[VanillaGorilla]

Joe Rudi is a very cool pick by the Vets. At the age of 51, Rudi enters as the youngest player to be inducted as a Veteran.

Rudi was the third overall selection in the 2042 draft, chosen by the Blue Jays.

He broke in as a 19 year-old hitting 31 HR, batting .306 and driving in 112. The 31 HR would be a career high (which he matched twice) and his 45 doubles would also be a career high (which he matched once). He won the Gold Glove in LF, but was overlooked for ROY honors.

Rudi has exactly 10 years of ML service time...10 yrs 0 days. That is what you need to be in the HOF.

In those 10 seasons he slashed 324/364/562 (32nd, between Al Oliver and Pete Rose/*/84th). He collected 1619 hits, 262 HR, 348 doubles, 957 RBI and scored 793 times. Though far from a base stealing threat of Rickey proportions, he was a smart and opportune thief. He swiped 23 career bases and was caught only 3 times.

He joined the Tampa Rays in 2050, and in 2051 he, along with HOFer Kent Hrbek, brought home the WS trophy to the Gulf Coast. There will be more HOFers from this team....trust me....soon.

On April 1, 2053, he received the cruelest of April Fool's jokes and suffered a CEI.

Rudi was a star 29 year-old, and was done. He appeared in 4 All-Star games and won 2 GGs in his career. A Kirby Puckett type of entry. The Vets got this one right.

Black Ink: 4 (6)
Gray Ink: 64 (49)
HOFm: 97.5 (28)
HOFs: 36 (12)

Gorilla Composite: 2.0 (1.0)