Dick Redding facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dick Redding |
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: April 15, 1890 Atlanta, Georgia |
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| Died: October 31, 1948 (aged 58) Islip, New York |
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| debut | |||
| 1911, Lincoln Giants | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| 1932, Bacharach Giants | |||
| Career statistics | |||
| Run average | 4.71 | ||
| Earned run average | 3.64 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Richard "Dick" Redding (born April 15, 1890 – died October 31, 1948) was a famous baseball pitcher, outfielder, and manager. He played in the Negro Leagues. People called him "Cannonball" because he threw the baseball incredibly fast. Many thought he was the fastest pitcher in black baseball history.
Redding played for several teams during his career. These included the Philadelphia Giants, New York Lincoln Giants, Lincoln Stars, Indianapolis ABC's, Chicago American Giants, Brooklyn Royal Giants, and Bacharach Giants.
Contents
Early Life and Career Start
Dick Redding was born in Atlanta, Georgia. At that time, there was racial segregation in the United States. This meant that Black players like Redding were not allowed to play in the Major Leagues because of their race.
Even with these challenges, Redding was an amazing pitcher. He was known for throwing many no-hitters. A no-hitter is a game where a pitcher doesn't let the other team get any hits. He threw seven no-hitters in one year and about thirty in his whole career!
Redding was a quiet person off the field. But when he was playing, he was very tough to face. His main pitch was a super-fast fastball. Batters found it very hard to hit. He also threw "brushback" pitches. These were pitches thrown close to the batter to make them step away from the plate.
Redding's professional career began in 1911 with the Philadelphia Giants. He was only 20 years old that year. He won 17 games in a row, which is a fantastic achievement!
Playing and Managing
In 1914, Redding played for the New York Lincoln Giants. He had a great record of 12 wins and 3 losses in official games. He also won 31 games and lost 9 in "barnstorming" games. Barnstorming was when teams traveled around to play exhibition games against different opponents.
In 1918, Redding served in World War I. After the war, he became a player-manager. This meant he both played on the team and helped lead it. He managed the Brooklyn Royal Giants from 1927 to 1932. His playing career mostly ended by the mid-1920s.
Later Life and Legacy
Dick Redding retired from baseball around 1938. In 1948, he had some health issues and passed away in Islip, New York. He was 55 years old.
A few years after he died, in 1952, the Pittsburgh Courier newspaper held a poll. Baseball players voted for the best players ever in the Negro Leagues. Redding received votes, showing how much he was respected.
Hall of Famer Buck Leonard once spoke about Redding. He said, "He was a nice fellow, easy going. He never argued, never cursed, never smoked as I recall; I never saw him take a drink." This shows Redding was a good person both on and off the field.
In 2021, Dick Redding was considered for the National Baseball Hall of Fame. He was on the final ballot for the Class of 2022. Even though he didn't get enough votes to be inducted, being considered for the Hall of Fame is a huge honor. It shows his importance in baseball history.
Career Statistics
Negro Leagues and Cuban League Statistics
- Negro league and Cuban League statistics and player information from Seamheads.com
Negro Leagues Statistics
- Negro league baseball statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference (Negro leagues)
