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 American professional baseball player. He was an outfielder in Major League Baseball (MLB). Rudy played for seven seasons, from 1978 to 1986. His teams included the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago White Sox, and Kansas City Royals.
In 1983, Rudy Law set a special record for the White Sox. He stole 77 bases in one season. This was the most stolen bases by any White Sox player in a single year. His great play helped the White Sox win their division. They reached the 1983 American League Championship Series. This was the team's first time in the postseason since 1959. Rudy played very well in the ALCS. He got 7 hits out of 18 tries, which is a .389 batting average. He also stole two bases. Even with his strong effort, the White Sox lost the series to the Baltimore Orioles.
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Rudy Law's Early Life and Career Start
Rudy Law grew up in East Palo Alto, California. He went to Ravenswood High School. Rudy started playing minor league baseball for the Lodi Dodgers. In 1977, he was amazing at batting. He hit for a .386 average, which was the best in the league. He also helped his team win the league championship.
A famous player, Rickey Henderson, was very impressed by Rudy. Rickey played for the Modesto A's at that time. He even started to copy parts of Rudy's batting style.
Joining the Major Leagues
Rudy Law made his big league debut when he was 21 years old. This was in 1978 with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He played in 11 games that September. However, he was not on the team for the 1978 World Series. His best season with the Dodgers was in 1980. He played in 128 games and stole 40 bases.
In 1981, the Dodgers were heading to the 1981 World Series. But there was a players' strike that year. Rudy did not have a spot in the Dodgers' outfield. He spent all of 1981 playing in the minor leagues. There, he had a great batting average of .335.
Playing for the Chicago White Sox
Before the 1982 season, the Dodgers traded Rudy Law. He went to the Chicago White Sox on March 30, 1982. The Dodgers received Cecil Espy and Burwell Geiger in return. Rudy was known for his incredible speed. This speed helped make up for some weaknesses. For example, he had a weak throwing arm. He also sometimes struggled with his instincts in the field and while running bases.
Breakout Season and Records
With the White Sox, Rudy got a chance to play regularly. In 1982, he hit .318 and stole 36 bases. Then came his amazing year in 1983. As the team's leadoff hitter, he got a career-high 142 hits. He also stole 77 bases. This was the second-best total in all of baseball that year. It also broke the White Sox's single-season record. The old record was 56 stolen bases, set by Luis Aparicio.
This was a special time for the White Sox. They won the American League West title. This was their first time reaching the postseason since the 1959 World Series.
Later Years with the White Sox
In 1985, the White Sox made some changes. They moved Rudy Law to left field. This was to make room for Daryl Boston in center field. However, Boston was sent to the minor leagues in June. Rudy then moved back to left field in July. He was on the disabled list for a short time in July. After that, he played both center and left field. In September, Boston returned, and Rudy went back to left field.
On September 10, Rudy had a fantastic game against the Minnesota Twins. He got four hits out of five tries. He also had two runs batted in, scored two runs, and stole two bases. The White Sox won 7–2. After the game, manager Tony LaRussa praised Rudy. He 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 Law at the end of spring training in 1986. But he quickly found a new team. The Kansas City Royals picked him up. He played for the Royals for one season. Rudy was released by the Royals at the end of spring training in 1987. This marked the end of his MLB career at age 30. After retiring, Rudy continued to live in Inglewood, California. He had moved there during his time with the Dodgers.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball career stolen bases leaders
