Rudy Hernandez (hernaru01)

Rudolph Albert Hernandez Fuentes

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 3", Weight 185 lb.

• Debut July 3, 1960
• Final Game May 4, 1961
• Born December 10, 1931 in Santiago, Santiago, D.R.
• Died November 23, 2022 in Condado, P.R.

BR page

Biographical Information

Rudy Hernandez played four years as a minor league outfielder becoming a pitcher. He went 62-58 in the minors and 4-2 in the majors and finished with a 13-year career as a professional baseball player.

1950-1953: As an outfielder

Hernandez debuted with the 1950 Oshkosh Giants, hitting .241/~.323/.344 and he led Wisconsin State League outfielders in putouts (268) and errors (16), showing fine range. In 1951, Rudy hit .262 with 7 HR and 69 RBI for the St. Cloud Rox. During the 1952 season, the right-hander split the year between the Sunbury Giants (.263/~.371/.474) and Sioux City Soos (.246/~.395/.361), making it to A ball at age 21.

In his last year as a position player, he batted .254/~.408/.371 with the Gastonia Rockets with 79 walks in 90 games.

1954: A good first year on the mound

Becoming a pitcher in 1954, he went 15-4 with a 3.57 ERA for the Muskogee Giants, making the top 10 in the Western Association in both wins and ERA.

1955-1956: Military duty

Hernandez missed the next two years to military service, missing out on the possibility of becoming the first Dominican native in the majors, an honor going to Ozzie Virgil Sr. instead.

1957-1958: Struggling

Rudy only went 9-8 with a 5.66 ERA for the Soos after returning from the time off. In 1958, Hernandez was a combined 0-9 in three stops - 0-5, 9.00 for Sioux City; 0-3, 8.10 with the Corpus Christi Giants and 0-1, 4.91 for the Springfield Giants

1959-1964: Rest of his playing career

Hernandez bounced back with the 1959 Chattanooga Lookouts, posting a 8-12, 3.42 line. In 1960, Rudy went 6-4 with a 2.70 ERA for the Charleston Senators and got his major league debut with the Washington Senators (4-1, 4.41), pitching 21 games. When Washington moved to Minnesota to become the Minnesota Twins, Hernandez did not go with them as the new Washington Senators picked him in the 1961 expansion draft. Hernandez finished up in the majors with the expansion team in 1961 (0-1, 3.00 in 7 games) to conclude his major league career with a 95 ERA+. He also threw that year for the Toronto Maple Leafs (3-4, 4.03).

In 1962, the 30-year-old was 0-1 with a 9.90 ERA for the Syracuse Chiefs and 7-4, 3.50 with the Albuquerque Dukes in his return to AA. He split the next year between the Dukes (7-4, 3.50) and Portland Beavers (4-3, 3.47) in one of his best years as a pitcher. He wrapped up his career with a 3-5, 5.64 line for three Pacific Coast League outfits in 1964 - Portland, the San Diego Padres and the Dallas Rangers.

Sources include 1951, 1953 and 1958 Baseball Guides, Pat Doyle's Professional Baseball Player Database

Related Sites

• Rudy Hernández at the SABR Bio Project