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Gordon LaFollette Wade (born June 2, 1933), is an American professional baseball first baseman for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball. He is the son of pitcher Dave LaRoche and the brother of third baseman Andy LaRoche.

=Childhood=

Gordon was born June 2, 1933 in Portland, Oregon to Pearl Otis Wade and Bessie Violet Brown.

Mrytle Creek
=Young Adult=

High School
Gordon graduated Myrtle Creek High School in Myrtle Creek, Oregon in 1950. There were 34 in his graduating class. Myrtle Creek High School no longer exists. Gordon still owns a lamp and a table that he made in wood shop class. During his junior and senior years, Gordon worked as a dishwasher at the Myrtle Creek Bakery and he was a gas station attendant making $1/hr at Lee's Union Service the summer before college.

College
Gordon enrolled in Oregon State College in 1950 which later became Oregon State University as a Chemistry Major. Gordon was initially nervous about college but before he knew what happened, he realized he could compete academically with students at college. Gordon lived in Gatch Hall his freshman year with Peter Erwert. Peter taught Gordon to play table tennis. Gordon enjoyed chemistry but the smells were too much and he didn't want to spend his career in a 'stinky' lab so he switched to Mechanical Engineering with a minor of Aeronautics in the spring of 1951. Gordon also realized he didn't want to spend his college time in a dorm so he moved to cooperative housing. He chose the Campus Club which was a diversified group of guys (freshman-senior), included a cook and was the closest to campus. Gordon thoroughly enjoyed his time at the Campus Club. Gordon was a member of the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship all four years at Oregon State.

Gordon joined the Aero Club and flew a Taylorcraft Aircraft plane out of Albany Municipal Airport (Oregon) logged a few hours but realized he could not afford to get his pilot license. This is one of the few regrets Gordon has in his fabulous life. Gordon served as the editor for the Tech Record which published four issues per year. Gordon remembers turning this job to his good friend Harry C. Reeder. Gordon remembers fondly a project to put together a Boeing Electronic Analog Computer (BEAC) with Harlan "Mac" McCarty, Gordon Woodcock, Robert E. Moore and one other. Gordon gained his fondness of Chivas Regal from Harlan. Harlan would later become Gordon's first post-college roommate. Gordon also tried Army ROTC but realized he did not want to be in Army engineering although he enjoyed surveying and thermodynamics. Gordon also purchased a 1929 Ford Model A (1927–31) while in college. During his junior or senior year, Gordon took a field trip to California to tour the United Airlines maintenance base, Hiller Helicopter and the Ames Research Center. This was a highlight in Gordon's college career and also represented the first time he had pizza!

Gordon was the first in the family to go to college and was an excellent student and often on the Honor Roll. Gordon graduated in 1954.

Post Graduation and Pre-Marriage
Gordon remembers that he and Harlan started a collection of empty Chivis bottles around a soffit near the ceiling. =Husband & Father= Gordon married Dolores Ericksen on June 28, 1958. Gordon and his wife, Dolores (Dee) have two sons, Phillip (Phil) Meredith Wade and Paul Eric Wade. Phil's middle name comes from the friend that introduced Gordon and Dee (Mal Meredith) and Paul's middle name is shortened from Dee's maiden name (Ericksen).

=Retirement= Gordon and Dee retired to their cabin in the Lake Shastina community north of Weed, California. His hobbies include bridge, traveling, family and friends. He plays bridge in Yreka and Mt. Shasta, California each week.

College baseball career
On May 13, 2009, LaRoche became the first player in major league history to have a home run taken away through the use of video replay.

On July 22, 2009, LaRoche was traded to the Boston Red Sox for minor league pitcher Hunter Strickland and shortstop Argenis Díaz. In six games, LaRoche would go on to hit one home run and three RBIs, with an average of .263. During his brief tenure in Boston, LaRoche lived with his teammate J.D. Drew in Drew's home in Boston.

On July 31, 2009, after only spending six games with Boston he was dealt back to one of his former teams, the Atlanta Braves for 1st baseman Casey Kotchman. LaRoche was traded by Boston in order to cut payroll and the belief that Kotchman would be a better pinch hitter than LaRoche would.

On January 14, 2010, LaRoche agreed to a 1-year, $4.5 million contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks. His deal included a $7.5 million mutual option with a $1.5 million buyout. In his 1 year tenure with the Diamondbacks, LaRoche hit .261 with 25 home runs and 100 RBI in 151 games.