Playing career
Rhodes played high school baseball at La Vega High School in Waco,Texas. As a senior in 1988,he finished the season with a 17–0 record. [1]
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles drafted Rhodes in the second round of the 1988 Major League Baseball Draft. During his 1991 season with the class AA Hagerstown Suns,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. [2] 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. [2] He entered free agency after the 1999 season.
Seattle Mariners
Rhodes became a top setup man for the Seattle Mariners,becoming a key part of their bullpen for the wild-card team in 2000 and the 116-win team in 2001. Rhodes finished the season with an 8–0 record while posting an ERA of 1.72. [2] He was involved in a notable incident in 2001 when he was ejected from a game against the Cleveland Indians. Former Mariner Omar Vizquel complained that sunlight was reflecting off Rhodes' earrings. Rhodes refused to remove his earrings,leading to a bench-clearing brawl. [3] [4]
Oakland Athletics
Rhodes signed with the Oakland Athletics after the 2003 season. A's manager Ken Macha 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,along with Mark Redman 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 Cleveland Indians for Matt Lawton,and,as he did in Seattle,Rhodes became the top setup man for the Tribe.
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 by the Mariners. He injured his pitching arm,underwent Tommy John surgery in May,and missed the entire 2007 season, [5] 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 spring training. He didn't make the team to start the season,but on April 14 was added to the active roster.
Florida Marlins
On July 31,2008,the Mariners traded him to the Florida Marlins for pitching prospect Gaby Hernandez. [6]
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 [9] and released on August 8.
St. Louis Cardinals
On August 11,Rhodes signed with the St. Louis Cardinals. 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 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 no matter who won. [10] 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-winning Kansas City Royals 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. [2]
Retirement
Rhodes officially announced his retirement from baseball on January 16,2015. [11] He held the MLB record for holds with 231,surpassed by Tony Watson in 2021. [12]
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