Bill Rotes

William Clarence Rotes
also known as Bill "Dusty" Rhodes

• Bats Unknown, Throws Unknown
• Height 5' 11", Weight 170 lb.

• Debut June 14, 1893
• Final Game August 15, 1893
• Born June 27, 1871 in Pottstown, PA USA
• Died March 8, 1934 in Pottstown, PA USA

BR page

Biographical Information

"RHODES' SABBATH LUCK. Pitcher Rhoades is a Sunday ball player. By that is meant he always wins the Sunday games he pitches. When he played in the Pennsylvania League he won every Sunday game he pitched for Pottstown. . . since his entrance to the big League he has been seriously handicapped by the fact that he could not play on his favorite day." - Sporting Life, July 8, 1893, managing to misspell Rotes' name in two different ways while apparently referring to rules in Louisville prohibiting Sunday ball

"Rhodes, of Pawtucket, has been pitching most effectively." - Sporting Life, May 23, 1896

Poor Bill Rotes had an ERA of 7.60 but that doesn't count the unearned runs he allowed. Counting those, he was allowing over 10 runs for each nine innings pitched. In spite of that, he was given over 150 innings of work for the Louisville Colonels in 1893, going 5-12. The team as a whole gave up 940 runs in 1080 innings of work in what was the height of baseball's best offensive era.

Newspapers at the time said he was from Johnstown, PA and sometimes spelled his name Rhodes, Rhoades or Rhoads. In fact, he was born Wiliam Clarence Rotes. He later played for teams in Pottstown, PA and Reading, PA, then in 1896 signed to play for Pawtucket of the New England League. He married a woman from Pottstown and settled there in the off-season, where he held various jobs. His obituary indicates that his nickname was "Poodle". He is buried in Mount Zion Cemetery in Pottstown.

Further Reading

• "William Rotes Found", in Bill Carle, ed.: Biographical Research Committee Report, SABR, November/December 2009, p. 1.

Related Sites

• Bill Rotes at the SABR Bio Project