Richard Lambert Rundles (June 3, 1981 – December 16, 2019) was a

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

(MLB)

relief pitcher In baseball and softball, a relief pitcher or reliever is a pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed because of fatigue (medical), fatigue, ineffectiveness, injury, or ejection (sports), ejection, or for other strategic ...

who played for the

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...

in 2008 and 2009. From 1999 to 2012, Rundles played in minor league baseball with the Boston Red Sox, Montreal Expos, Washington Nationals, St. Louis Cardinals, New York Mets, Cleveland Indians and Baltimore Orioles organizations. Through 836 minor-league innings, Rundles compiled a 3.39 ERA. A pitcher with good control, he was a third-round draft pick out of high school in 1999. As a starter in Class A ball a year later, he walked 13 while striking out 114 in 132 innings. Various injuries stalled his development until signing with the Indians as a minor-league free agent in January 2007. The Tribe moved Rundles to the bullpen in an attempt to avoid his durability issues. Sent to the Double-A

Akron Aeros The Akron RubberDucks are a Minor League Baseball team based in Akron, Ohio. The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. They play in Canal Park, located in downtown Akron, which seats 7,630 ...

in 2007, Rundles went 3-0 with a 1.83 ERA and two saves in 23 games, 21 of which were out of the bullpen. That earned him his first call to Triple-A, where he was 2-4 with a 2.70 ERA in 17 relief outings at Buffalo. Rundles then went to the 2007 Arizona Fall League to continue his transition to relief. He allowed one run in 8 innings (1.04 ERA) over eight outings. On July 2, , Rundles was named to the 2008 Triple-A All-Star Game as the lone representative of the

Buffalo Bisons The Buffalo Bisons (known colloquially as the Herd) are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Located in Buffalo, New York, the team plays their home games at Sahlen Fiel ...

. He was called up to the majors on September 1, , and made his debut on September 3, walking the only batter he faced. During his stint in the majors, Rundles had a total of 6 strikeouts, 2 walks, and gave up 1 earned run through 4 innings of work from the bullpen. Rundles appeared in 7 games for the Tribe that season, compiling a 2.08 ERA. Rundles was then returned to the Triple-A

Columbus Clippers The Columbus Clippers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. They are located in Columbus, Ohio, and are named for speedy Merchant ship, mercha ...

on March 15, 2009. Rundles was released by the St. Louis Cardinals organization on May 31, 2011. On June 7, 2012, the Baltimore Orioles purchased Rundles contract from the

Lancaster Barnstormers The Lancaster Barnstormers (colloquially known as the Stormers) are an American professional baseball team based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. They are a member of the North Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, a "partner league ...

. The Orioles released him in April 2013. In 9 MLB games, Rundles worked 6 innings and allowed 6 hits and 4 walks while striking out 7 batters. He had a lifetime 1.50 ERA and a 1.667 WHIP. He served as a pitching coach for the

of the

Atlantic League of Professional Baseball The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB) is a professional independent baseball league based in the United States. It is an official MLB Partner League based in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States. The Atlantic League's ...

from 2014-2016 and for the

University of West Alabama The University of West Alabama (UWA) is a public university in Livingston, Alabama. Founded in 1835, the school began as a church-supported school for young women called Livingston Female Academy. The original Board of Trustees of Livingston F ...

baseball team. Rundles died on December 16, 2019, from natural causes at the age of 38.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rundles, Rich 1981 births 2019 deaths People from Chattanooga, Tennessee Baseball coaches from Tennessee Baseball players from Tennessee Major League Baseball pitchers Cleveland Indians players Gulf Coast Red Sox players Clinton LumberKings players Augusta GreenJackets players Brevard County Manatees players Harrisburg Senators players Binghamton Mets players St. Lucie Mets players Springfield Cardinals players Akron Aeros players Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players Columbus Clippers players Memphis Redbirds players Lancaster Barnstormers players Norfolk Tides players Surprise Rafters players Tigres de Aragua players American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela Minor league baseball coaches West Alabama Tigers baseball coaches