Rich Folkers
Encyclopedia
Richard Nevin Folkers is a former left-handed Major League Baseball
pitcher
who played from to for the New York Mets
, St. Louis Cardinals
, San Diego Padres
and Milwaukee Brewers
.
He was 6'2" tall and he weighed 180 pounds.
and Parsons College
, and was originally drafted by the San Francisco Giants
in the fourth round of the draft. Deciding not to sign, he was drafted by the Chicago White Sox
and New York Mets
in at different times. The White Sox chose him in the third round, while the Mets took him in the first. The 20th pick overall of the secondary phase draft of 1967, Folkers decided to sign with the Mets.
in a minor league season never rose above 3.19. In , he had perhaps the best season of his entire professional career: Although his record wasn't too outstanding (13-9), he posted an ERA of 2.41 in 27 games, striking out
142 and walking
only 48 in 168 innings.
He missed the 1969 season.
, Charlie Hudson
and Art Shamsky
to the Cardinals for Jim Beauchamp
, Chuck Taylor
, Harry Parker and Chip Coulter
on October 18, .
He did better overall in 1972 in the minors, posting a 3.10 ERA. He was recalled to the Majors that year, pitching nine games in relief for the Cardinals. This stint in the Majors was much more successful: not only did he collect his first big league win on September 30 against Ron Santo
, Rick Monday
and the rest of the Chicago Cubs
, he also posted a respectable 3.38 ERA.
If 1968 was his best professional season, then was his second-best professional season. He posted a 6-2 ERA in 55 relief appearances, which were third most on the team. He also posted a 3.00 ERA, which was 0.59 points better than the league average.
Oddly, his 1974 season was his last in a Cardinals uniform. On November 18, , he was part of a three-team deal involving the Cardinals, Padres and Detroit Tigers
. The Cardinals sent Folkers, Alan Foster and Sonny Siebert
to the Padres, who sent a player to be named later to the Cardinals and Nate Colbert
to the Tigers. The Tigers sent Bob Strampe
and Dick Sharon
to the Padres, and Ed Brinkman
to the Cardinals. The player to be named later that was to be sent to the Cardinals ended up being Danny Breeden
.
His tenure with the Padres was not nearly as successful as was his tenure with the Cardinals. His first year with the San Diego team, 1975, ended with him posting a 6-11 record and a 4.18 ERA for a team that went 71-91 overall. He started 15 games that year, six more than his previous highest total. He showed respectable control that year, walking only 39 in 142 innings of work. However, he was also 10th in the league in wild pitches, with nine thrown.
His final season with the Padres was . The 29-year-old posted a 5.28 ERA that season in 59-2/3 innings of work.
He was selected off waivers by the Brewers on March 23, . Overall, he threw just over six innings for the Brewers that year, posting a 4.26 ERA.
In March , the Brewers traded him with Jim Slaton
to the Tigers for Ben Oglivie
. The Brewers definitely got the better end of that deal - Folkers never appeared in a big league game with the Tigers, while Slaton only pitched one season with them (it was, however, arguably his best season in the Majors. He went 17-11 that year with a 3.89 ERA) before being reclaimed by the Brewers when he entered free agency after the 1978 season. Oglivie, on the other hand, went on the have the best years of his 16 season career while with the Brewers, hitting as many as 41 home runs in a season.
Rich Folkers played in his final big league game on June 8, .
He was a poor hitter, batting only .143 in 77 career at bats. Of the 11 hits he collected, only one was for an extra base hit - it was a double off Bob Forsch
and his former team the Cardinals on August 8, . He drove in six runs in his career, scored three and walked four times. He struck out 28 times.
As a fielder, he committed five errors in his career for a .941 fielding percentage
.
Statistically speaking, Folkers is most related to Danny Coombs
.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
who played from to for the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
, St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
, San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
and Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
.
He was 6'2" tall and he weighed 180 pounds.
The draft
Even before entering professional baseball, Folkers was a highly touted athlete. He attended both Ellsworth Community CollegeEllsworth Community College
Ellsworth Community College is a two-year community college located in Iowa Falls, Iowa. It was founded as Ellsworth College in 1890 by Eugene S. Ellsworth...
and Parsons College
Parsons College
Parsons College was a private liberal arts college in Fairfield, Iowa. The school, affiliated with the Presbyterian Church, was founded in 1875 and closed in 1973....
, and was originally drafted by the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
in the fourth round of the draft. Deciding not to sign, he was drafted by the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
and New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
in at different times. The White Sox chose him in the third round, while the Mets took him in the first. The 20th pick overall of the secondary phase draft of 1967, Folkers decided to sign with the Mets.
The minors
Folkers saw a large amount of success in the minors. From 1967 to 1970, for example, his earned run averageEarned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
in a minor league season never rose above 3.19. In , he had perhaps the best season of his entire professional career: Although his record wasn't too outstanding (13-9), he posted an ERA of 2.41 in 27 games, striking out
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
142 and walking
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
only 48 in 168 innings.
He missed the 1969 season.
First glimpse of the majors
Folkers got his first glimpse of the majors in 1970. On June 10, at the age of 23, Folkers pitched two solid innings in relief, giving up only one hit and allowing no runs. The success he witnessed in that game did not carry over to the rest of the games he pitched in that year. In 16 games that year in the majors, his ERA was 6.44. He also walked 25 batters and only struck out 15 in 29.1 innings of work.Back to the minors
He spent all of 1971 and most of 1972 in the minors. After having a lackluster 1971 season (7-11, 4.50 ERA), the Mets traded away their former first round draft pick along with Jim BibbyJim Bibby
James Blair Bibby was an American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. During a 12-year baseball career, he pitched from 1972-1984 with the St. Louis Cardinals, Texas Rangers, Cleveland Indians, and Pittsburgh Pirates, with whom he was a member of its 1979 World Series Champions...
, Charlie Hudson
Charlie Hudson
Charles Hudson is a former left-handed Major League Baseball pitcher who played from 1972 to 1975 for the St. Louis Cardinals, Texas Rangers and California Angels. He was 6'3" tall and he weighed 185 pounds. He attended Tupelo High School in Tupelo, Oklahoma.Hudson was originally drafted by the...
and Art Shamsky
Art Shamsky
Arthur Louis Shamsky is a former Major League Baseball player. He played right field, left field, and first base from to for the Cincinnati Reds, New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, and Oakland Athletics. In he was the manager of the Modi'in Miracle of the Israel Baseball League.-Early life:Shamsky...
to the Cardinals for Jim Beauchamp
Jim Beauchamp
James Edward Beauchamp was a Major League Baseball first baseman and outfielder who played from to for the St. Louis Cardinals, Houston Colt .45s/Astros, Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds, and New York Mets. He attended Grove High School in Grove, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University...
, Chuck Taylor
Chuck Taylor (baseball)
Charles Gilbert "Chuck" Taylor is a former right-handed Major League Baseball relief pitcher who played from 1969 to 1976 for the St...
, Harry Parker and Chip Coulter
Chip Coulter
Thomas Lee "Chip" Coulter is a former switch hitting, right-handed throwing Major League Baseball second baseman who played in 1969 for the St...
on October 18, .
He did better overall in 1972 in the minors, posting a 3.10 ERA. He was recalled to the Majors that year, pitching nine games in relief for the Cardinals. This stint in the Majors was much more successful: not only did he collect his first big league win on September 30 against Ron Santo
Ron Santo
Ronald Edward Santo was an American professional baseball player and long-time radio sports commentator. He played in Major League Baseball from 1960 to 1974, most notably as the third baseman for the Chicago Cubs. A nine-time All-Star, he was a powerful hitter who was also a good defensive...
, Rick Monday
Rick Monday
Robert James "Rick" Monday, Jr. is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball and is currently a broadcast announcer. From 1966 through 1984, Monday, a center fielder for most of his career, played for the Kansas City/Oakland Athletics , Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers...
and the rest of the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
, he also posted a respectable 3.38 ERA.
Back to stay in the majors
Folkers was used both as a starter and reliever in 1973, posting a solid 3.61 ERA in 34 games (nine of them started).If 1968 was his best professional season, then was his second-best professional season. He posted a 6-2 ERA in 55 relief appearances, which were third most on the team. He also posted a 3.00 ERA, which was 0.59 points better than the league average.
Oddly, his 1974 season was his last in a Cardinals uniform. On November 18, , he was part of a three-team deal involving the Cardinals, Padres and Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
. The Cardinals sent Folkers, Alan Foster and Sonny Siebert
Sonny Siebert
Wilfred Charles Siebert is a former Major League Baseball pitcher from 1964 to 1975. He finished with a record of 140-114 and a 3.21 ERA. He threw a no-hitter on June 10, 1966 against the Washington Senators. He was originally drafted simultaneously by the Cleveland Indians and the St...
to the Padres, who sent a player to be named later to the Cardinals and Nate Colbert
Nate Colbert
Nathan Colbert Jr. , is a former American Major League Baseball player who was a first baseman with the Houston Astros , San Diego Padres , Detroit Tigers , Montreal Expos and Oakland Athletics .Signed by his hometown St...
to the Tigers. The Tigers sent Bob Strampe
Bob Strampe
Robert Edwin "Bob" Strampe is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Detroit Tigers in 1972...
and Dick Sharon
Dick Sharon
Richard Louis Sharon was a professional Major League Baseball player.Sharon graduated Kennedy Middle School and Sequoia High School in Redwood City, California.-Baseball career:...
to the Padres, and Ed Brinkman
Ed Brinkman
Edwin Albert Brinkman was a Major League Baseball shortstop. He played fifteen years in the Major League Baseball, led the American League in games played twice, won a Gold Glove Award at shortstop, and had a career batting average of .224...
to the Cardinals. The player to be named later that was to be sent to the Cardinals ended up being Danny Breeden
Danny Breeden
Danny Richard Breeden is a former right-handed Major League Baseball catcher who played in 1969 and 1971 for the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs....
.
His tenure with the Padres was not nearly as successful as was his tenure with the Cardinals. His first year with the San Diego team, 1975, ended with him posting a 6-11 record and a 4.18 ERA for a team that went 71-91 overall. He started 15 games that year, six more than his previous highest total. He showed respectable control that year, walking only 39 in 142 innings of work. However, he was also 10th in the league in wild pitches, with nine thrown.
His final season with the Padres was . The 29-year-old posted a 5.28 ERA that season in 59-2/3 innings of work.
He was selected off waivers by the Brewers on March 23, . Overall, he threw just over six innings for the Brewers that year, posting a 4.26 ERA.
In March , the Brewers traded him with Jim Slaton
Jim Slaton
James Michael Slaton was a pitcher with a 16 year career from 1971-1986. He played in the American League with the Milwaukee Brewers from 1971–1977 and 1979–1983, the Detroit Tigers in 1978 and 1986, and the California Angels from 1984-1986.Slaton played high school baseball at Antelope Valley...
to the Tigers for Ben Oglivie
Ben Oglivie
Benjamin Ambrosio Oglivie Palmer is a former Major League Baseball left fielder for the Boston Red Sox , Detroit Tigers , and the Milwaukee Brewers . He also played two seasons in Japan for the Kintetsu Buffaloes...
. The Brewers definitely got the better end of that deal - Folkers never appeared in a big league game with the Tigers, while Slaton only pitched one season with them (it was, however, arguably his best season in the Majors. He went 17-11 that year with a 3.89 ERA) before being reclaimed by the Brewers when he entered free agency after the 1978 season. Oglivie, on the other hand, went on the have the best years of his 16 season career while with the Brewers, hitting as many as 41 home runs in a season.
Rich Folkers played in his final big league game on June 8, .
Career statistics
Overall in the majors, Folkers went 19-23 with a 4.11 ERA in 195 games. He gave up 416 hits in 423 innings of work, along with 170 walks, 40 home runs, 207 runs and 193 earned runs. Of the 28 games he started, he completed five of them. He had seven career saves.He was a poor hitter, batting only .143 in 77 career at bats. Of the 11 hits he collected, only one was for an extra base hit - it was a double off Bob Forsch
Bob Forsch
Robert Herbert Forsch was an American right-handed starting pitcher who spent most of his sixteen years in Major League Baseball with the St. Louis Cardinals before finishing his playing career with the Houston Astros...
and his former team the Cardinals on August 8, . He drove in six runs in his career, scored three and walked four times. He struck out 28 times.
As a fielder, he committed five errors in his career for a .941 fielding percentage
Fielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball...
.
Statistically speaking, Folkers is most related to Danny Coombs
Danny Coombs
Daniel Bernard Coombs is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher who played from 1963 to 1971 for the Houston Colt .45s, Houston Astros and San Diego Padres....
.
Other information
- The numbers Folkers wore in his career were 38, 28, 26 and 45.
- The batter Folkers faced the most in his career was Al OliverAl OliverAlbert Oliver, Jr. is a former Major League Baseball player. Over the course of his 18-year career, he played for the Pittsburgh Pirates , Texas Rangers , Montreal Expos , San Francisco Giants , Philadelphia Phillies , Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays...
. Oliver hit .214 in 28 at-bats against Folkers. - He is probably best remembered for a line by the Padres' malaprop-prone broadcaster Jerry ColemanJerry ColemanGerald Francis "Jerry" Coleman is a former Major League Baseball second baseman for the New York Yankees. Currently, he is an analyst and former play-by-play radio announcer for the San Diego Padres...
: "Rich Folkers is throwing up in the bullpen." - At last check, he lived in St. Petersburg, FloridaSt. Petersburg, FloridaSt. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...
. - Served as Pitching Coach at Eckerd College between 1988 and 1992.