Rudy Rufer

Rudolph Joseph Rufer

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 0", Weight 165 lb.
• School Dartmouth College, University of Oklahoma
• High School Aviation High School (New York)
• Debut September 22, 1949
• Final Game October 1, 1950
• Born October 28, 1926 in Ridgewood, NY USA
• Died October 25, 2010 in Glen Cove, NY USA

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Biographical Information

Rudy Rufer was a young man with four years of higher education, two at Dartmouth College and two more at the University of Oklahoma. He decided in 1948 that he wanted to be a professional baseball player, so he signed as a free agent with the Philadelphia Phillies.

They assigned the young shortstop to the Wilmington Blue Rocks of the class B Interstate League. Rudy hit .264 his first year in pro ball, fielded his position like a veteran and on November 15th, the 22-year-old was drafted by the New York Giants in the minor league phase of the 1948 Rule V Draft.

The Giants didn't waste any time with him as Rudy was the everyday shortstop for the Jersey City Giants of the International League in 1949. After hitting at a .266 clip and fielding at a .930 percentage in 128 games, Rudy's name showed up in a major league box score on September 22nd. He appeared in 7 games at the end of 1949, but came north with the big leaguers in 1950. He hit just .077 (2-for-26) in his two trials at the Polo Grounds. Deuces were wild for Rudy with the Giants as he picked up two base hits, walked twice, scored two runs, and knocked in a pair of runs in 22 games. Needless to say this was Rufer's complete line in the big leagues.

Rudy was with the Minneapolis Millers of the American Association in 1951, hitting just .233 in 137 games. On April 28, 1952 the Giants sold him to the Cincinnati Reds. On June 9th, he was on the move again, being traded to the Brooklyn Dodgers for Cal Abrams. He played with three different teams that season, the Oakland Oaks of the Pacific Coast League for 17 games, and some time with both the Tulsa Oilers and Fort Worth Cats, respectively the Reds and Dodgers' affiliates in the Texas League.

Rudy spent the next three seasons with five clubs, not playing much and when he did, it wasn't up to par. He took over as manager of the Thomasville Dodgers of the class D Georgia-Florida League for the next three years (1956-1958), playing in 38 games in 1956 and 86 in 1957 and only managing in 1958. He ended his active playing days, after nine seasons in the minors, with a .258 hitting average in 898 games.

After his managing days were over, Rudy became a special assignment scout for the Dodgers through 1977. He died in 2010, three days shy of his 84th birthday.

Year-by-Year Managerial Record

Year	Team	League	Record	Finish	Organization	Playoffs	Notes
1956	Thomasville Dodgers	Georgia-Florida League		--	Brooklyn Dodgers	--	replaced by George Pfister on June 2
1957	Thomasville Dodgers	Georgia-Florida League		--	Brooklyn Dodgers	--	replaced by Leon Hamilton on July 19
1958	Thomasville Dodgers	Georgia-Florida League		--	Los Angeles Dodgers	--	replaced by Sam Suplizio on July 19