Minor leagues In 1909, while playing for the Perseverance team, Rondeau was discovered by
Jesse Burkett and signed to play with his
Worcester Busters team in the
New England League.
Detroit Tigers On September 16, 1912, Rondeau was drafted by the
Washington Senators in the
Rule 5 draft, but the Senators then sold him to the
Detroit Tigers two days later for $4,000. After watching him earn the backup catcher position during spring training,
E. A. Batchelor of the
Detroit Free Press described Rondeau as a "scrappy" player who regularly engaged in heated dialogue with umpires over ball and strike calls – a fighting spirit that Batchelor concluded would make Rondeau valuable to the Tigers. Rondeau appeared in 36 games for the
1913 Detroit Tigers, including 12 games as the team's starting catcher and four games as the starting
first baseman. He compiled a .186 batting average with the Tigers.
Clark Griffith of the Senators parted with four major league players in exchange for Rondeau, making him the most expensive recruit for the
1915 Senators. Rondeau appeared in only 14 games with the Senators in 1915, 11 as the team's starting left fielder and the others as a pinch-hitter, as his batting average plummeted to a career low .175 against big league pitching. He compiled a .333 batting average in 129 games for the Millers. In three major league seasons, Rondeau had a .206 batting average and .311 on-base percentage in 99 games and 272 at bats. He played 59 of his major league games as an
outfielder and 16 games as a catcher.
Minneapolis Rondeau returned in July 1916 for a third run with Minneapolis in between stints with the Washington Senators. This time, Rondeau remained with the Millers as a starting outfielder for nine more years, running through the 1924 season. He compiled a career high .382 batting average in 16 games during the 1916 season. In all, he batted over .300 seven times for the Millers: .382 in 1916, .378 in 1913, .333 in 1915 and 1920, .312 in 1923, .308 in 1914, and .302 in 1924. Minnesota manager
Joe Cantillon in 1921 referred to Rondeau as "an institution" with the team.
Little Rock and Hartford After leaving the Millers, Rondeau played one more minor league season in 1925, splitting the season between the
Little Rock Travelers and the
Hartford Senators. ==Later years==