OK. So on
the blog today, I finally break down and reuse the image I originally
used for JR Richard and his 1972 "dedicated rookie" here on the blog
years ago, for his "not so missing" 1973 edition:
I
have been looking high and low for a nice time-sesitive image of
Richard to no success, then one of you suggested I do what Topps was
doing a lot of back then, reusing images, sometimes cropped differently,
so here we are!
Richard appeared in his first four games during the 1971 season,
and blew the MLB world wide-open when he struck out 15 batters in his
first start.
In
1972 he would again appear in four games, going 1-0 with a 13.50 ERA
over six innings, striking out eight while also walking eight.
It would take a few years, but he'd become the power-arm all-star
by the 1975 season, and would go on to post two 300+ strikeout
campaigns, four straight 200+ K years, four straight seasons of 18+
wins (1976-1979), and an E.R.A. crown in 1979 before tragically
having his career cut short in 1980 by a stroke.
His final numbers are indicative of what we could have expected
well into the 1980's had he not been cut down at the age of 30: a 107-71
record with 1493 strikeouts and a 3.15 ERA in 238 games and 1606
innings.
It really would have been something to see Richard and Nolan Ryan team up to rack-up incredible numbers together.
One of the ultimate "what could have been" stories in baseball during my childhood for sure…
