Barry Roderick was a slick shortstop for more than 20 years, eight in organized ball as the property of Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Indians.
He played with and against such stars as Dave Parker, Rod Carew, Bert Blyleven, Rick Sutcliff, Pedro Guerraro, Butch Wynegar, Gary Ward, Alfredo Griffin and Ron Hassey.
Yet his special personal triumph came in his final season, in 19841n Portland. After missing the 1983 campaign because of a cancer operation, Roderick battled back to win the local Twilight League’s Most Valuable Player Award.
He played at all levels — Little League, Babe Ruth, Oxford Hills High, American Legion, Pine Tree League, Amherst College, Cape Cod League (All-Star team 1969 and all-New England shortstop 1970.) He signed with the Minnesota Twins following his Junior year at Amherst.
His first season was spent in the Class A New York Penn League. During the final week, he connected for a rare homer in the bottom of the ninth to win a game and clinch the league championship. He made the all-star team.
Roderick was a second team all-star pick the next year in the Class A Florida State League, then an all-star choice in the Class A Carolina League.
He moved up to the Class AA Southern League, then Triple A Pacific Coast and Triple A International Leagues. Biggest influences, he says, were dad Roger, former standout Pine Tree League player; grandfather Harold Pratt, avid fan and former player, and Bill Thurston, Amherst College coach, former Detroit Tiger prospect and a widely-known national and international coach and teacher from Norway Now a bank executive and Windham resident, Roderick can look back on a memorable career.