Joe Rudi
Three-time All-Star and Gold Glove left fielder for the Athletics dynasty.
Joe Rudi is an American former professional baseball player who played in Major League Baseball as a left fielder. He is best known as an integral member of the Oakland Athletics dynasty that won three consecutive World Series championships between 1972 and 1974. A three-time All-Star, Rudi excelled both offensively and defensively, winning three Gold Glove Awards and leading the American League in hits in 1972.
Quick Facts
- Position
- Left fielder
- Bats
- Right
- Birth Date
- 1946-09-07
- Birth Place
- Modesto, California, U.S.
- Debutleague
- MLB
- Debutdate
- April 11
- Debutyear
- 1967
- Debutteam
- Kansas City Athletics
- Finaldate
- October 3
- Finalyear
- 1982
- Finalteam
- Oakland Athletics
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Rudi was born in Modesto, California, and graduated from Thomas Downey High School in Modesto. He batted a career-high .309 in 1970 and led the American League with 181 hits in 1972, finishing second in AL MVP voting behind Dick Allen. That year, he made a memorable game-saving catch in Game 2 of the World Series, racing to the left-field fence and leaping to catch Denis Menke's smash, preserving a 2–0 lead. He also caught Pete Rose's fly ball for the final out of the Series. In 1974, he had career bests of 22 home runs and 99 RBIs while leading the league with 287 total bases, earning his first Gold Glove Award and again finishing second in MVP voting, this time to Jeff Burroughs. He hit a home run in Game 5 of the 1974 World Series off Mike Marshall that became the game winner and Series clincher, making the Athletics the first team since the 1949–1953 New York Yankees to win three straight World Series titles.
Reader's Guide
Rudi's significance lies in his role as a key contributor to the Oakland Athletics' three-peat World Series championships from 1972 to 1974. His defensive prowess, highlighted by a leaping catch in the 1972 World Series, and his consistent offensive production made him a two-time runner-up for the American League MVP award. He was elected by fans as a starter in the 1975 All-Star Game, joining four other A's in the starting lineup. In 1976, A's owner Charlie Finley attempted to sell Rudi and Rollie Fingers to the Boston Red Sox for $1 million each, but Commissioner Bowie Kuhn voided the transaction. Rudi later played for the California Angels and Boston Red Sox, though his tenure with the Angels was injury-plagued. He closed his career back with the A's in 1982, hitting a home run in his last professional at-bat. In 2022, Rudi was inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame. He is retired and lives with his wife Sharon in The Villages, Florida, and is a long-time amateur radio operator with the call sign NK7U.
Did You Know?
- Rudi led the American League in hits in 1972 with 181.
- He made a game-saving leaping catch in Game 2 of the 1972 World Series.
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