At Rudge's age, things change quickly. Last season, Rudge won a Zimmer Award for his fielding work in right field (the fourth of his career). This year, with his range rapidly declining both statistically and visibly, manager Henry Rectenberg (who had his own rapid range decline as a player) had to sit Rudge down and tell him his time in the field was up. "Telling Tommy that he was going to be our designated hitter from here on out was not one of the highlights of my managing career," said a candid Rectenberg. "It happened to me too, at a much younger age than Tommy, so I know what he's going through. He wants to be out there, but he knows that his bat is the way to help the team right now."
Rudge is adapting to the new role. "The hardest part is that I don't know what to do with myself between innings, so I find myself hanging around Henry and 'Buck' (pitching coach Elliot Buckland), listening to what they're thinking," Rudge said. "I know game strategy, but these conversations aren't something I've experienced before. They're eye opening for me."
On the field, there are still some milestones for Rudge to chase (not that he'd even realize it). Two are very achievable this season: Triples- 2nd (99, two behind Kidane Ata); and RBI- 2nd (1468, thirty-eight behind Ridder). The other might require another season or two: Home Runs- 2nd (406, thirty-one behind Gervasio Ridder). "I think Gervasio is pretty safe there," said Rudge with a grin. "I suppose it's ok to leave a record or two for someone else."
