# Rod Gaspar
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> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rod_Gaspar
> Source revision: 1350281359
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
{{short description|American baseball player (born 1946)}}
{{BLP sources|date=January 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Rod Gaspar
|position=[Outfielder](/source/Outfielder)
|image=
|bats=Switch
|throws=Left
|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1946|4|3}}
|birth_place=[Long Beach, California](/source/Long_Beach%2C_California), U.S.
|death_date=
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate= April 8
|debutyear=1969
|debutteam= New York Mets
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=July 19
|finalyear=1974
|finalteam=San Diego Padres
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=[Batting average](/source/Batting_average_(baseball))
|stat1value=.208
|stat2label=[Home run](/source/Home_run)s
|stat2value=1
|stat3label=[Runs batted in](/source/Runs_batted_in)
|stat3value=17
|teams=
* [New York Mets](/source/New_York_Mets) ({{Baseball year|1969}}–{{Baseball year|1970}})
* [San Diego Padres](/source/San_Diego_Padres) ({{Baseball year|1971}}, {{Baseball year|1974}})
|highlights=
* [World Series](/source/World_Series) champion: [1969](/source/1969_World_Series)
}}
'''Rodney Earl Gaspar''' (born April 3, 1946) is an American former [Major League Baseball](/source/Major_League_Baseball) [outfielder](/source/outfielder).
A [switch hitter](/source/switch_hitter), Gaspar played for the [New York Mets](/source/New_York_Mets) (1969–70) and [San Diego Padres](/source/San_Diego_Padres) (1971, 1974).
A former player at [Long Beach State](/source/California_State_University%2C_Long_Beach) and [Long Beach City College](/source/Long_Beach_City_College), Gaspar played 178 games in his career, 118 of them in his rookie year, {{Baseball year|1969}}. He began the year as the Mets' starting [right fielder](/source/right_fielder), then became a utility outfielder (he also played [left](/source/left_fielder) and [center field](/source/center_fielder) on occasion) after [Ron Swoboda](/source/Ron_Swoboda) became the regular right fielder. That year, he hit .228, recorded in 14 of his 17 career [runs batted in](/source/run_batted_in), and hit his only Major League [home run](/source/home_run), off [Mike McCormick](/source/Mike_McCormick_(pitcher)) of the [San Francisco Giants](/source/San_Francisco_Giants) on May 30. He also excelled defensively, leading all Mets outfielders in [assists](/source/assist_(baseball)) with 12, and leading the National League in [double play](/source/double_play)s with six.
That year, Gaspar was a member of the [Miracle Mets](/source/1969_New_York_Mets_season) team that unexpectedly won the [World Series](/source/1969_World_Series) in five games over the [Baltimore Orioles](/source/Baltimore_Orioles). Before the [Series](/source/1969_World_Series), Orioles' outfielder, [Frank Robinson](/source/Frank_Robinson) said, "Bring on the Mets and Ron Gaspar!" He was then told by his teammate, [Merv Rettenmund](/source/Merv_Rettenmund), "It's Rod, stupid." He then retorted by saying, "OK. Bring on Rod Stupid!" In Game Four of that Series, Gaspar scored the winning run on a controversial play at [Shea Stadium](/source/Shea_Stadium). With the score tied at 1–1 in the bottom of the tenth, Gaspar [pinch-ran](/source/pinch_runner) for [Jerry Grote](/source/Jerry_Grote), who had led off the inning with a double. An intentional walk to [Al Weis](/source/Al_Weis) followed, after which [J. C. Martin](/source/J._C._Martin_(baseball)), pinch-hitting for [Tom Seaver](/source/Tom_Seaver), bunted to the pitcher. Both runners advanced, and as Martin ran to first, [Pete Richert](/source/Pete_Richert)'s throw hit him on the hand and ricocheted away, the error allowing Gaspar to score the winning run. (Replays would later show that Martin had been running inside the baseline, which could have resulted in him being called out for interference; however, the umpires said they didn't make the call because they felt Martin didn't ''intentionally'' interfere with the play.)[{{Cite web |title=Rod Gaspar Career Stats - MLB |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/player/stats/_/id/21927 |access-date=2025-01-29 |website=ESPN}}][{{Cite news |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w1gtAAAAIBAJ&dq=%22Rod+Gaspar%22&pg=PA9&article_id=6263,3418904 |title=Unknown |work=The Beaver County Times |date=May 14, 1974}}{{Failed verification |date=January 2025}}]
Rod appeared on The Dating Game TV show in 1969 with fellow Mets players, and was chosen out of the three bachelors.[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYJyqn0mwHo]
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
{{baseballstats|mlb=114645 |fangraphs=1004561 |br=g/gasparo01|brm=gaspar001rod| espn=21927}}
{{1969 New York Mets}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gaspar, Rod}}
Category:1946 births
Category:New York Mets players
Category:San Diego Padres players
Category:Major League Baseball outfielders
Category:Hawaii Islanders players
Category:Indianapolis Indians players
Category:Baseball players from Long Beach, California
Category:Living people
Category:Long Beach State Dirtbags baseball players
Category:Saddleback Bobcats baseball players
Category:Williamsport Mets players
Category:Memphis Blues players
Category:Tidewater Tides players
Category:Long Beach City Vikings baseball players
Category:Florida Instructional League Mets players
Category:Lakewood High School (California) alumni
Category:Baseball players from Lakewood, California
Category:20th-century American sportsmen
---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Rod Gaspar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rod_Gaspar) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rod_Gaspar?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.