Talk:J.R. Richard

From BR Bullpen

I'm assuming he's not living under a bridge, although I guess he did, but Texas Southern doesn't list him with the coaches either. --Just me 21:26, 3 September 2006 (EDT)

I was never a baseball fan until 1979. He was the most dominating pitcher I have ever watched on TV, and the excitement when he pitched was phenomenal. Between J.R. Richard, Nolan Ryan, Joe Niekro, Bruce Sutter, Goose Gossage, and Ranger stars like Buddy Bell, Al Oliver, and Mickey Rivers, baseball grabbed me and hooked me in forever. J.R. Richard, I thought you died from the stroke. I was surprised today to learn you're alive. You could have been remembered as the BEST pitcher and most exciting player in Major League Baseball History, except for what happened. -- user:dbrewer18tx 12:10 CST 10-31-06

About Texas Southern University, here's a link that talks about Richard joining the staff as assistant coach. Tigers tap ex-Astro Richard for pitching help. - Randy 14:51 31 October 2006 (EST)

Randy, thank you for the link here, and also for letting us know about the movie. I feel he should get into the HOF! -- user:dbrewer18tx 10:36 01 November 2006 (CST)

Well, speaking from a historical perspective, J.R. had 107 career wins and I don't think there has ever been a pitcher elected to the Hall of Fame with fewer than 150 wins. However, his situation does bring to mind Addie Joss, a Hall of Fame pitcher from early in the 20th century who pitched only 9 seasons before dying suddenly from illness. - Randy 12:26 1 November 2006 (EST)

Sutton had an identical ERA+ to Richard, but did it in a career over three times as long. Seaver had a higher peak and longer career. While impressive, Richard was merely Sutton with a much shorter career. - --Mischa 13:18, 1 November 2006 (EST)

One could have endless arguments about who "belongs" in the Hall of Fame, but the truth is that the Hall draws an arbitrary line as to who gets in and who doesn't. The line is drawn at a point where approximately 1% of major leaguers get in, and that restriction tends to induce the Hall to leave out good players with shorter careers. Whether that is right or not can be debated endlessly, and of course there are some people who think the Hall should let in three times as many players, while other people think the Hall should let in less than half as many as it does now. I personally think the Hall is increasingly irrelevant in an age where we can just look at Baseball Reference and other sources to decide for ourselves who is the best. We don't really need the Hall to do it for us. - Randy 13:29 1 November 2006 (EST)

It's a sad story and I just hope that a lot of people will remember J.R. as the Giant he was, even without getting a trip to Cooperstown. David -- 1:08 CST, 7 Feb. 2007