Rudi clubbing a different kind of ball

Brandon Swanson

Herald sports writer

A's outfielder joins the Duel in the Desert

Baseball legend Joe Rudi will be swinging away this summer in Moses Lake, but he will be leaving his bat in the car.

The three time All-Star will be swinging his three-iron in the Duel in the Desert golf tournament this August 6 and 7 at the Moses Lake Golf and Country Club.

"The addition of Rudi to the celebrity lineup will give sponsors and players further challenge at the tee and entertainment off the course," said event Chairperson Mark Fancher.

"I play a little bit of golf," Rudi said. He describes himself as a ten-to-fifteen handicap.

"I used to play a lot more when I was playing ball," he said. "But I've done it less often in the last five to ten years."

Rudi said he doesn't hit the links as much as he used to since he moved to Baker City in the mountains of northeastern Oregon.

"Because I'm up in the cold country, it's hard to get regular play in," he said.

Although Rudi won three gold gloves in his 16-year career, he is best remembered for being at the nucleus of the Oakland Athletics dynasty of the mid-70s which won three consecutive World Series titles.

He is looking forward to celebrating the 30th anniversary of his 1974 World Series team at a ceremony in Oakland later this year. It was in the '74 Series that Rudi hit a homerun late in the game off of Cy Young winner Mike Marshall to clinch the championship for the A's.

"It's great seeing all the guys," Rudi said. "It's like we've never been apart."

Rudi said he stays involved in public events, like the Oakland Athletics fantasy camp - an annual event in which 60 to 70 people spend a week playing baseball with former A's players. "It's fun to harass them a bit," he said.

The Duel includes a tournament, junior and adult golf clinics, and a final Party on the Green. Rudi is paired up with PGA Champion Lon Hinkle.