The pitcher and former California high school star spoke to The Times after a rare good outing.
"So far, it hasn't been a good season," Dodd told The Times. "It's fun when you're doing well and the team's doing well. When everything is going right, there's nothing better than playing baseball."
Dodd played his first season at AA that year, his fourth as a pro. He returned to Chattanooga in two more seasons, but he never played well enough to make the bigs.
Dodd's career began in 1986, taken by the Reds in the second round of the January draft out of Saddleback College in California.
Dodd arrived at Saddleback after first going through Arizona State and playing his high school ball at Capistrano Valley High School.
Dodd won local player of the year honors in his junior year of high school. He then worked on developing multiple pitches, he told The Times in 1984.
"I do have a curveball and a changeup." Dodd told The Times that February, "but now I'm working on a 'cut fastball."
Dodd chose Arizona State out of high school, but arm problems and a disagreement with his pitching coach led him to Saddleback.
With the Reds, Dodd started at rookie Billings. He spent his first two seasons there. He went 5-1 both years, mostly in relief, and posted ERAs around 4.
He moved to single-A Cedar Rapids in 1988. He had a hand in a three-hitter in a May game. He then made the league All-Star team. He posted a 2.07 ERA overall, earning 10 saves.
Dodd arrived at Chattanooga for 1989. He got into 35 games, starting two and ended with a 5.25 ERA. He returned to Chattanooga for 1990, improving his ERA to 2.85. He then played a third season there in 1991, marking the end of his career.
- Los Angeles Times, Feb. 29, 1984: Focusing In on the '84 Orange County Baseball Talent
- Los Angeles Times, June 28, 1989: In there pitching
Players/Coaches Featured: 2,729
Made the Majors:1,041-38.2%
Never Made Majors:1,688-61.8%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 430
10+ Seasons in the Minors:263
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