Fred Charles Richards (November 3, 1927 – March 18, 2016), nicknamed "Fuzzy", was an American

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Mod ...

player. Richards, a

first baseman A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...

, played eleven seasons of minor league baseball and appeared in ten

games played Games played (GP) is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated (in any capacity); the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested. Basebal ...

in the Major Leagues for the

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...

in the waning weeks of the season. He threw and batted left-handed, stood tall and weighed . Born in

Warren, Ohio Warren is a city in and the county seat of Trumbull County, Ohio, United States. Located in northeastern Ohio, Warren lies approximately northwest of Youngstown and southeast of Cleveland. The population was 39,201 at the 2020 census. The his ...

in 1927, Richards signed with the Cubs in 1946 as a 19-year-old. He had finished his sixth season in the Cubs'

farm system In sports, a farm team, farm system, feeder team, feeder club, or nursery club is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful players can move on to a higher ...

when he was called to the Majors in 1951. Ironically, 1951 had been Richards' worst pro season, as he batted only .223 in 120 games split between the Class A

Des Moines Bruins Des Moines Bruins were a minor league baseball based in Des Moines, Iowa. The team played in the Western League from 1947 to 1958. Their home ballpark was Pioneer Memorial Stadium, and they were affiliated with the Chicago Cubs (1947–1957) and ...

and the Triple-A

Springfield Cubs The Springfield Cubs, based in Springfield, Massachusetts, were a minor league baseball franchise that served as a farm team of the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball from 1948 to 1953. The team was a member of the Class B New England League ...

. In his first

at bat In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens during their turn at bat, but a batt ...

on September 15, facing

Sheldon Jones Sheldon Leslie "Available" Jones (February 2, 1922 – April 18, 1991) was an American professional baseball player, a right-handed pitcher who played in the Major Leagues from 1946 through 1953 for the New York Giants, Boston Braves and Chica ...

, he flied out to

center fielder A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball and softball fielding position between left field and right field. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the c ...

Willie Mays Willie Howard Mays Jr. (born May 6, 1931), nicknamed "the Say Hey Kid" and "Buck", is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball (MLB). Regarded as one of the greatest players ever, Mays ranks second behind only Babe Ruth on most all-tim ...

of the

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...

,1951-9-15 box score from Retrosheet
/ref> but overall he collected eight

hits Hits or H.I.T.S. may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * ''H.I.T.S.'', 1991 album by New Kids on the Block * ''...Hits'' (Phil Collins album), 1998 * ''Hits'' (compilation series), 1984–2006; 2014 - a British compilation album se ...

(including two doubles) in 27 at bats during his Major League audition. Richards would split 1952 between Des Moines and Springfield again, but he never returned to the Major Leagues.

References

External links

1927 births 2016 deaths Baseball players from Ohio Charleston Senators players Chicago Cubs players Dallas Eagles players Des Moines Bruins players Fayetteville Cubs players Los Angeles Angels (minor league) players Major League Baseball first basemen Minneapolis Millers (baseball) players Nashville Vols players Sportspeople from Warren, Ohio Springfield Cubs players Statesville Cubs players {{Baseball-first-baseman-stub