Gene Richards (baseball) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gene Richards |
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Richards with the San Francisco Giants in 1984
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| Outfielder | |||
| Born: September 29, 1953 Monticello, South Carolina, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| April 6, 1977, for the San Diego Padres | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 30, 1984, for the San Francisco Giants | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .290 | ||
| Home runs | 26 | ||
| Runs batted in | 255 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Eugene Richards Jr. (born September 29, 1953) is a former American baseball player who was an outfielder in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for eight seasons, from 1977 to 1984, with the San Diego Padres and the San Francisco Giants.
Richards is famous for his incredible speed. As a rookie in 1977, he set a modern MLB record for the most stolen bases by a first-year player.
Baseball Career
Richards was a talented player from the very start. He was the first player chosen in the 1975 January Major League Baseball Draft by the San Diego Padres. He was a left-handed batter and thrower, stood 6 feet (1.8 m) tall, and weighed 175 pounds (79 kg).
Journey Through the Minor Leagues
Before reaching the major leagues, Richards played for two years in minor league baseball. This is where players develop their skills to get ready for the big leagues.
In 1975, he played for the Class A team, the Reno Silver Sox. He had an amazing season and led the California League in several categories:
- Hits: 191
- Runs: 148
- Stolen bases: 85
- Batting average: .381
His great performance helped Reno win the league championship, and he was named the league's Most Valuable Player. The next year, he was promoted to the Triple-A Hawaii Islanders, the highest level of the minor leagues. He continued to shine, leading the Pacific Coast League with 173 hits.
Success in the Major Leagues
In 1977, Richards made his debut with the San Diego Padres. He made an immediate impact with his speed. He stole 56 bases that season, setting a new MLB record for a rookie. This broke a record that had stood since 1910. Because of his great first year, he finished third in the voting for the National League Rookie of the Year Award.
Richards continued to be a key player for the Padres. In 1980, he led the entire league in singles with 151. He also set a new team record for the Padres with 194 hits in a single season. This record was later broken by the legendary Tony Gwynn in 1984.
When he left the Padres, Richards held the team's career records for triples (63) and stolen bases (242). Just like his single-season hits record, these records were also eventually broken by Tony Gwynn.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball annual triples leaders
- List of Major League Baseball single-game hits leaders
