Scott Richmond
Encyclopedia
Scott Daniel Richmond (born August 30, 1979 in North Vancouver, British Columbia
) is a Canadian
professional baseball
pitcher
for the Toronto Blue Jays
of Major League Baseball
. He has played for the Blue Jays in 2008, 2009, and 2011.
dockyards. He attended Missouri Valley College
for one year, and played for the school's NAIA
-level baseball team. He then moved to Bossier Parish Community College
in Louisiana
for one year, again playing for the baseball team. He transferred to Oklahoma State University, where he was an honorable mention All-Star in the Big 12 conference for the Cowboys in 2005, his final season, but went undrafted after college, since he was already age 25.
He then joined the independent Northern League, where he played three seasons for the Edmonton Cracker-Cats
. He struggled in his first season with Edmonton (1–4, 4 saves, 6.25 ERA
) in 2005. In 2006, he was 3–7 with 8 saves and a 3.03 ERA, striking out
72 while walking
only 17 in 71 innings and allowing just 53 hits
. He led Edmonton in ERA; had he qualified with enough innings pitched, he would have ranked 4th in the Northern League. Richmond moved to the starting rotation
in 2007, where he had a 10–9 record and a 4.26 ERA. The rest of the staff was just 28–49, as Richmond led his team in wins
. He was 10th in the Northern League in ERA, and was the pitcher of the year for Edmonton. After his contract expired, he was signed by the Toronto Blue Jays, after impressing scouts in an open tryout.
In 2008, Richmond signed a minor league contract with the Blue Jays. He had a 4.29 ERA and 115/36 K/BB ratio in 121 innings with 21 starts between the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats
and the Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs.
, and was the pitcher of record in a 3-2 loss. He went 5 innings, allowing all 3 runs on 7 hits. After losing two of his first three starts with one no-decision, Scott was demoted to Triple-A. He was called up again on September 2, and won his first career game at Baltimore on September 26. He finished the season with a 1–3 record and a 4.00 ERA in 27 major league innings pitched.
He did not play for Team Canada
in the Beijing Olympics
due to his call up with the Jays.
, but did not get to play. He is a starter at the Major League level for the Blue Jays for his first full season, due to injuries to Shaun Marcum
and Dustin McGowan
. In the month of April, Richmond went 3–0, allowing 7 earned runs, 20 strikeouts with a 2.70 ERA
over 23.1 innings pitched. His strong performance played an important role in keeping Toronto in first place for the month of April. Richmond was honored by Major League Baseball
for his strong April, winning the Rookie of the Month award for the American League.
As the Jays' fifth starter for 2009, Richmond through the third week of June had also made three bullpen appearances, on occasions when scheduled off-days removed the need for a fifth starter, and when the Jays' relief corps was overworked. Due to a multitude of injuries to Jays' pitchers, Richmond through the third week of June remained the only Jays' starter who had been in the rotation since the start of the season. He set a career high with 11 strikeouts against the World Series
champion Philadelphia Phillies
, pitching 8 innings in a 7-1 win on June 17.
On July 4, he was put on the DL, for the first time in his career, with shoulder tendinitis.
. He worked his way up through the system, pitching at three different levels, finishing up with the Las Vegas 51s
in September. He opened the 2011 season with the Blue Jays, appearing in one game on April 10 before being optioned back to Las Vegas, where he is currently pitching.
Scott has come to earn the nickname "The Spider", as the teams playing for the University of Richmond are known as the Richmond Spiders.
On July 23, 2011, Richmond was outrighted to Triple-A, after previously being designated for assignment.
North Vancouver, British Columbia
There are two municipalities in the Greater Vancouver region of British Columbia, Canada, that use the name North Vancouver. These are:*The City of North Vancouver...
) is a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
professional baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
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...
for the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
of 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...
. He has played for the Blue Jays in 2008, 2009, and 2011.
College, Independent, and Minor League career
Richmond's high school did not offer baseball, and he played amateur summer baseball throughout western Canada, supporting himself by working on the VancouverVancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
dockyards. He attended Missouri Valley College
Missouri Valley College
Missouri Valley College is a private, four-year liberal arts college affiliated with the Presbyterian Church . The campus is in Marshall, Missouri.The college was founded in 1889 and supports 27 academic majors and an enrollment close to 1,800 students...
for one year, and played for the school's NAIA
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
-level baseball team. He then moved to Bossier Parish Community College
Bossier Parish Community College
Bossier Parish Community College is a two-year institution of higher education established in 1967 by the Louisiana State Legislature, initially as a pilot program to test the feasibility of commuter two-year colleges...
in Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
for one year, again playing for the baseball team. He transferred to Oklahoma State University, where he was an honorable mention All-Star in the Big 12 conference for the Cowboys in 2005, his final season, but went undrafted after college, since he was already age 25.
He then joined the independent Northern League, where he played three seasons for the Edmonton Cracker-Cats
Edmonton Capitals
The Edmonton Capitals are a professional baseball team based in Edmonton, Alberta. Known originally as the Edmonton Cracker-Cats, they began play in the Northern League in 2005 before switching to the Golden Baseball League in 2008. The team was sold to Daryl Katz in 2009, after which the team was...
. He struggled in his first season with Edmonton (1–4, 4 saves, 6.25 ERA
Earned 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 2005. In 2006, he was 3–7 with 8 saves and a 3.03 ERA, 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....
72 while 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 17 in 71 innings and allowing just 53 hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
. He led Edmonton in ERA; had he qualified with enough innings pitched, he would have ranked 4th in the Northern League. Richmond moved to the starting rotation
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
in 2007, where he had a 10–9 record and a 4.26 ERA. The rest of the staff was just 28–49, as Richmond led his team in wins
Win (baseball)
In professional baseball, there are two types of decisions: a win and a loss . In each game, one pitcher on the winning team is awarded a win and one pitcher on the losing team is given a loss in their respective statistics. These pitchers are collectively known as the pitchers of record. Only...
. He was 10th in the Northern League in ERA, and was the pitcher of the year for Edmonton. After his contract expired, he was signed by the Toronto Blue Jays, after impressing scouts in an open tryout.
In 2008, Richmond signed a minor league contract with the Blue Jays. He had a 4.29 ERA and 115/36 K/BB ratio in 121 innings with 21 starts between the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats
New Hampshire Fisher Cats
The New Hampshire Fisher Cats are a minor league baseball team based in Manchester, New Hampshire. The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays major-league club....
and the Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs.
2008
He made his first major league start on July 30, 2008, against the Tampa Bay RaysTampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
, and was the pitcher of record in a 3-2 loss. He went 5 innings, allowing all 3 runs on 7 hits. After losing two of his first three starts with one no-decision, Scott was demoted to Triple-A. He was called up again on September 2, and won his first career game at Baltimore on September 26. He finished the season with a 1–3 record and a 4.00 ERA in 27 major league innings pitched.
He did not play for Team Canada
Canada national baseball team
Canada has qualified for two Olympic games, in 2004 and 2008. Canadian teams also competed twice when baseball was a demonstration sport, in 1984 and 1988.-1984 Summer Olympics:...
in the Beijing Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
due to his call up with the Jays.
2009
Richmond was selected as a starting pitcher for Team Canada at the World Baseball ClassicWorld Baseball Classic
The World Baseball Classic is an international baseball tournament sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation and created by Major League Baseball , the Major League Baseball Players Association , and other professional baseball leagues and their players associations around the world...
, but did not get to play. He is a starter at the Major League level for the Blue Jays for his first full season, due to injuries to Shaun Marcum
Shaun Marcum
Shaun Michael Marcum is an American professional baseball starting pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball.-Early life:...
and Dustin McGowan
Dustin McGowan
Dustin Michael McGowan is an American professional baseball pitcher with the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball. Drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays out of Long County High School in Ludowici, Georgia in the 1st round with 33rd pick of the draft on June 4, 2000...
. In the month of April, Richmond went 3–0, allowing 7 earned runs, 20 strikeouts with a 2.70 ERA
Earned 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...
over 23.1 innings pitched. His strong performance played an important role in keeping Toronto in first place for the month of April. Richmond was honored by 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...
for his strong April, winning the Rookie of the Month award for the American League.
As the Jays' fifth starter for 2009, Richmond through the third week of June had also made three bullpen appearances, on occasions when scheduled off-days removed the need for a fifth starter, and when the Jays' relief corps was overworked. Due to a multitude of injuries to Jays' pitchers, Richmond through the third week of June remained the only Jays' starter who had been in the rotation since the start of the season. He set a career high with 11 strikeouts against the World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
champion Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
, pitching 8 innings in a 7-1 win on June 17.
On July 4, he was put on the DL, for the first time in his career, with shoulder tendinitis.
Comeback: 2010-11
In 2010, Richmond started his comeback in June with the Single-A Dunedin Blue JaysDunedin Blue Jays
The Dunedin Blue Jays are a minor league baseball team based in Dunedin, Florida. They play in the Florida State League, and are the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays Major League Baseball club...
. He worked his way up through the system, pitching at three different levels, finishing up with the Las Vegas 51s
Las Vegas 51s
The Las Vegas 51s, formerly known as the Las Vegas Stars, are a minor league baseball team. They are the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. They play at Cashman Field in Las Vegas, Nevada. The team competes in the Pacific Coast League...
in September. He opened the 2011 season with the Blue Jays, appearing in one game on April 10 before being optioned back to Las Vegas, where he is currently pitching.
Scott has come to earn the nickname "The Spider", as the teams playing for the University of Richmond are known as the Richmond Spiders.
On July 23, 2011, Richmond was outrighted to Triple-A, after previously being designated for assignment.