA Championship, founded in...
events and has three career top-10 finishes: T-5 in the 2003 Allianz Championship, T-6 in the 2006 3M Championship
3M Championship
The 3M Championship is a golf tournament on the Champions Tour. It is played annually in Blaine, Minnesota at the TPC Twin Cities. 3M is the main sponsor of the tournament.The purse for the 2011 tournament was US$1,750,000, with $262,500 going to the winner....
and T-8 in the 2005 Constellation Energy Classic
Constellation Energy Classic
The Constellation Energy Classic was a golf tournament on the Champions Tour from 1998 to 2006. It was last played in Hunt Valley, Maryland at the Hayfields Country Club.The purse for the 2006 tournament was US$1,750,000, with $255,000 going to the winner...
. His career earnings on the Champions Tour exceed $250,000. He became conditionally exempt for the 2006 season. Rhoden's 2007 season was scuttled due to neck surgery, forcing him into the Tour's 2007 qualifying school
Qualifying school
In professional golf the term qualifying school is used for the annual qualifying tournaments for leading golf tours such as the U.S. based PGA and LPGA Tours and the European Tour. A fixed number of players in the event win membership of the tour for the following season, otherwise known as a...
. He finished joint first place over the four-day event, earning him a spot into open qualifiers at all regular Champions Tour events in 2008.
Rhoden currently lives in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
Ponte Vedra Beach is an unincorporated seaside community in St. Johns County, Florida, United States. Located eighteen miles southeast of downtown Jacksonville and north of St. Augustine, it is part of the Jacksonville Beaches area. It is an upmarket tourist resort area best known for its...
.
Rhoden is a regular competitor at the American Century Celebrity Golf Classic
American Century Celebrity Golf Classic
The American Century Championship is the premier celebrity golf tournament, held during the second full week of July at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course in Stateline, Nevada, on the shores of Lake Tahoe...
, the annual competition to determine the best golfers among American sports and entertainment celebrities. He won the tournament in 1991, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2003, 2008 and 2009, and has a total of eighteen top ten finishes. The tournament, televised by NBC in July, is played at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course in Lake Tahoe, Nevada.