Arthur Lee Rhodes, Jr. (born October 24, 1969) is an American former professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

left-handed In human biology, handedness is an individual's preferential use of one hand, known as the dominant hand, due to and causing it to be stronger, faster or more dextrous. The other hand, comparatively often the weaker, less dextrous or simply l ...

relief pitcher In baseball and softball, a relief pitcher or reliever is a pitcher who pitches in the game after the starting pitcher or another relief pitcher has been removed from the game due to fatigue (medical), fatigue, injury, ineffectiveness, ejection ...

and current pitching coach for the

Hagerstown Flying Boxcars The Hagerstown Flying Boxcars are a professional baseball team that began play in 2024 in Hagerstown, Maryland. The franchise competes in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball in the North Division and play their home games at Meritus Par ...

of the

Atlantic League of Professional Baseball The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB) is a professional independent baseball league in the United States. It is an official MLB Partner League based in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States, and the headquarters are l ...

. He played 20 seasons in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

(MLB) for the

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. As one of the America ...

Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. The Mariners compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. The team joined the American ...

Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (frequently referred to as the Oakland A's) were an American Major League Baseball (MLB) team based in Oakland, California from 1968 to 2024. The Athletics were a member club of the American League (AL) American League We ...

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...

Florida Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. The team plays its home games at LoanDepot Park. The ...

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...

, Texas Rangers, and

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...

Playing career

Rhodes played high school baseball at La Vega High School in

Waco, Texas Waco ( ) is a city in and the county seat of McLennan County, Texas, United States. It is situated along the Brazos River and Interstate 35, I-35, halfway between Dallas and Austin, Texas, Austin. The city had a U.S. census estimated 2024 popul ...

. As a senior in 1988, he finished the season with a 17–0 record.

Baltimore Orioles

The

drafted Rhodes in the second round of the 1988 Major League Baseball Draft. During his 1991 season with the class AA

Hagerstown Suns The Hagerstown Suns were a Minor League Baseball team based in Hagerstown, Maryland. They were a member of the South Atlantic League and, from 2007 through 2020, were the Class A (baseball), Class A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. They pl ...

, Rhodes was selected as Eastern League Pitcher of the Year. Rhodes made his MLB debut with the Orioles in 1991, spending the next four years compiling a 20–24 record as a starter. After moving to the Baltimore bullpen in 1996, he compiled an 8–1 record and posted an ERA of 3.50 in 26 games. In 1997, he earned 10 wins despite not starting any games. He entered

free agency In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...

after the 1999 season.

Seattle Mariners

Rhodes became a top setup man for the

, becoming a key part of their bullpen for the wild-card team in

2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...

and the 116-win team in 2001. Rhodes finished the season with an 8–0 record while posting an ERA of 1.72. He was involved in a notable incident in 2001 when he was ejected from a game against the

. Former Mariner

Omar Vizquel Omar Enrique Vizquel González (; born April 24, 1967), nicknamed "Little O", is a Venezuelan former professional baseball shortstop. During his 24-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career, Vizquel played for the Seattle Mariners, Cleveland Indi ...

complained that sunlight was reflecting off Rhodes' earrings. Rhodes refused to remove his earrings, leading to a bench-clearing brawl.

Oakland Athletics

Rhodes signed with the

after the 2003 season. A's manager

Ken Macha Kenneth Edward Macha ( ; born September 29, 1950) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) third baseman and manager. He managed the Oakland Athletics from 2003 to 2006, including American League Western Division championships in both h ...

first used him as a closer after years as a successful setup man in Seattle, but he failed in this capacity with a number of blown saves and was traded to the

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...

, along with

Mark Redman Mark Allen Redman (born January 5, 1974) is an American former professional baseball left-handed starting pitcher. Early career A 1992 graduate of Escondido High School in California, he played baseball and football before attending The Master' ...

and cash for catcher Jason Kendall and cash after the one season with the Athletics.

Cleveland Indians

In the same offseason, the Pirates traded Rhodes to the

for Matt Lawton, and, as he did in Seattle, Rhodes became the top setup man for the Tribe.

Philadelphia Phillies

On January 27, 2006, after one year in Cleveland, the Indians traded him to the

for

outfielder An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to catch ...

Jason Michaels.

Second stint with Mariners

On January 24, 2007, Rhodes was re-signed by the Mariners to a minor league contract with an invitation to

spring training Spring training, also called spring camp, is the preseason of the Summer Professional Baseball Leagues, such as Major League Baseball (MLB), and it is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spri ...

by the Mariners. He injured his pitching arm, underwent

Tommy John surgery Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, sometimes referred to as Tommy John surgery is a surgical graft procedure where the ulnar collateral ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with either a tendon from elsewhere in the patient's body, ...

in May, and missed the entire 2007 season, becoming a free agent after the season. On January 15, 2008, the Mariners once again signed him to a minor league deal and invited him to

. He didn't make the team to start the season, but on April 14 was added to the active roster.

Florida Marlins

On July 31, , the Mariners traded him to the

for pitching prospect Gaby Hernandez.

Cincinnati Reds

On December 12, 2008, Rhodes signed a two-year contract with the

. On June 29, 2010, his major league record-tying streak of 33 scoreless appearances was broken by Phillies slugger Raúl Ibañez. In 2010, Rhodes was selected to his first and only

All-Star Game An all-star game is an exhibition game that showcases the best players (the "stars") of a sports league. The exhibition is between two teams organized solely for the event, usually representing the league's teams based on region or division, bu ...

in his 20th major league season. He was the fifth player to go to his first All-Star Game after age 40, joining

Satchel Paige Leroy Robert "Satchel" Paige (July 7, 1906 – June 8, 1982) was an American professional baseball pitcher who played in Negro league baseball and Major League Baseball (MLB). His career spanned five decades and culminated with his induction in ...

, Connie Marrero,

Jamie Moyer Jamie Moyer (born November 18, 1962) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. Over his 25-year career in Major League Baseball (MLB), Moyer pitched for the Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers (baseball), Texas Rangers, St. Louis Cardinals, Ba ...

and

Tim Wakefield Timothy Stephen Wakefield (August 2, 1966 – October 1, 2023) was an American professional baseball knuckleball pitcher. Wakefield began his Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, but is most remembered for his 17-year ...

Texas Rangers

On December 23, 2010, Rhodes signed a one-year deal with the Texas Rangers with a vesting option for 2012. He appeared in 32 games for the Rangers before being designated for assignment on August 2, 2011 and released on August 8.

St. Louis Cardinals

On August 11, Rhodes signed with the

. Given the late signing, the Rangers had to pay most of his salary, with the Cardinals responsible for only a pro-rated league minimum for the remainder of the year. Because the Cardinals and Rangers faced each other in the

2011 World Series The 2011 World Series was the World Series, championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2011 Major League Baseball season, 2011 season. The 107th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American Le ...

this created an unusual situation, with the Rangers paying most of the salary of a player trying to deny them a world championship. This also resulted in Rhodes being eligible to receive a

World Series ring A World Series ring is an award given to Major League Baseball players who win the World Series. Since only one Commissioner's Trophy is awarded to the team, a World Series ring is an individual award that players and staff of each World Series ...

no matter who won. The Cardinals won the World Series against the Texas Rangers in 7 games. Rhodes, who pitched in three games in this Series, joined Lonnie Smith as the only players to play in a World Series for the winning team against the team he had played for earlier in the season (Smith played on the

1985 World Series The 1985 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1985 season. The 82nd edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American League (AL) champion Kansas City Royals and the Nat ...

-winning

Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team ...

after having been traded from the Cardinals, whom the Royals defeated in the Series, earlier in the season). Through 2011, Rhodes was second among active pitchers in games played (900), and seventh in hits per 9 innings pitched (7.828) and strikeouts per 9 IP (8.730). While he had been the tenth-youngest player in the AL as a rookie in 1991, he was the second-oldest player in the NL in 2011.

Retirement

Rhodes officially announced his retirement from baseball on January 16, 2015. He held the MLB record for holds with 231, surpassed by Tony Watson in 2021.

Coaching career

Cleburne Railroaders

On July 6, 2021, Rhodes was hired as the pitching coach for the

Cleburne Railroaders The Cleburne Railroaders are a professional baseball team based in Cleburne, Texas, that plays in the American Association of Professional Baseball, an official Partner League of Major League Baseball. The team, which began play in 2017, plays i ...

of the

American Association of Independent Professional Baseball The American Association of Professional Baseball is an independent professional baseball league founded in 2005. It operates in the central United States and Canada, mostly in cities not served by Major League Baseball teams or their minor lea ...

Lexington Legends

On February 21, 2024, Rhodes became the pitching coach for the

Lexington Legends The Lexington Legends are an American professional baseball team based in Lexington, Kentucky. They are a member of the South Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, a "partner league" of Major League Baseball. The Legends have ...

of the

Hagerstown Flying Boxcars

On October 30, 2024, Rhodes became the pitching coach for the

of the Atlantic League.

Personal

Rhodes' son, Jordan, died at five years old in December 2008 of an undisclosed illness. Rhodes wrote his son's initials in the dirt on the mound before every appearance for the remainder of his career. Rhodes' older brother, Ricky, pitched in the minor leagues for the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...

. He later served as the women's

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

coach at

McLennan Community College McLennan Community College (MCC) is a Public college, public community college in Waco, Texas. It opened in 1965 and now serves about 9,000 students and has more than 700 employees. It is governed by a board of trustees elected from single-membe ...

. Rhodes' daughter,

Jade Jade is an umbrella term for two different types of decorative rocks used for jewelry or Ornament (art), ornaments. Jade is often referred to by either of two different silicate mineral names: nephrite (a silicate of calcium and magnesium in t ...

, played

college softball College softball is softball as played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education, predominantly in the United States. College softball is normally played by women at the Intercollegiate level, whereas college baseball is nor ...

at Auburn and advanced to the

Women's College World Series The Women's College World Series (WCWS) is the final portion of the NCAA Division I softball tournament for college softball in the United States and is held annually in Oklahoma City, OK. The event is held at Devon Park (stadium), Devon Park loca ...

championship series in 2016. Jade Rhodes also played professional softball for the

Pennsylvania Rebellion The Pennsylvania Rebellion were a National Pro Fastpitch softball team based in Washington, Pennsylvania. They were added as an expansion team for the 2014 season, receiving the roster and draft position of the recently defunct NY/NJ Comets. The ...

, Scrap Yard Dawgs, and

Cleveland Comets The Cleveland Comets were a women's professional softball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. Founded by General Manager, Stephen Dunn. They moved to Cleveland from Akron, Ohio, in 2018. The Comets played as a member of National Pro Fastpitch Nati ...

from 2016 to 2018. She then became a college softball coach at

Eastern New Mexico University Eastern New Mexico University (ENMU or Eastern) is a public university with a main campus in Portales, New Mexico, and two associate degree-granting branches, one at Ruidoso and one at Roswell. ENMU is New Mexico's largest regional comprehensi ...

and Okahoma Baptist University.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rhodes, Arthur 1969 births Living people Baltimore Orioles players Seattle Mariners players Oakland Athletics players Cleveland Indians players Philadelphia Phillies players Florida Marlins players Cincinnati Reds players Texas Rangers players St. Louis Cardinals players African-American baseball players Baseball players from Waco, Texas Major League Baseball pitchers National League All-Stars Baseball players from Baltimore Bluefield Orioles players Frederick Keys players Erie Orioles players Hagerstown Suns players Rochester Red Wings players Sacramento River Cats players Akron Aeros players West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx players 21st-century African-American sportsmen 20th-century African-American sportsmen