JR Richard...Sympathy Vote

[Einstein'sCurve]

Consider the basics of JR Richard of the 70s era Astros.

10 seasons, 6 as a starter, all solid winning records. Cut down tragically in his prime by a stroke after his strongest start, age 29, shortly after his first all star game where he pitched 2 scoreless innings with one hit and 3 Ks as the starter for the NL.

10-4, 1.90 ERA, 40 BB, 119 SO in 17 games when struck down while warming up during a game, July 30, 1980.

He was undefeated as a HS starter, and, like Nolan Ryan, a 100 mph pitcher when drafted. He made his MLB debut just after his 21st birthday, pitching 9 complete innings, winning the game with just 2 ER and tied the MLB record for pitching debut with 15 strikeouts, 3 consecutive in the 9th.

Basic stats:
G 238-GS 221-W 107-L 71-% .601-ERA-3.15 IP-1,606.0-BB 770-SO 1,493

The Astros a mediocre team with no playoff history when he's drafted, yet by his last season he had arguably become The Man in the league and the Astros finally won their division.

Wondering about any notion of a sympathy HOF vote for this guy? There was some dispute that the Astros ignored warning symptoms that last ill-fated season, or that he was given incompetent medical screening. Richard did himself no favors with reported cocaine use, but it appears his condition was genetic in nature, perhaps exacerbated by drug use and the stress of high profile life in modern pro sports. Flying, for example, would have been very stressful for a guy prone to arterial bloodclots and then expected to perform at the most difficult spot in baseball.

I thought he had become one of the best pitchers I'd ever seen. Just looking at his record, I thought he could have been brought along a little faster given his MLB debut. He was such a prodigy and physical speciman that I tend to think he was a bit hard to fit in a team with such a modest history.

Maybe had he dropped dead he might be remembered better. Just thought JR might be a welcome addition as a topic since he's largely forgotten as happens to many of the sick.

[Los Bravos]

Absolutely and utterly dominant. I laugh when I hear people try and claim Randy Johnson as the most intimidating strikeout pitcher they've ever seen. Johnson's tall. Richard was tall and built. He looked like Elvin Hayes out there.

I think of him, and that image of him lying prone, face down on that carpet, every time I hear a front office claiming a player is jaking it.

[jjpm74]

Those are some impressive numbers. He definitely falls solidly into the what if category.

[Fuzzy Bear]

Those are some impressive numbers. He definitely falls solidly into the what if category.

His numbers aren't as impressive as they seem if you look closely. Richard's ERA vs. league wasn't all that great, and his ERA is low because of the Astrodome.

Richard's best seasons were 1977 and 1979; 1980 was turning out to be his best season yet, so he appears to have been on a HOF path at the time of his stroke, but he certainly did not merit induction based on what he had done up to his illness. He was a workhorse, and it's possible that his manager left him in the game longer than he would be left in today, but he also had control problems; he was wild as a steer (or, maybe, as wild as Nolan the Overrated).

In many ways, Richard's career was following Ryan's; if he had stayed healthy, as Ryan pretty much did, he was a reasonable candidate for 4,000 strikeouts. Richard was an extreme power pitcher, and he didn't miss time with nagging arm injuries prior to his stroke, so he may well have followed that path. He was as wild as Ryan, however, without being quite the power pitcher, so his wildness would have caught up with him.

I don't believe Richard would have won 300 games, and while he was on pace for 4,000 strikeouts, I don't think he would have gotten there, either. He was perceived as an attitude problem while active, and when he complained about the symptoms that preceded his stroke, many thought he was jaking. That part was unfair, and probably a vestige of racism, but it took the stoke for the attitude rep to disappear. Richard DID make good use of his talent, however, and while he was not Nolan Ryan, he was, probably, on a HOF pace if he had been able to stay healthy.

[Einstein'sCurve]

His numbers aren't as impressive as they seem if you look closely. Richard's ERA vs. league wasn't all that great, and his ERA is low because of the Astrodome.

Richard's best seasons were 1977 and 1979; 1980 was turning out to be his best season yet, so he appears to have been on a HOF path at the time of his stroke, but he certainly did not merit induction based on what he had done up to his illness. He was a workhorse, and it's possible that his manager left him in the game longer than he would be left in today, but he also had control problems; he was wild as a steer (or, maybe, as wild as Nolan the Overrated).


Noly was 122-116 his first 10 yrs with many more BB as well as Ks. It's tempting to compare, but JR more finisse than than credited because of his physical prowess.

True about the Astrodome keeping his ERA down, but look at the wins and then understand he was in with a mediocre team history. By his last year he was instrumental in pulling them up such that they finally won their first division even though he was unable to play the last half.

Compare to Randy Johnson who was 114-64 his first 10 with similar K and BB, but higher ERA. Between Noly and Johnson I think JR compares extremely well with an edge because of his obvious maturity as a starter, a workhorse.

I just think that had he been examined and diagnosed properly, surely he could match the above two in a career. I don't know how many sympathy votes exist in the HOF, if any, but JR is the poster boy if they are accessible.

JR was the real deal in the day. Damned shame what happened, but I thought he deserved a shout and memory.

[Los Bravos]

He's firmly in the "What If?" category, like Herb Score and Tony Conigliaro. Those guys are just names to me, really. I see the raw numbers, and I know how good they both were, but they were both out of the game before I started watching it.

J.R. was a living, breathing presence in the game the first few years of my fandom, so his case is one that resonates with me, personally.

[Fuzzy Bear]

Noly was 122-116 his first 10 yrs with many more BB as well as Ks. It's tempting to compare, but JR more finisse than than credited because of his physical prowess.

True about the Astrodome keeping his ERA down, but look at the wins and then understand he was in with a mediocre team history. By his last year he was instrumental in pulling them up such that they finally won their first division even though he was unable to play the last half.

Compare to Randy Johnson who was 114-64 his first 10 with similar K and BB, but higher ERA. Between Noly and Johnson I think JR compares extremely well with an edge because of his obvious maturity as a starter, a workhorse.

I just think that had he been examined and diagnosed properly, surely he could match the above two in a career. I don't know how many sympathy votes exist in the HOF, if any, but JR is the poster boy if they are accessible.

JR was the real deal in the day. Damned shame what happened, but I thought he deserved a shout and memory.

If you go to baseballreference.com and press the "neutralize stats" buttons for both J. R. and Unit, their ERAs in their early years aren't very far apart.

[stejay]

Its hard to call that one. I think that if it came to it, he wouldnt get in...

[stejay]

I always thought he died, until a few years ago, when that movie came out about him in 2005.

[Captain Cold Nose]

He's firmly in the "What If?" category, like Herb Score and Tony Conigliaro. Those guys are just names to me, really. I see the raw numbers, and I know how good they both were, but they were both out of the game before I started watching it.

J.R. was a living, breathing presence in the game the first few years of my fandom, so his case is one that resonates with me, personally.

Same here. And I always wonder how good those Astros teams could have been in the early 80's had Richard not gone down the way he did. Now, I won't go so far as to say he'd have been a HOF'er, so many power pitches burn out because that's all they can do, and that only lasts so long for most, but he could light 'em up.

I remember getting a chill when I opened a pack of 1981 Topps and seeing his card.

[Brad Harris]

I watched Richard pitch and I'm still convinced that Dwight Gooden, not J.R. Richard, is the greatest young pitcher I've ever seen. Richard was on a trajectory towards the Hall of Fame, but so have many stars of the game's past.

In the sum total of what he actually accomplished, he's not much of a candidate.

[Fuzzy Bear]

I watched Richard pitch and I'm still convinced that Dwight Gooden, not J.R. Richard, is the greatest young pitcher I've ever seen. Richard was on a trajectory towards the Hall of Fame, but so have many stars of the game's past.

In the sum total of what he actually accomplished, he's not much of a candidate.


Had he not had his stroke, Richard would have had a longer, stronger career than Gooden. Gooden peaked early due to overuse. Richard was on a better timetable; by the time he was racking up big innings totals, he was in his twenties, plus, he was pitching in a better pitcher's environment.

[Brad Harris]

Had he not had his stroke, Richard would have had a longer, stronger career than Gooden. Gooden peaked early due to overuse. Richard was on a better timetable; by the time he was racking up big innings totals, he was in his twenties, plus, he was pitching in a better pitcher's environment.

But he did have the stroke, just as Gooden's arm did suffer from overusage.

[THE OX]

IMO you could make a good case for J. R. in the HOF on the same basis as Addie Joss, another fine pitcher cut down by illness after a too-short but nevertheless brilliant career!

[Westlake]

IMO you could make a good case for J. R. in the HOF on the same basis as Addie Joss, another fine pitcher cut down by illness after a too-short but nevertheless brilliant career!

However, Joss had amounted a HOF career before his death, while Richard had only 2-3 HOF type seasons. Would have been great to actually see what he amounted to had his career been played out.

I also have to disagree with Fuzzy Bear on one point. Richard's ERA was not low only because of the Astrodome. It was low because he was a fine pitcher as well. In his final season, his ERA was lower on the road than it was at home.

[STLCards2]

IMO you could make a good case for J. R. in the HOF on the same basis as Addie Joss, another fine pitcher cut down by illness after a too-short but nevertheless brilliant career!

At least Joss pitched 9 full seasons. Richard only pitched 5 or so. Richard had 2-3 decent to good years and 1/2 of a great year. Richard's ERA (as has been previously mentioned) was only 8% betterthan league average...and this was before a decline period. Is it possible that Richard would have gone on to repeat his first half of 1980 performance year after year? Sure. But based upon his previous work and the declining years (33+) only a few years away-it is highly unlikely. For every Randy Johnson, there are dozens of Dwight Goodens. And unlike Gooden, Richard was in the league 9 years before he was a "great" pitcher.

[mtortolero]

His splits shows that he was more Hr prone out of the Astrodome and 1.12 earned higher. He looks most similar to Bob Veale.

Split......G....W...L...Hr....SO...BB...ERA...lgER A
Home..116...56..36..20...754..370..2.58.. 3.39
Away..122...51..35..53...739..400..3.76.. 3.39

[MadHatter]

When I was a kid I thought J.R. was the man. But mostly through stories, as I didn't get to see too many Astro games growing up in New England. I do seem to recall a Braves player (Bob Horner or Dale Murphy) being interviewed on This Week in Baseball (or the Baseball Bunch or something like that) once just shaking his head when J.R.'s name was mentioned, whistline and saying... "The man throws pure fire".

I agree with the "what if" comments... lots of players have those, but it doesn't make them a Hall of Famer.

[holyroman]

I met him at Astros fanfest last year. Super nice guy.
shook his hand took a picture with him, got an autograph. still a huge guy.
his hand dwarfed mine like it was a softball mitt!
I will have to seek out that movie. I hear he was broke and living under a bridge in Houston, till someone in Houston baseball found him and helped him out.

[digglahhh]

At the time Richard threw his last major league pitch, I was about two months old, so I didn't really see him.

I wish I did though. I have a lot of love for Richard, and almost took a plunge on a Richard throwback jersey recently...

For whatever reason, I remember being really surprised to learn he was black.

Certainly a "what if." I'm skeptical that he would have had a HOF caliber career, mainly because it took him a good while to really get going.