Lee Richmond

Born: 5/5/1857 in Sheffield, OH, USA

Died: 10/1/1929 in Toledo, OH, USA

MLB Debut: 1879-09-27 | Final Game: 1886-10-04

Throws: L | Height: 5'10" | Weight: 155 lbs

Full name: J Lee Richmond

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Biography

Lee Richmond was a pioneering pitcher in the early days of professional baseball, playing from 1879 to 1886. Born in 1857, Richmond made his mark during a transformative era in the sport, when baseball was still solidifying its place in American culture. He finished his career with a record of 75-100, an ERA of 3.06, and accumulated 552 strikeouts, showcasing his abilities as a formidable pitcher of his time. Richmond's contributions to the game were significant, as he was one of the first players to demonstrate the potential of pitcher dominance in an era that was still finding its footing in terms of rules and playing styles. Richmond’s career unfolded during a period marked by the transition from the rough-and-tumble nature of the early game to a more organized and structured sport. He played in an era before the establishment of the modern baseball league system, which made his achievements particularly noteworthy given the competition and conditions of the time. In addition to his pitching prowess, he also recorded three saves, highlighting his ability to close out games effectively. Richmond's legacy is remembered as part of the foundation that would lead to the more developed strategies and player roles seen in later iterations of the game.

Career Pitching Statistics

W	L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA	Pitcher PIV
75	100	191	179	161	8	3	1583.0	1763	538	27	269	552	3.06	0

Career ERA 3.06 vs. league average 3.00 across their career seasons — near 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
1879	BSN	NL	1	0	1	1	1	0	0	9.0	4	2	1	11	2.00	2.50 (+20%)	0.0
1880	WOR	NL	32	32	74	66	57	5	3	590.7	541	141	74	243	2.15	2.37 (+10%)	2266.3
1881	WOR	NL	25	26	53	52	50	3	0	462.3	547	174	68	156	3.39	2.77 (-22%)	1603.1
1882	WOR	NL	14	33	48	46	44	0	0	411.0	525	171	88	123	3.74	2.80 (-34%)	-3975.4
1883	PRO	NL	3	7	12	12	8	0	0	92.0	122	34	27	13	3.33	3.22 (-3%)	-2155.2
1886	CN2	AA	0	2	3	2	1	0	0	18.0	24	16	11	6	8.00	3.37 (-137%)	-556.4

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
251	1018	169	262	29	20	3	113	0	46	73	0.257	0.289	0.334	0.623	306.2

Career AVG .257 vs. league average .251 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .289 vs. league average .286 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .334 vs. league average .334 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS 0.623 vs. league average 0.620 across their career seasons — near league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year	Team	Lg	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG	Lg AVG	Lg OBP	Lg SLG	Lg OPS	PIV
1879	BSN	NL	1	6	0	2	0	0	0	1	0	1	0.333	—	—	—	—	0.0
1880	WOR	NL	77	309	44	70	8	4	0	34	9	32	0.227	.244 (-7%)	.267 (-7%)	.319 (-13%)	.586 (-10%)	-453.2
1881	WOR	NL	61	252	31	63	5	1	0	28	10	10	0.250	.260 (-4%)	.290 (-4%)	.338 (-18%)	.628 (-11%)	-400.4
1882	WOR	NL	55	228	50	64	8	9	2	28	9	11	0.281	.248 (+13%)	.275 (+12%)	.329 (+28%)	.605 (+20%)	634.4
1883	PRO	NL	49	194	41	55	8	6	1	19	15	19	0.284	.257 (+10%)	.285 (+17%)	.345 (+16%)	.631 (+17%)	525.4
1886	CN2	AA	8	29	3	8	0	0	0	3	3	0	0.276	—	—	—	—	0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
OF	90	0	71	10	39	1
P	191	0	50	317	47	6

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	PO	A	E	DP
1879	BSN	P	1	0	2	0	0
1880	WOR	OF	20	4	2	3	0
1880	WOR	P	74	13	97	23	1
1881	WOR	OF	11	8	1	5	1
1881	WOR	P	53	18	100	8	3
1882	WOR	OF	11	8	4	5	0
1882	WOR	P	48	15	97	14	2
1883	PRO	OF	41	47	3	20	0
1883	PRO	P	12	2	19	2	0
1886	CN2	OF	7	4	0	6	0
1886	CN2	P	3	2	2	0	0