Hall of Scrubs

The 2009 baseball season is a week underway and fans are undoubtedly projecting the stats of all players based on the results of the first week.  For example, players who have hit 4 homers in the first week will certainly lead the league in homers by the end of the year.  Optimism is running high, but reality sets in by the end of the month.

 This calls to mind an extreme case of the opening week success story.  In 1994, Tuffy Rhodes won the starting center field job for the Chicago Cubs and amazingly hit 3 home runs on opening day.  He became an instant favorite among Cubs fans and he was subsequently picked up in every single baseball fantasy league.  Unfortuantely, he hit only 5 more home runs the rest of the year and eventually lost his starting job.  After struggling in minimal at bats in 1995, he ended his major league career.  In the US, that is….

The story and legend of Tuffy Rhodes grew outside of the United States.  He launched a Japanese career in which he has become one of the all-time great sluggers.  Still playing today, he has hit 444 homers in Japan and currently ranks 12th all-time.

That is certainly better than the 13 homers he hit during his major league career with the Cubs, Astros and Red Sox.

He did try to return to the major leagues in 2006, but retired after being released by the Reds during Spring Training.

You can view Tuffy’s stats at www.baseball-reference.com:

Tuffy’s stats

Besides having the perfect name for a slugger, Champ Summers was a very unique baseball player. He was signed to his first pro contract at the age of 25 after starring in a softball league. His mother was a professional bowler and he was a former teen tennis star who once beat Jimmy Conners in a youth tournament.

After signing with Oakland in 1971, Champ spent three years in the minors before making his major league debut in Oakland in 1974. He had only 24 at bats and hit .125. Oakland dumped him off on the Cubs where he played for 2 years until going to the Reds in a trade for the great Dave Schneck. Champ finally got his break once the Reds traded him to the Tigers for another great pitcher - Sheldon Burnside. Yes, it was the seventies and Sheldon did have some killer sideburns.

Champ’s left-handed swing was perfect for Tiger Stadium. He was the regular DH and hit 20 homers in 1979 and 17 homers in 1980 for Detroit. His numbers declined in 1981, so Detroit shipped him to San Francisco for Enos Cabell. He spent two years there before finishing his career with the Padres in 1984.

You can view Champ Summers statistics at www.baseball-reference.com:

Champ’s stats

Luis played for the Padres, White Sox, Tigers and Cubs in the 1980’s. He was primarily a Utility Player, but he did manage to start a few years as a third baseman.

Luis is best remembered for being included in the infamous day of three trades for the Tigers in 1989. He was shipped to San Diego in exchange for Mike Brumley. The Tigers GM also acquired Charles Hudson from the Yankees for Tom Brookens and Kenny Williams from the White Sox for Eric King. All three players he received on that day failed miserably as Tigers.

Without Luis Salazar’s presence in 1989, the Tigers wound up in last place.

You can find Luis Salazar’s career statistics at www.baseball-reference.com:

Salazar Stats