Richie Lewis
Encyclopedia
Richie Todd Lewis is a former right-handed relief pitcher
in Major League Baseball
who played from to for the Baltimore Orioles
, Florida Marlins
, Detroit Tigers
, Oakland Athletics
and Cincinnati Reds
. He attended Southside High School
in Muncie, where his father was the coach for many years. He then went on to attend Florida State University
.
Originally drafted by the Montreal Expos
44th overall in the 1987 draft
, Lewis spent a few years in the minors before making his big-league debut. He played only two games professionally in 1987, both in AAA ball. He would prove to be a very valuable minor league player over the next few seasons, both as a starter and reliever. For example, he posted a 2.58 ERA in as a starter, and in with the Jacksonville Expos he posted a 1.26 ERA as a reliever.
He made his major league debut on July 31, at the age of 26. Standing at the height of 5'6" tall, Lewis-who is one of the shortest players ever to pitch in the majors-pitched just over four innings in his debut (he started the game). He gave up five hits and walked six, but he still managed to earn the win.
Lewis was selected in the 51st round of the 1992 Expansion draft by the Florida Marlins.
He would mostly be used as a reliever for the rest of his career, with his best season being . In 57 games, he posted a 3.26 ERA and 65 strikeouts. Overall, he went 14 and 15 in his career, with 191 walks, 244 strikeouts and a 4.88 ERA in 217 games. Although his major league career ended on June 4, , he bounced around in the minors until 2003. He was the pitching coach for the Columbus Catfish
in 2006.
A recurring glitch in the EA Sports Triple Play video game franchise caused Lewis to throw certain pitches between 111-120 miles per hour, making him one of the most dominant pitchers in all of the games in which the glitch occurred.
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
in Major League Baseball
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...
who played from to for the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
, Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
, 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...
, Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
and Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
. He attended Southside High School
Southside High School (Muncie, Indiana)
Southside High School is a high school located in Muncie, Indiana. It is one of many high schools with that name. A public school, it serves grades 9-12 and is host to 1129 students . Notable alumni include former baseball player Richie Lewis...
in Muncie, where his father was the coach for many years. He then went on to attend Florida State University
Florida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
.
Originally drafted by the Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
44th overall in the 1987 draft
1987 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1987 Major League Baseball draft.-Supplemental First Round Selections:-External links:*...
, Lewis spent a few years in the minors before making his big-league debut. He played only two games professionally in 1987, both in AAA ball. He would prove to be a very valuable minor league player over the next few seasons, both as a starter and reliever. For example, he posted a 2.58 ERA in as a starter, and in with the Jacksonville Expos he posted a 1.26 ERA as a reliever.
He made his major league debut on July 31, at the age of 26. Standing at the height of 5'6" tall, Lewis-who is one of the shortest players ever to pitch in the majors-pitched just over four innings in his debut (he started the game). He gave up five hits and walked six, but he still managed to earn the win.
Lewis was selected in the 51st round of the 1992 Expansion draft by the Florida Marlins.
He would mostly be used as a reliever for the rest of his career, with his best season being . In 57 games, he posted a 3.26 ERA and 65 strikeouts. Overall, he went 14 and 15 in his career, with 191 walks, 244 strikeouts and a 4.88 ERA in 217 games. Although his major league career ended on June 4, , he bounced around in the minors until 2003. He was the pitching coach for the Columbus Catfish
Columbus Catfish
The Columbus Catfish were a minor league baseball team in Columbus, Georgia. They were a Class A team in the South Atlantic League, and were an affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays since September 29, 2006. The Catfish relocated to Bowling Green, Kentucky for the 2009 season.The Catfish played home...
in 2006.
A recurring glitch in the EA Sports Triple Play video game franchise caused Lewis to throw certain pitches between 111-120 miles per hour, making him one of the most dominant pitchers in all of the games in which the glitch occurred.