Rod Dedeaux
From BR Bullpen
Raoul Martial Dedeaux
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 5' 11", Weight 160 lb.
- School University of Southern California
- Debut September 28, 1935
- Final Game September 29, 1935
- Born February 17, 1915 in New Orleans, LA USA
- Died January 5, 2006 in Glendale, CA USA
[edit] Biographical Information
Rod Dedeaux, who was much more famous for coaching at USC, appeared in two major league games.
He was All-City in 1930-31 while playing shortstop at Hollywood High School. After starring as a shortstop at USC in 1933-35, he played at Dayton in 1935, hitting .360. He was with Hazelton in 1936 but had a back injury in 1937. In 1938-39 he played in the PCL.
When he played in the majors, his manager was Casey Stengel.
He was a baseball coach at the University of Southern California from 1942 to 1987. He led the team to ten College World Series titles; he also won the 1948 CWS title as co-coach with Sam Barry. The runner-up that year was a Yale team that started future President George H. W. Bush Sr. at first base. The Trojans play at Dedeaux Field.
Dedeaux held the record for NCAA wins (1332) until he was passed by Cliff Gustafson.
He was coach of the United States Olympic team when baseball was a demonstration sport in 1964 and 1984.
Dedeaux founded the Japan-United States Collegiate Series in 1972 and was chairman of the event from 1972 to 1984. Dedeaux was honored by the Japanese government in 1996 with the Fourth Order of the Merit Cordon of the Rising Sun.
Along with being a baseball player and manager, he was also president of Dart Transportation, Inc., a trucking firm he founded in the 1930's.
Ron Dedeaux died of complications from a stroke on January 5, 2006.
Some sources list Dedeaux's birthdate as February 17, 1914.
- He was not only a baseball coach at USC, but decades earlier was also one of the first major league players who came out of USC. He appeared in 2 games in the majors at the age of 20 in 1935, where his teammate was Al Lopez, who went on to have a long managerial career himself.
One source: Rod Dedeaux.
