On This Day

J. R. Richard of the Houston Astros pitches a complete game but sets a MLB record by throwing 6 wild pitches in 2-1 win

J. R. Richard of the Houston Astros pitches a complete game but sets a MLB record by throwing 6 wild pitches in 2-1 win over the LA Dodgers at the Astrodome

James Rodney Richard (March 7, 1950 – August 4, 2021) was an American professional baseball player. He played his entire career in Major League Baseball as a right-handed starting pitcher for the Houston Astros from 1971 to 1980. Richard led the National League (NL) twice in strikeouts and was named an NL All-Star player in 1980.

After graduating from high school, Richard was selected by the Astros as the second overall pick in the first round of the 1969 amateur draft. From the time he made his major league debut with the Astros in 1971 until 1975, Richard had a limited role as an Astros pitcher, throwing no more than 72 innings in a season.

Historical Significance

James Rodney Richard (March 7, 1950 – August 4, 2021) was an American professional baseball player.

Events Before

  1. Air India Flight 855 crashes into the Arabian Sea less than two minutes after takeoff, killing all 213 people on board

    Air India Flight 855 was a scheduled passenger flight from Bombay (now Mumbai), India, to Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

  2. TV series "All Creatures Great and Small" debuts on BBC TV, based on the books by James Herriot, starring Robert Hardy a

    TV series "All Creatures Great and Small" debuts on BBC TV, based on the books by James Herriot, starring Robert Hardy and Christopher Timothy

  3. Bee Gees' album "Saturday Night Fever" goes #1; stays on top for 24 weeks

    Bee Gees' album "Saturday Night Fever" goes #1; stays on top for 24 weeks

  4. Sweden becomes the first nation in the world to ban aerosol sprays, due to their harmful effect on the earth's ozone lay

    Sweden becomes the first nation in the world to ban aerosol sprays, due to their harmful effect on the earth's ozone layer

  5. Novelist Danielle Steel (30) divorces Danny Zugelder after almost 3 years of marriage

    Novelist Danielle Steel (30) divorces Danny Zugelder after almost 3 years of marriage

Events After

  1. Chrysler Europe is renamed Talbot

    Chrysler Europe was the American automotive company Chrysler's operations in Europe from 1967 through 1978.

  2. Real Records releases "Pretenders" in the UK, the debut album by The Pretenders

    Pretenders is the debut studio album by British-American band the Pretenders, released in January 1980. A combination of rock and roll, punk and new wave music, it was an immediate success.

  3. Pink Floyd's double album "The Wall" hits #1

    The Wall is the eleventh studio album by the English rock band Pink Floyd, released on 30 November 1979 by Harvest CBS Records. It is the last album to include all four post-Barrett-era band members.

  4. US President Jimmy Carter announces a US boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow after the Soviet invasion of Afgh

    US President Jimmy Carter announces a US boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan

  5. Cypriot-American model Angie Bowie (30) divorces British singer David Bowie (33) after just under 10 years of marriage

    Cypriot-American model Angie Bowie (30) divorces British singer David Bowie (33) after just under 10 years of marriage

More from the 1970s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on April 10, 1979?
James Rodney Richard (March 7, 1950 – August 4, 2021) was an American professional baseball player. He played his entire career in Major League Baseball as a right-handed starting pitcher for the Houston Astros from 1971 to 1980. Richard led the National League (NL) twice in strikeouts and was named an NL All-Star player in 1980.
Why is J. R. Richard of the Houston Astros pitches a complete game but sets a MLB re... significant?
James Rodney Richard (March 7, 1950 – August 4, 2021) was an American professional baseball player.

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