Rick Austin, baseball player, 1970-1976

Rick Austin

Born: 10/27/1946 in Seattle, WA, USA

MLB Debut: 1970-06-21 | Final Game: 1976-06-27

Bats: R | Throws: L | Height: 6'4" | Weight: 190 lbs

Full name: Rick Gerald Austin

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Biography

Rick Austin was a professional baseball pitcher born in 1946, who played in Major League Baseball from 1970 until his final game on June 27, 1976. Throughout his career, he demonstrated a competitive spirit and a strong work ethic on the mound, finishing with a record of 4-8 and an earned run average (ERA) of 4.63. Austin recorded a total of 106 strikeouts and secured 6 saves, showcasing his ability to both start games and contribute in relief situations. Austin's playing career unfolded during a transformative period in baseball, characterized by the transition from the deadball era to a game increasingly influenced by power hitting and strategic pitching. While he may not have achieved the fame of some of his contemporaries, his contributions to his teams were felt in crucial moments and reflected the dedication typical of pitchers of his time. After retiring, Austin left behind a legacy marked by resilience and the spirit of competition that defined baseball in the 1970s.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
4 8 89 8 1 1 6 136.0 141 70 17 78 106 4.63 0

Career ERA 4.63 vs. league average 3.64 across their career seasons — 27.1% worse than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1970 CLE AL 2 5 31 8 1 1 3 67.7 74 36 26 53 4.79 3.89 (-23%) -674.0
1971 CLE AL 0 0 23 0 0 0 1 23.0 25 13 20 20 5.09 3.47 (-47%) -1120.2
1975 ATL AL 2 3 32 0 0 0 2 40.0 32 18 32 30 4.05 3.71 (-9%) -
1976 ATL AL 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 5.3 10 3 0 3 5.06 — -

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
89 19 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 3 11 0.105 0.227 0.158 0.385 0.0

Career AVG .105 vs. league average .254 across their career seasons — 58.6% below league average.

Career OBP .227 vs. league average .323 across their career seasons — 29.5% below league average.

Career SLG .158 vs. league average .371 across their career seasons — 57.5% below league average.

Career OPS 0.385 vs. league average 0.694 across their career seasons — 44.5% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1970 CLE AL 31 18 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 3 10 0.111 — — — — 0.0
1971 CLE AL 23 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1975 ATL AL 32 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1976 ATL AL 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 89 8 6 23 0 3

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1970 CLE P 31 8 4 13 0 1
1971 CLE P 23 0 1 5 0 1
1975 ML4 P 32 0 1 3 0 0
1976 ML4 P 3 0 0 2 0 1

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 89

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
Washington State University Pullman WA 1967, 1968