Rudy Law facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rudy Law |
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| Outfielder | |||
| Born: October 7, 1956 Waco, Texas, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| September 12, 1978, for the Los Angeles Dodgers | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| October 4, 1986, for the Kansas City Royals | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .271 | ||
| Home runs | 18 | ||
| Runs batted in | 199 | ||
| Stolen bases | 228 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Rudy Karl Law (born October 7, 1956) is a former professional baseball player from America. He was an outfielder, which means he played in the grassy part of the baseball field. Rudy played for seven seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1978 to 1986. He played for famous teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago White Sox, and Kansas City Royals. In 1983, he set a special record for the White Sox by stealing 77 bases in one season!
Rudy's great playing helped the White Sox win their division. This allowed them to reach the 1983 American League Championship Series. It was the team's first time in the postseason since 1959. Rudy was one of the few players who performed very well in that series. He got 7 hits out of 18 tries and stole two bases. Even with his efforts, the team only scored three runs in the whole series. They lost to the Baltimore Orioles, three games to one.
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Rudy Law's Early Life and Career
Rudy Law went to Ravenswood High School in East Palo Alto, California. After high school, he played minor league baseball for the Lodi Dodgers. In 1977, he was amazing, hitting for a .386 batting average. This was the best in the league that year. He also helped his team win the league championship.
Inspired by Rudy's Batting Style
A famous baseball player named Rickey Henderson played for the Modesto A's at that time. Rickey was very impressed by Rudy Law's batting style. He even started to use some of Rudy's batting techniques himself!
Making His MLB Debut
Rudy made his first appearance in Major League Baseball when he was 21 years old. This happened in 1978 with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He played in 11 games that September. However, he was not on the team's roster for the 1978 World Series. His best season with the Dodgers was in 1980. That year, he played in 128 games and stole 40 bases.
Moving to the Chicago White Sox
In 1981, the Dodgers were heading to the 1981 World Series. But there was a players' strike that year, and the team did not have a spot for Rudy in the outfield. So, he spent all of 1981 playing in the minor leagues. He still played well, hitting for a .335 average.
A New Team and a Big Chance
Just before the 1982 season began, the Dodgers traded Rudy Law. On March 30, 1982, he went to the Chicago White Sox. In return, the Dodgers received players Cecil Espy and Burwell Geiger. Rudy was known for having a weak throwing arm and sometimes made mistakes in the field or while running bases. But his incredible speed helped him make up for these weaknesses.
Breaking Records with the White Sox
With a chance to play regularly in Chicago, Rudy did very well. In the 1982 season, he hit for a .318 average and stole 36 bases. Then came his amazing 1983 season. As the White Sox's leadoff hitter, he got a career-high 142 hits. He also stole 77 bases, which was the second-best total in all of baseball that year. This set a new White Sox single-season record, breaking Luis Aparicio's old record of 56 stolen bases.
This was a special year for the White Sox. They won the American League West title. This was the team's first time reaching the postseason since the 1959 World Series.
Later Years with the White Sox
In 1985, the White Sox decided not to keep player Greg Luzinski. This meant Rudy Law moved to left field to make space for center fielder Daryl Boston. However, Boston was sent to the minor leagues in late June. Rudy then moved back to left field in July. After July 11, he was on the disabled list due to an injury. He was out until early August. He switched between center field and left field before going back to left field in September. This was when Boston was called back up to the team.
On September 10, Rudy had a fantastic game against the Minnesota Twins. He got four hits out of five tries. He also helped score two runs, scored two runs himself, and stole two bases. The White Sox won that game 7–2. After the game, manager Tony LaRussa said, "Rudy was outstanding. He did just about everything you could do as a leadoff man."
End of His MLB Career
The White Sox released Rudy at the end of spring training in 1986. But he was quickly picked up by the Kansas City Royals. He played for them for a short time. He was released by the Royals at the end of spring training in 1987. This marked the end of his MLB career when he was 30 years old.
Life After Baseball
During his time with the Dodgers, Rudy Law had moved to Inglewood, California. He continued to live in Inglewood even after he retired from playing baseball.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball career stolen bases leaders
