I thought this was a pretty cool article I stumbled across.





Tuffy Rhodes mad a big splash against the Mets on opening day in 1994
April 4, 1:49 PMNY Baseball History ExaminerNicholas Diunte

Tuffy Rhodes

Sixteen years ago, Karl "Tuffy" Rhodes lit up Doc Gooden for three homeruns on Opening Day in 1994. Collectors ran to snatch up his rookie cards and fantasy league owners searched the waiver wire hoping he would continue at his torrid pace. At the end of April he was batting .313 with six homeruns. Unfortunately for Rhodes and those who followed him, he could not maintain his fast start. Rhodes would only hit two more homers that season and finish with a .234 average.
Somewhere in this story, there is a silver lining and Rhodes' performance in April would foreshadow his prodigious homerun ability. Little did we know it would come in an unlikely place, Japan. Two seasons later, Rhodes signed with the Kinetsu Buffaloes and played 13 seasons in Japanese baseball, amassing 464 home runs, 1,269 RBIs and 1,792 hits, all of which are the highest totals ever produced by a foreigner in Japan.
Rhodes was still active at age 41 at the end of the 2009 season. He recently spoke about his plans for the 2010 season, as well as reflected upon his career in Japan. You can read the entire interview by clicking here.
Many players on this Opening Day would readily trade places with the career that Rhodes had abroad after his star faded quickly in the United States.
More Info -
Tuffy Rhodes reaches a crossroads - BaseballHappenings.net