Kendrick on J.R. Richard: 'He was special'

A version of this story was originally published in August 2021, following J.R. Richard's death. We are re-publishing it today, on what would have been Richard's 72nd birthday.

To say J.R. Richard was a flamethrower is an understatement. He was the first Astros pitcher to strike out 300 batters in a season, and he was a Cy Young Award candidate in three out of his last five years in the big leagues.

One wonders what his career would have been like if he didn’t suffer the major stroke that ended his career in 1980. That was on the mind of Negro Leagues Baseball Museum president Bob Kendrick after receiving word that Richard passed away on Aug. 4, 2021, at the age at 71.

• J.R. Richard, dominant Astros righty, dies

“I don’t think people fully grasp how dominant he was. He was special,” Kendrick said via telephone. “His passing hit me hard. He was such an important part of the museum’s family. He would just call me to see how I was doing.”

Kendrick said Richard was a fixture at the museum long before NLBM inducted Richard into the “Hall of Game” in 2018. The award is given to standout former Major League players. While Richard never played in the Negro Leagues, Kendrick said he played with passion, great skill and flare just like the players in the Negro Leagues.

“J.R. never stopped coming [to the museum] until the pandemic occurred last year,” Kendrick said. “He was supposed to be out here for a baseball event in Ottawa, Kan., this year, and he ended up postponing the trip because he was in the hospital. I never got a chance to talk to him again.”

According to Kendrick, the legendary Buck O’Neil, the founder of NLBM, said Richard was the best high school baseball pitcher he saw. Richard, who attended Lincoln High School in Ruston, La., never lost a game he started for the school.

Richard was nearly as dominant in the big leagues. During his 10-year career, he won 107 games with 76 complete games and a 3.15 ERA for the Astros from 1971-80. Richard had a blazing fastball to match, striking out 300-plus batters in a season in 1978 and ’79.

“The stroke derailed what would have been a Hall of Fame career," Kendrick said. "I guess you could say the Negro League Baseball Museum induction of him into the Hall of Game was his Hall of Fame.

“He was very proud of that honor. He was also proud to be a member of Mudcat Grant’s black aces [African American pitchers who won 20 games in a season in the big leagues].”

The way Kendrick saw it, Richard was a dominant force on the mound, but he had such a gentle spirit off the field.

“He was a good-old country boy,” Kendrick said.