Robert Dodd was a left-handed relief pitcher who appeared for the Phillies in four games in 1998. Dodd achieves legendary status, not only because he finished his major league career with a 1.000 winning percentage (1-0), but also for the unlikely way he did it. In the Philadelphia Phillies 137 year history, 47 pitchers have achieved a perfect 1.000 winning percentage. Included in that number are notable non-pitchers like Hall Of Fame slugger, Jimmie Foxx and utility infielder extraodinaire, Wilson Valdez. None of them earned a less likely victory than did Robert Dodd.
Dodd was drafted by the Phillies in the 14th round out of the University of Florida, and worked his way steadily through the minor league system including stops in Batavia, Clearwater, Reading, and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Beginning his career as a starter, by the time he reached Reading Dodd was a lefty specialist, usually appearing for one inning or less. Also while at Reading, Dodd suffered from debilitating back pain that required disc surgery.
After the surgery his normal 6'2" inch height had grown to 6'3". Dodd's surgery gave him new found life on his pitches and he was assigned to the Phillies top farm club at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to begin the 1998 season.
On May 24, the Phillies placed left-handed reliever Yorkis Perez on the disabled list and recalled Dodd. Dodd made his first major league appearance on May 28 against the Chicago Cubs in Wrigley Field. He relieved Curt Schilling in the sixth inning with the Phils down 7-1 and pitched to a no-decision in one shut out inning. The Phillies eventually came back to win the game 8-7. In his next two games, Dodd was hit around a bit in games the Phillies lost by scores of 11-0 and 14-8.
By the time Dodd was called in to mop up in the ninth inning of a June 16th game at Veteran's Stadium against the Pittsburgh Pirates, he was burdened with a 9.00 ERA. When he entered the game, the Phillies were down 7-1. The Pirates had scored early and often off of Phils starter Tyler Greene, while the Phillies had managed just the lone run on a Gregg Jefferies sixth-inning home run off the Pirates' Esteban Loaiza. The game was interrupted by a lengthy rain delay in the sixth inning, which managed to send most of the 24,000+ who attended scurrying for the exits. Dodd worked around a lead-off single by Jason Kendall and escaped the ninth inning unscathed. He then sat down in the dugout and watched as an improbable Phillies rally gave him his first and only major league win.
In the bottom of the ninth, Phillies second baseman Mark Lewis greeted Pirates reliever Ricardo Rincon with a single to right. Bobby Abreu followed with a triple to score Lewis. Catcher Mark Parent and shortstop Desi Relaford both walked. That was all for Rincon and Pirates' manager Gene Lamont called on Rich Loiselle from the bullpen. Third baseman Alex Arias then smacked a double play ground ball that shortstop Lou Collier kicked into centerfield. Abreu and Parent scored, while Relaford moved to third and Arias held on at first. The game now stood at 7-4 with the tying run coming to the plate.
The crowd, aroused by the sudden rally, got louder. "I don't know if it was their alcohol consumption or what," said Relaford, "but they were behind us and we had nothing to lose.”
Doug Glanville lofted a sacrifice fly to right field scoring Relaford. Kevin Sefcik hit a double play ground ball to Tony Womack at second, but Womack tagged Arias who bumped Womack just enough so that Sefcik was able to beat the throw to first by a whisker. At this point, Scott Rolen's place in the order came up, but Rolen had been tossed from the game in the fourth inning, along with manager Terry Francona, for arguing balls and strikes with ump Greg Gibson. So, up to the plate came Rolen's replacement Kevin Jordan. Jordan walked. With the score 7-5 and two men on base, Mike Lieberthal came to the plate to pinch hit for Dodd. Lieberthal worked the count to 2-2 and then launched a line drive shot over the wall in left field for an improbable walk-off win.
Robert Dodd had his first, and only, major league win. In the video below, he can be seen briefly celebrating the win with his teammates. When he got back to the Phillies clubhouse, Dodd was told that he was being sent back to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Manager Terry Francona apologized to him for the bad timing, but the decision had been made before the game was played. Dodd never made it back to the big leagues. After a few more years in the Phillies system, Dodd pitched three years for the Somerset Patriots of the independent Atlantic League, before hanging his spikes up for good in 2003 at the age of 30.
H/T @TheReliefRoom for bringing this story to my attention.
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