Rick Waits

Born: 5/15/1952 in Atlanta, GA, USA

MLB Debut: 1973-09-17 | Final Game: 1985-10-06

Bats: L | Throws: L | Height: 6'3" | Weight: 194 lbs

Full name: Michael Richard Waits

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Biography

Rick Waits, born in 1952, was a professional baseball pitcher who played from 1973 until his retirement on October 6, 1985. Over the course of his career, he made a mark in Major League Baseball with a record of 79 wins and 92 losses, an earned run average (ERA) of 4.25, and a total of 659 strikeouts. Known for his durability and versatility on the mound, Waits contributed to his teams both as a starter and reliever, accumulating 8 saves throughout his career. Waits navigated the competitive landscape of the 1970s and early 1980s, a period marked by significant changes in the game, including the transition from the deadball era to a more offense-driven approach. He showcased a competitive spirit and a solid pitching repertoire, which allowed him to hold his own against some of the era's most formidable hitters. Though he may not have reached the stardom of some contemporaries, Waits' contributions and persistence on the mound earned him respect among peers and fans alike, solidifying his place in baseball history.

Career Pitching Statistics

W	L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA	Pitcher PIV
79	92	317	190	47	10	8	1427.0	1514	674	110	568	659	4.25	0

Career ERA 4.25 vs. league average 3.80 across their career seasons — 11.8% 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
1973	TEX	AL	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	1.0	1	1	1	0	9.00	—	0.0
1975	CLE	AL	6	2	16	7	3	0	1	70.3	57	23	25	34	2.94	3.71 (+21%)	761.5
1976	CLE	AL	7	9	26	22	4	2	0	123.7	143	55	54	65	4.00	3.51 (-14%)	-358.3
1977	CLE	AL	9	7	37	16	1	0	2	135.3	132	60	64	62	3.99	4.00 (avg)	-113.5
1978	CLE	AL	13	15	34	33	15	2	0	230.3	206	82	86	97	3.20	3.69 (+13%)	-632.2
1979	CLE	AL	16	13	34	34	8	3	0	231.0	230	114	91	91	4.44	4.00 (-11%)	-3867.1
1980	CLE	AL	13	14	33	33	9	2	0	224.3	231	111	82	109	4.45	3.84 (-16%)	-538.8
1981	CLE	AL	8	10	22	21	5	1	0	126.3	173	69	44	51	4.92	3.58 (-37%)	5.6
1982	CLE	AL	2	13	25	21	2	0	0	115.0	128	69	57	44	5.40	3.86 (-40%)	-3152.1
1983	CLE	AL	0	1	8	0	0	0	0	19.7	23	10	9	13	4.58	3.87 (-18%)	200.2
1983	ATL	AL	0	2	10	2	0	0	0	30.0	39	17	11	20	5.10	3.87 (-32%)	-
1984	ATL	AL	2	4	47	1	0	0	3	73.0	84	29	24	49	3.58	3.81 (+6%)	-
1985	ATL	AL	3	2	24	0	0	0	1	47.0	67	34	20	24	6.51	3.89 (-67%)	-

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
329	1	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0.000	0.000	0.000	0.000	0.0

Career AVG .000 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — 100.0% below league average.

Career OBP .000 vs. league average .325 across their career seasons — 100.0% below league average.

Career SLG .000 vs. league average .384 across their career seasons — 100.0% below league average.

Career OPS 0.000 vs. league average 0.709 across their career seasons — 100.0% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year	Team	Lg	G	AB	R	SO	AVG	Lg AVG	Lg OBP	Lg SLG	Lg OPS
1973	TEX	AL	1	0	0	0	.000	—	—	—	—
1975	CLE	AL	16	0	0	0	.000	—	—	—	—
1976	CLE	AL	36	0	4	0	.000	—	—	—	—
1977	CLE	AL	38	0	0	0	.000	—	—	—	—
1978	CLE	AL	35	0	0	0	.000	—	—	—	—
1979	CLE	AL	34	0	0	0	.000	—	—	—	—
1980	CLE	AL	33	0	0	0	.000	—	—	—	—
1981	CLE	AL	22	0	0	0	.000	—	—	—	—
1982	CLE	AL	25	0	0	0	.000	—	—	—	—
1983	CLE	AL	8	0	0	0	.000	—	—	—	—
1983	ATL	AL	10	0	0	0	.000	—	—	—	—
1984	ATL	AL	47	0	0	0	.000	—	—	—	—
1985	ATL	AL	24	1	0	1	0.000	—	—	—	—

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
P	317	190	91	252	8	10

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1973	TEX	P	1	0	0	0	0	0
1975	CLE	P	16	7	5	12	1	1
1976	CLE	P	26	22	10	20	2	2
1977	CLE	P	37	16	4	24	2	1
1978	CLE	P	34	33	19	49	1	1
1979	CLE	P	34	34	15	43	0	2
1980	CLE	P	33	33	10	30	1	0
1981	CLE	P	22	21	12	28	0	2
1982	CLE	P	25	21	6	23	0	1
1983	CLE	P	8	0	0	3	0	0
1983	ML4	P	10	2	0	4	1	0
1984	ML4	P	47	1	2	12	0	0
1985	ML4	P	24	0	8	4	0	0