Tuffy Rhodes

Karl Derrick "Tuffy" Rhodes (born August 21, 1968) is a retired American professional baseball player.

[1] Prior to Japan, he was a center fielder playing for the Houston Astros, Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox from 1990-1995.

In that season, Rhodes became the first National League player to hit three home runs on opening day when he connected off Dwight Gooden at Wrigley Field.

Granted free agency after the 1995 season, Rhodes signed with the Kintetsu Buffaloes in the Pacific League of NPB.

He later found out that due to Kintetsu selling the club, they couldn't give him his multi year contract.

After spending the rest of 2006 with his family, however, he returned to Japan in 2007, signing a one-year contract with the Orix Buffaloes.

However, the success did not last as the Buffaloes were swept in the short first-round of the Pacific League Climax Series by Yu Darvish and the more experienced Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters.