Bobby Richardson

Bobby Richardson (born August 19 1935 in Sumter, South Carolina) is a former major league baseball second baseman for the New York Yankees from 1955 through 1966. He also played third base and shortstop infrequently. He batted and threw right-handed.

Biography

Debuting on August 5, 1955, Richardson is often considered one of the most underrated Yankees of all time. Racking up 1432 hits in his career, with a lifetime batting average of .266, 34 home runs and 390 RBIs, he also won 5 Gold Gloves at second base.

Related Topics:
August 5 - 1955 - Hits - Batting average - Home run - RBI - Gold Gloves at second base

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His impressive career statistics don't end there either. He had 643 runs scored and 73 stolen bases in his 12-year career. He also had 196 doubles and 37 triples all-time.

Related Topics:
Runs scored - Stolen base - Double - Triple

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His best year was probably 1962 when he batted .302 with 8 home runs and 50 runs batted in, while picking up 209 hits (led the league), and 11 stolen bases in 161 games. He made the American League All-Star team once again that year, won his second gold glove, and came in 2nd in the AL MVP voting, just behind teammate Mickey Mantle.

Related Topics:
1962 - American League - All-Star - AL MVP - Mickey Mantle

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One of the best parts of Richardson's game was his ability to make contact. He only struck out 243 times in his entire 12-year career, usually accomplished today in about 2 years by power hitters. He was in the Top 3 in the league in at bats per strikeout 8 times during his career, and led the league 3 times, all later on in his career. He topped out in his last year striking out just 1 time for every 21.8 at bats.

Related Topics:
Struck out - At bat

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He also led the league in at bats 3 times, and would come to be known as a workehorse, rarely missing a game. His career high was 692 at bats in 161 games in 1962.

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He had an all-time fielding percentage of .979 at second base.

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Postseason

Richardson won 3 World Series (1958, 1961, 1962) in the 7 he played in (1957, 1958, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964), all with the Yankees. He made the final out of the 1962 Series, snaring a screaming line drive off the bat of Willie McCovey, that if it were 2 or 3 feet higher would have won the Series for the Giants.

Related Topics:
World Series - 1958 - 1961 - 1962 - 1957 - 1960 - 1963 - 1964 - Willie McCovey

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He was named World Series MVP in 1960 when he helped the Yankees against the Pittsburgh Pirates, even though they lost, in a Series in which normally light-hitting second basemen (the other being the Bucs' Bill Mazeroski) shone at the plate. During that Series, he hit .367 with 11 hits in 30 at bats. He had a home run and 12 RBI's, and also racked up 2 doubles and 2 triples in the 7-game series. To this day, Richardson remains the only World Series MVP from the losing team.

Related Topics:
World Series MVP - 1960 - Pittsburgh Pirates - Bill Mazeroski

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