TrojanWire

Rod Dedeaux: 1914-2006

2–3 minutes

January 5, 2006

Legendary USC baseball coach Rod Dedeaux died on Thursday night in Glendale, California at the age of 91.

Dedeaux led the Trojans to a record 11 NCAA baseball championships, and is the college baseball equivalent to John Wooden (a close friend of Dedeaux’s). During his time at USC, he played a formative role in the careers of many future Major League stars, including Mark McGwire, Tom Seaver, Randy Johnson, Roy Smalley, and Fred Lynn.

From MLB.com:

Born Raoul Martial Dedeaux in New Orleans, he moved to California as a youngster. He played three seasons for Southern California, and after being scouted by his mentor, Casey Stengel, Dedeaux appeared in two games at shortstop for the 1935 Brooklyn Dodgers, going 1-for-4 with an RBI. “Just going into Ebbets Field was an exciting thing,” said Dedeaux in an interview with MLB.com in September 2005. “I just loved those fans there and that was important to me. Unfortunately, I had gotten hurt earlier and was playing under quite a bit of pain, and it never bothered me to this day that I didn’t have a longer career in the big leagues.”

A back injury ended his career several years later. He founded Dart Transportation Inc. in the 1930s, and it grew into a highly successful trucking business. It was said that Dedeaux took almost no salary when he came back to USC in 1942 as an assistant coach and continued that practice when he became the head baseball coach in 1950.

“He was the greatest ambassador you’d ever want to find for college baseball and the University of Southern California,” said Lasorda, who as both a coach and a manager with the Dodgers in the 1970s and early 1980s, would always start the baseball season in early February with an exhibition game between the Dodgers and Trojans at Dodger Stadium. “He was a Trojan through and through.”

Dedeaux had winning seasons in 41 of his 45 years with the Trojans, and during one stretch, USC went 37 years without a losing season.

The Trojans’ National Championships included five in a row from 1970-74 — no other school has won more than two straight — and the team won 28 conference titles under him.

4 responses to “Rod Dedeaux: 1914-2006”

Rory MacDonald

January 6, 2006 at 10:37 am

My dad got Dedeaux to autograph my league-leading .714 batting average in the paper. too bad i never made it out of little league.

but i still love baseball

Toast to a man that meant so much to the game

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TrojanWire

January 9, 2006 at 10:14 am

Coach Dedeaux is loved by many. Be early for his services which will be held at Our Lady Queen of Angels Cathedral in Downtown Los Angeles, 555 West Temple, LA CA 90012.

Services for Rod will be at 9:30 am. The building only holds 3,000 people, you better be there in “Rod’s time” which means EARLY.

Our favorite USC baseball coach, and Trojan Shine Celebrity inductee, Rod Dedeaux, was born on Feb. 17, 1914 in New Orleans. Rod moved to California as a youth and started at Hollywood High as a shortstop in ’30 and ’31. Rod lettered 3 years as shortstop ’33-’35 at SC as he earned All-Coast honors and served as team captain his senior year. Rod played for the Brooklyn Dodgers, the Hollywood Stars and San Diego Padres. We are proud that he was Coach of the Year, Century, and Millennium, and the he was inducted into the Inaugural Class of USC’s athletic HOF. Dedeaux led the Trojans to a record 11 national championships.

Rod was a friend to all, mentor and father figure to many. What a thrill to have Rod, our US Olympic Baseball Coach at our recent Trojan Shrine Celebrity Night and at recent birthday parties when he also had other pressing USC functions. Happily, his former players were given the priority for his focus. The night before this year’s homecoming at USC, Rod invited a few of his famous baseball classes back for a Reunion dinner that he was hosting – the ’57, ’58, and ’59 teams – at his Dart warehouse. Those teams still hold many a baseball record (and would still own more records if bats had not changed from wood to aluminum.) Rod’s family unveiled two videos which celebrated Rod’s life. They also made arrangements to obtain interviews from his former players who were present that evening. Rod looked GREAT. Rod made it to USC’s 125th year, and made it through the first few downs of the Rose Bowl game this year – he was listening to “his team” til he joined the other great Trojans in the Sky.

Rod’s family invites family, friends and all former Trojans to his services. Parking is underneath the Cathedral on Temple or Hill Street.

Terry, Michelle, Justin, and Denise Dedeaux ask loyal Trojans to send a sentence or two (or more) of your memories of humor and significant moments of Rod. They hope to get his book into publication before the end of the year. Can you help? Do you have a photo that may be used? TFAC thanks Tim Tessalone, Roy Rhino, Ron Fletcher, Hirata and others who keep our Trojans informed. Thank you from Ambrose Schindler and Rex Johnston, TFAC Memorial committee.

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ely concepcion

January 17, 2006 at 10:00 pm

I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER THE USC HEAD COACH ROD DEDEAUX FOREVER. WHEN I GO TO THE USC BASEBALL GAMES I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER HIM THERE. I KNOW HIS WIFE AND HIS GRANDCILDREN AND ALL OF HIS FRIENDS AND EVEN THE BASEBALL USC CAMPUS. HE WILL ALWAYS BE IN OUR HEARTS FOR THE REST OF OUR LIVE.
LOVE ALBERTO’S LITTLE SISTER ELY CONCEPCION

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Doug Dedeaux

January 18, 2006 at 3:44 pm

Rod is my dad’s second cousin and even though my family and his never got to know each other until recent times, we always bragged about cousin Rod being related since I was a little kid. I graduated from High School in 1964 and that was around the time that Rod had so many National Championship teams.I played ball back then and I just thought the championships year after year were just normal happenings and were expected. It wasn’t until years later that I realized what an unprecedented feat that was! I attended cousin Rods services at the Cathederal Monday with my dad and sister and we all could not believe the true love and friendship we felt at the mass and the reception after. It really wasn’t all about baseball ….it was about the man and his interactions with people! He touched so many lives. What an unbelievable family that man raised from his 4 children to all of the grand kids. Just a super family. We love you Rod and Helen and I only hope that our families will stay “in touch” in the future.

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