Tuffy Rhodes

Infobox NPB player
bgcolor1=#006
bgcolor2=#fc0
textcolor1=white
textcolor2=#600
name=Tuffy Rhodes


position=Outfielder
team=Orix Buffaloes
number=8
bats=Left
throws=Left
debutdate=March 30
debutyear=1996
debutteam=Kintetsu Buffaloes
statyear=2008
stat1label=Batting Average
stat1value=.284
stat2label=Home Runs
stat2value=442
stat3label=RBI
stat3value=1207
teams=
*Houston Astros (by|1990–by|1993)
*Chicago Cubs (by|1993–by|1995)
*Boston Red Sox (by|1995)
*Kintetsu Buffaloes → Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes (by|1996–by|2003)
*Yomiuri Giants (by|2004–by|2005)
*Orix Buffaloes (by|2007–present)

Karl Derrick "Tuffy" Rhodes (born August 21 1968 in Cincinnati, Ohio) is a professional baseball player, currently playing his 11th season of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) in Japan. He played five years in Major League Baseball before beginning his career in Japan.

Rhodes is the all-time leader for foreign-born players with 442 home runs in Japan.

Prior to Japan, he was a center fielder who played for the Houston Astros, Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox from 1990-1995.

In his major league career, Rhodes batted .224, with 13 home runs and 44 runs batted in, 74 runs scored and 14 stolen bases in 225 games played.

In by|1993, he hit an extra-inning home run to win the American Association championship for the Iowa Cubs. His only season of more than 250 at bats came with the 1994 Cubs. In that season, Rhodes became the first National League player to hit three home runs on opening day when he connected off Dwight Gooden at Wrigley Field.

Granted free agency after the by|1995 season, Rhodes signed with the Kintetsu Buffaloes in the Pacific League of NPB.

In the by|2001 season, he hit his 55th homer to tie Sadaharu Oh's Japanese League single season home run record, set in by|1964. The following year, Alex Cabrera tied the record.

After Kintetsu refused to sign him to a multi-year contract, Rhodes signed a two year deal with the Yomiuri Giants of the Japanese Central League in 2004. A successful first year was followed by a difficult second year. He left the team halfway through the 2005 season due to injury, and was released in the off-season.

In 2006, he tried to return to the major leagues with the Cincinnati Reds but was released by the team in spring training.

After spending the rest of 2006 at home with his family, he returned to Japan in 2007, signing a one year contract with the Orix Buffaloes. Rhodes began the season with a bang by hitting a home run in his first game [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G74ldOxawyY] , and connecting for two more in the next game on two consecutive at bats. According to manager Terry Collins, Rhodes still has an 'explosive' bat [http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200703240122.html] .

ee also

*Major League Baseball hitters with three home runs in one game

External links

*Baseballstats |mlb= |espn= |br=r/rhodeka01 |fangraphs=1010886 |cube=R/karl-rhodes
* [http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Karl_Rhodes BR Bullpen]
* [http://baseballguru.com/jalbright/stats.html Japanese Baseball Data Archive]
*japanesebaseball|id=905
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwKxx6B-W5w The Cheering Song for Tuffy Rhodes]