Episode 281 of “The Sports Experience Podcast” is here & we’re back on the diamond discussing J.R. Richard.
One of the greatest high school athletes in the history of Louisiana, the enormous J.R. Richard (6’8” 225 Lbs.) was a star in basketball, baseball and football.
Though he considered playing college basketball, Richard chose baseball after the Houston Astros selected him with the 2nd overall pick in the 1969 MLB Draft.
The hard-throwing right-hander displayed flashes of greatness in the minors. However, issues with control did not allow him to become a full-scale force in Houston’s rotation until the 1975 season.
Then in 1976, Richard found consistency on the mound and began an incredible run of success. That season he won 20 games and displayed his devastating fastball and slider combination which rendered the National League helpless. He won 18 games during each of the following three campaigns, led MLB in strikeouts in 1978 and 1979 and MLB in ERA in 1979 as well.
1980 appeared to be Richard’s and Houston’s year after the team acquired fellow ace Nolan Ryan. Richard started the year 10-4 with a 1.90 ERA and made his first All-Star team.
Sadly, midway through the season a blood clot in his neck caused a stroke and he never fully recovered enough to pitch in Major League Baseball for the rest of his life.
Richard then proceeded to fall into some financial difficulties, and by the 1990s he was homeless & living beneath a highway overpass in the Houston area.
Through his MLB pension and church, Richard rebuilt his life and eventually became a minister. Tragically, Richard’s life came to an end in 2021 due to illness.
Though he is not brought up as often as he should be in the history of MLB’s best power pitchers, Richard was a shooting star across the National League.
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