Rodney Gessmann

Rodney Kalani Gessmann

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 4", Weight 205 lb.

• Born January 25, 1987 in Hilo, HI USA

BR Minors page

Biographical Information

Rodney Gessmann is a pitcher who played in the minor leagues in 2007. He is a member of the German national team.

The son of a Japanese mother and German father, Rodney was born in Hawaii. Moving back to Germany, he made his professional pitching debut with the Regensburg Legionäre. As a teenager, Gessmann signed a 7-year deal with the Minnesota Twins with a $80,000 bonus. He had first caught the attention of the Twins in the 2003 European Cup. In the 2004 World Junior Championship, Gessmann was 0-2 with a 11.88 ERA for Germany, with 17 hits allowed and 11 walks in 8 1/3 IP. He also went 0 for 2 while playing first base. He moved up to the senior national team in the 2005 European Championship, allowing four unearned runs in one inning of work and going 0 for 8 at the plate. He debuted in the US with the GCL Twins in 2007, going 2-1 with a 4.22 ERA in 12 relief appearances. He was 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA for Germany in the 2007 European Championship, helping them to a 4th-place finish. He remained with the national team for the 2007 Baseball World Cup, Germany's first World Cup appearance since the country had reunited after the Cold War. He was bombed in the Cup, with a 16.88 ERA in 2 2/3 IP over 2 games, allowing 6 hits and two walks in his limited action.

Gessmann injured his shoulder and missed the 2008 Final Olympic Qualification Tournament. He then failed to make any Twins teams out of extended spring training and returned to Germany.

Sources

• Mister Baseball
• MILB.com
• 2007 European Championship stats
• German baseball stats
• Atlantic Times article on Gessmann
• IBAF site