Editing Andre Rodgers

{{Short description|Bahamian baseball player (1934–2004)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Andre Rodgers
|image=Andy Rodgers - Pittsburgh Pirates - 1966.jpg
|caption=Rodgers in 1966
|position=[[Shortstop]]
|bats=Right
|throws=Right
|birth_date={{Birth date|1934|12|2}}
|birth_place=[[Nassau, The Bahamas]]
|death_date={{death date and age|2004|12|13|1934|12|2}}
|death_place=Nassau, The Bahamas
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate=April 16
|debutyear=1957
|debutteam=New York Giants
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=September 30
|finalyear=1967
|finalteam=Pittsburgh Pirates
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=[[Batting average (baseball)|Batting average]]
|stat1value=.249
|stat2label=[[Home run]]s
|stat2value=45
|stat3label=[[Runs batted in]]
|stat3value=245
|stat2league = NPB
|stat21label=[[Batting average (baseball)|Batting average]]
|stat21value=.210
|stat22label=[[Home run]]s
|stat22value=4
|stat23label=[[Runs batted in]]
|stat23value=12
|teams=
*[[San Francisco Giants|New York / San Francisco Giants]] ({{mlby|1957}}–{{mlby|1960}})
*[[Chicago Cubs]] ({{mlby|1961}}–{{mlby|1964}})
*[[Pittsburgh Pirates]] ({{mlby|1965}}–{{mlby|1967}})
*[[Yokohama BayStars|Taiyo Whales]] ({{npby|1969}})
}}
'''Kenneth Andre Ian Rodgers''' (December 2, 1934 – December 13, 2004) was a [[Major League Baseball]] [[shortstop]] who played for the [[San Francisco Giants|New York / San Francisco Giants]] (1957–1960), [[Chicago Cubs]] (1961–1964), and [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] (1965–1967). He also played one season in [[Nippon Professional Baseball]] (NPB) for the [[Yokohama BayStars|Taiyo Whales]] (1969). He batted and threw right-handed, stood {{convert|6|ft|3|in}} tall and weighed {{convert|200|lb}} (14 [[stone (unit)|stone]], 4).

==Career==
[[File:Andre Rodgers 1964.jpg|thumb|180px|left|Rodgers in 1964]]
A native of [[Nassau, Bahamas]], Rodgers was the [[List of countries with their first Major League Baseball player|first Bahamian to play in the integrated major leagues]] (though [[Ormond Sampson]], who debuted in 1932, played in the Negro leagues). He was a talented [[cricket]] player who paid his own way for a tryout with the [[1954 New York Giants (MLB) season|Giants in 1954]]. Rodgers failed to make the team that year. He had to learn the rules of baseball, not to jump away from [[curveball]]s, and consequently, he adjusted and made his debut in [[1957 New York Giants (MLB) season|1957]]. Rodgers was a part of the Giants roster until October 1960 when he was traded to the [[Milwaukee Braves (1953–69)|Milwaukee Braves]] for [[Alvin Dark]], who ultimately became the San Francisco [[Manager (baseball)|manager]] at the time.

Before the 1961 season started, the Braves traded Rodgers to the Cubs. In 1962, he became the regular Cubs shortstop when [[Ernie Banks]] moved to [[first base]]. In [[1962 Chicago Cubs season|that season]], Rodgers, [[second baseman]] [[Ken Hubbs]] and Banks set a league record for [[double plays]]. After four productive seasons for the Cubs, Rodgers was traded to the Pirates.

In an 11-year career, Rodgers compiled a .249 [[batting average (baseball)|batting average]] with 45 [[home run]]s and 245 [[Run batted in|RBI]] in 854 games. But even more important than the success he accomplished in his career was the fact that he opened the door for countrymen to follow, such as [[Ed Armbrister]], [[Tony Curry]], [[Wenty Ford]], and [[Wil Culmer]]. Indeed, in the immediate years following his success, baseball began to emerge as the most popular sport in the Bahamas, and, in the 1960s, had become even more popular than cricket.

Andre Rodgers died in Nassau at the age of 70. [[Andre Rodgers National Baseball Stadium]], which opened at Nassau's [[Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre]] in 2022, is named in his honor.<ref name="r182">{{cite web | last=Britell | first=Alexander | title=There's a New Baseball Stadium in The Bahamas | website=Caribbean Journal | date=2022-12-06 | url=https://www.caribjournal.com/2022/12/05/bahamas-baseball-stadium-new/ | access-date=2025-02-17}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Baseballstats|br=r/rodgean01}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rodgers, Andre}}
[[Category:1934 births]]
[[Category:2004 deaths]]
[[Category:Bahamian expatriate baseball players in the United States]]
[[Category:Chicago Cubs players]]
[[Category:Columbus Jets players]]
[[Category:Dallas Eagles players]]
[[Category:Expatriate baseball players in Japan]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball players from the Bahamas]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball shortstops]]
[[Category:Minneapolis Millers (baseball) players]]
[[Category:New York Giants (baseball) players]]
[[Category:Olean Giants players]]
[[Category:Phoenix Giants players]]
[[Category:Pittsburgh Pirates players]]
[[Category:St. Cloud Rox players]]
[[Category:San Francisco Giants players]]
[[Category:Baseball players from Nassau, Bahamas]]
[[Category:Taiyō Whales players]]
[[Category:Bahamian expatriate sportspeople in Japan]]