He was the "every-man" hero, the cinderella story, the "Rudy" of the 1954 World Series, Dusty Rhodes was that pesky little journeyman ballplayer who performed miracles in the only fall classic he ever played in, the last World Series the Giants ever won.
4 comments:
The Fresno Grizzlies visit Raley Field Wed July 1 thru Fri 7/3 then again for a 5 game(!) series Aug. 26 thru 30.
Mark your calendars.
Please see the obit in the NY Times by Bruce Weber: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/19/sports/baseball/19rhodes.html?_r=1&ref=obituaries
He begins with this doubly sad sentence: "Dusty Rhodes, whose pinch-hitting heroics led the New York Giants to win the 1954 World Series, a championship the Giants, who moved to San Francisco four years later, have yet to repeat, died Wednesday in Las Vegas."
"After his baseball career ended, Rhodes returned to New York, where he worked on a tugboat in New York Harbor. Tugs there flew their flags at half mast in his memory Thursday, his family said."
Check out the 2.381 OPS for the '54 Series.
His real name was James Lamar, though I suppose any fellow in that Runyonesque era with a last name of "Rhodes" would be tagged with "Dusty."
Post a Comment