Tom Dodd
Encyclopedia
Thomas Marion Dodd is a former Major League Baseball
player. He is likely best remembered for being one of the players included in the deal that brought Fred McGriff
to the Toronto Blue Jays
as a minor league prospect.
out of the University of Oregon
in the second round of the 1979 Major League Baseball Draft
, but did not sign. A year later, he was drafted by the New York Yankees
in the first round (seventh overall) of the secondary phase of the amateur draft
.
Dodd was an outfielder
when he joined the Fort Lauderdale Yankees
in , though he played some first base and catcher
during his minor league career as well. In , Dodd hit 29 home runs and had 95 runs batted in as a member of the Greensboro Hornets.
Dave Revering
were traded to the Toronto Blue Jays for John Mayberry
. After the season, the Yankees reacquired Dodd and relief pitcher
Dale Murray
for Fred McGriff
, Dave Collins
and Mike Morgan
. Third baseman
Graig Nettles
was also supposed to be included in the deal, but when the Jays refused to give him a hefty bonus, the Yankees included cash in the deal to compensate.
, with whom he remained through the season. The ChiSox released him just before the start of the minor league season. He signed with the Baltimore Orioles
, and batted .300 for the first time in his career for the Orioles' Southern League
and Carolina League
affiliates.
Dodd's best season was , when he batted
.306 with thirty home runs for the Charlotte O's and Rochester Red Wings
. Along the way, he earned a promotion to the big league club. He made his major league debut on July 25, drawing a walk in his only at-bat.
He entered seven games as a pinch hitter
, remaining in one at third base, despite the fact that he had made very few appearances as a third baseman
in his minor league career. He hit his only major league home run in his only major league start on August 1 when manager Earl Weaver
used Dodd as his designated hitter
against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Despite hitting a career high and team-record 37 home runs for the Charlotte O's in , Dodd never returned to the majors. He spent three more seasons in the Kansas City Royals
' farm system before retiring.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player. He is likely best remembered for being one of the players included in the deal that brought Fred McGriff
Fred McGriff
Frederick Stanley McGriff is a left-handed former Major League Baseball player who starred for several teams from the mid-1980s until the early 2000s. A power-hitting first baseman with a tall, lanky build, the five-time All-Star became, in , the first player since the dead-ball era to lead both...
to the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
as a minor league prospect.
Yankee farmhand
A highly touted prospect himself, Dodd was drafted by the Oakland AthleticsOakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
out of the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
in the second round of the 1979 Major League Baseball Draft
1979 Major League Baseball Draft
The 1979 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was held on June 5-7, 1979, via conference call.-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1979 Major League Baseball draft.* Did not sign- Background :...
, but did not sign. A year later, he was drafted by the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
in the first round (seventh overall) of the secondary phase of the amateur draft
1980 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1980 Major League Baseball draft.- Compensation Picks :*William Erickson, was drafted in the second round by the San Francisco Giants, 31st pick overall. *Jeff Horne was drafted in the second round by the Pittsburgh Pirates,...
.
Dodd was an outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
when he joined the Fort Lauderdale Yankees
Fort Lauderdale Yankees
The Fort Lauderdale Yankees, based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was an American minor league baseball franchise that existed from 1962 through 1992. The team was a Class A Florida State League affiliate of the New York Yankees and won seven FSL championships during its 31 years of existence.The...
in , though he played some first base and catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
during his minor league career as well. In , Dodd hit 29 home runs and had 95 runs batted in as a member of the Greensboro Hornets.
McGriff deal
Early in the season, he, fellow Yankees farmhand Jeff Reynolds and first basemanFirst baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
Dave Revering
Dave Revering
David Alvin Revering , is a former Major League Baseball first baseman from 1978-1982. Revering graduated from Bella Vista High School...
were traded to the Toronto Blue Jays for John Mayberry
John Mayberry
John Claiborn Mayberry is a former Major League Baseball player who played for the Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals, Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees from 1968 to 1982.-High school and minor leagues:...
. After the season, the Yankees reacquired Dodd and relief pitcher
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
Dale Murray
Dale Murray
Dale Albert Murray is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He was drafted by the Montreal Expos out of Blinn College in Brenham, Texas in the eighteenth round of the 1970 Major League Baseball Draft, and developed into one of the top relief pitchers in the National League in the mid...
for Fred McGriff
Fred McGriff
Frederick Stanley McGriff is a left-handed former Major League Baseball player who starred for several teams from the mid-1980s until the early 2000s. A power-hitting first baseman with a tall, lanky build, the five-time All-Star became, in , the first player since the dead-ball era to lead both...
, Dave Collins
Dave Collins
David S. Collins is a former outfielder in Major League Baseball from to .Collins is one of three players to have made it to the major leagues who played for the storied Rapid City Post 22 American Legion baseball program in Rapid City, SD...
and Mike Morgan
Mike Morgan
Michael Thomas Morgan is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. He competed for twelve different teams over 25 years, and is one of only 29 players in baseball history to date to have played Major League baseball over four decades...
. Third baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
Graig Nettles
Graig Nettles
Graig Nettles , nicknamed "Puff", is a former Major League Baseball third baseman. During a 22-year baseball career, he played for the Minnesota Twins , Cleveland Indians , New York Yankees , San Diego Padres , Atlanta Braves and Montreal Expos .Nettles was one of the best...
was also supposed to be included in the deal, but when the Jays refused to give him a hefty bonus, the Yankees included cash in the deal to compensate.
MLB debut
The Yankees released Dodd the following May. Shortly afterwards, he signed with the Chicago White SoxChicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
, with whom he remained through the season. The ChiSox released him just before the start of the minor league season. He signed with the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
, and batted .300 for the first time in his career for the Orioles' Southern League
Southern League (baseball)
The Southern League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the Southern United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The original league was formed in , and shut down in . A new league, the Southern Association, was formed in , consisting of twelve teams...
and Carolina League
Carolina League
The Carolina League is a minor league baseball affiliation which operates in the South Atlantic Coast of the United States. Before 2002, it was classified as a "High A" league, indicating its status as a Class A league with the highest level of competition within that classification, and the fifth...
affiliates.
Dodd's best season was , when he batted
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
.306 with thirty home runs for the Charlotte O's and Rochester Red Wings
Rochester Red Wings
The Rochester Red Wings are a minor league baseball team based in Rochester, New York. The team plays in the International League and is the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins major-league club. The Red Wings play in Frontier Field, located in downtown Rochester.The Red Wings were an...
. Along the way, he earned a promotion to the big league club. He made his major league debut on July 25, drawing a walk in his only at-bat.
He entered seven games as a pinch hitter
Pinch hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead ; the manager may use any player that has not yet entered the game as a substitute...
, remaining in one at third base, despite the fact that he had made very few appearances as a third baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
in his minor league career. He hit his only major league home run in his only major league start on August 1 when manager Earl Weaver
Earl Weaver
Earl Sidney Weaver is a former Major League Baseball manager. He spent his entire 17-year managerial career with the Baltimore Orioles . Weaver was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1996.-Playing career:After playing for Beaumont High School in St...
used Dodd as his designated hitter
Designated hitter
In baseball, the designated hitter rule is the common name for Major League Baseball Rule 6.10, an official position adopted by the American League in 1973 that allows teams to designate a player, known as the designated hitter , to bat in place of the pitcher each time he would otherwise come to...
against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Despite hitting a career high and team-record 37 home runs for the Charlotte O's in , Dodd never returned to the majors. He spent three more seasons in the Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
' farm system before retiring.