J.R. Richard
J.R. Richard's pitching career was cut short when he suffered a stroke at the age of 30, during the 1980 season. He was on his way to his third straight strikeout title, but he never pitched again after the near fatal attack. An overpowering presence on the mound at 6'8", Richards used high heat and a slider to put away batters. He reached 300 K's in both 1978 and 1979 for the Astros.
Played For
Houston Astros (1971-1980)
Best Season: 1979
Richard led the National League with a 2.71 ERA, and held batters to a league-low 6.77 hits per nine innings, as he went 18-13. He broke his own NL record for most strikeouts in a season by a right-hander, with 313. In August and September, Richard went 9-2 with a 0.96 ERA and 131 K's in 112 innings. Among his victories were a two-hitter and a pair of three-hitters.
Factoids
In 1980, J.R. Richard earned a spot on the National League All-Star team. It was his final season the big leagues, making him one of two players to reach the Mid-Summer Classic for the first time in his final big league campaign. The other player was Dave Nilsson of the Brewers, in 1999.
Excluding his 1971 season, J.R. Richard posted a 2.54 ERA in his career at the Astrodome, and a 3.80 mark on the road. His strikeout rate was actually hihger in road games: 8.51, compared to 8.14 in Houston.
The 12 Black Aces
Through 2004, twelve African-American pitchers had won 20-games in the major leagues. Of course, black pitchers had won twenty many times in the negro leagues, but these dozen, who, under the direction of Mudcat Grant, called themselves the "12 Black Aces," are an exclusive club:
1. Don Newcombe
2. Sam Jones
3. Bob Gibson.
4. Mudcat Grant
5. Earl Wilson
6. Fergie Jenkins
7. Al Downing
8. Vida Blue
9. J.R. Richard
10. Mike Norris
11. Dwight Gooden
12. Dave Stewart
The Sad Tale of J.R. Richard
James Rodney Richard left baseball under a black cloud. During the 1980 season he began complaining of arm soreness and pain, but tests done by the Houston Astros revealed nothing. After his stroke in July, Richard was somewhat vindicated for the abuse he had taken from Astros' officials, Houston media and fans, who had suggested he was lazy, attention-starved, or on drugs. He underwent several operations to restore the blood flow to his arm and endured therapy that restored the use of the left side of his body (paralyzed by the stroke), but he was never able to throw effectively again. In the 1990s Richard was destitute. A reporter from the Houston Post located him under a bridge, unemployed and homeless, in 1995. After some help from friends in the community and the Astros, Richard found a job and was on his way back from his troubles.
Fewest Hits Per Nine Innings, All-Time
Nolan Ryan... 6.56
Pedro Martinez... 6.73
Sandy Koufax... 6.79
Sid Fernandez... 6.85
J.R. Richard... 6.88
(min. 1,500 IP)
11 Walks, One Victory
On May 4, 1975, in the second game of a doubleheader against the Giants in windy Candlestick Park, Richard walked 11 batters in six innings, but still mnaged to earn the win, as the Astros pounded out 12 runs.
Where He Played
Starting pitcher, in all but 17 of his 238 career games on the mound.
Born
James Rodney Richard was born on March 7, 1950, in Vienna, LA.
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
Primary Position: P
Primary Team: HOU
College: Arizona State
Major League Debut
September 5, 1971 ... Richard fanned 15 batters to tie Karl Spooner's record for most strikeouts in a major league debut.
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1971
Chris Speier
Chris Chambliss
Ron Cey
George Hendrick
Dave Kingman
Jon Matlack
Doyle Alexander
Cecil Cooper
Darrell Porter
Uniform Numbers
#50 (1971-1980)
Similar Players
Don Wilson, Randy Johnson
Related Players
Curt Schilling broke Richard's National League record for most strikeouts by a right-handed pitcher in a season, in 1997.
The Pitches He Threw
Fastball, slider, changeup, curveball.
Post-Season Notes
Richard was disabled and unable to pitch in the 1980 post-season, the first in Astros' history.
Feats
Three times in his career, Richard struck out 15 batters in a game: once in 1971 (in his debut) and twice in 1979.
All-Star Selections
1980 NL
Replaced By
After his stroke in 1980, Richard's slot in the Houston rotation was filled by Vern Ruhle, who went 7-2 in that role.
Best Strength as a Player
Fastball
Largest Weakness as a Player
Health
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