Rich Wortham
Encyclopedia
Richard Cooper Wortham is a former professional baseball
pitcher
. He played all or part of four seasons in Major League Baseball
, between 1978 and 1983, for the Chicago White Sox
and Oakland Athletics
.
in Odessa, Texas
, Wortham was selected in the 5th round of the 1972 draft
by the Texas Rangers
, but instead elected to attend the University of Texas and play for legendary Coach Cliff Gustafson
.
In 1973, He was also a member of Team USA during the Federación Mundial de Béisbol Amateur Amateur World Series, the first time Team USA won a Gold Medal in that competition. He defeated Dennis Martínez
and Team Nicaragua in the final.
Wortham had a great deal of success as a college pitcher with a record of 50-7 and was the ace of the 1975 Longhorns team that won the College World Series
He was drafted again that year by the Rangers in the 14th round, but again did not sign. He was then selected by the White Sox in the January secondary phase of the 1976 draft
.
, finishing with a 4-2 record and an ERA
of 4.24. He began the 1977 season in Knoxville, but was promoted to the Triple-A Iowa Oaks after improving to a 9-7 record and 2.53 ERA in 22 games. His introduction to the highest minor league level was a rough one, however, as his ERA ballooned to 8.71 in nine starts, of which he won only one.
got off to a rough start, he was sent to the minors, and Wortham was called up to replace him. He made his debut on May 3 against the Milwaukee Brewers
, and he pitched 6.2 innings
and gave up 3 runs in a 4-0 loss. In his next start, he beat the Minnesota Twins
, pitching 8 innings and giving up 2 runs on 9 hits. His next outing found him giving up 10 hits in just 4.1 innings, and he was returned to the minors, with Kravec returning to the majors.
Wortham spent most of the rest of the season in Iowa, and was recalled in September when the rosters expanded. In five September starts, Wortham went 2-0 with a 2.70 ERA, lowering his overall ERA for the season to 3.02. He also pitched his first two major league complete game
s. Wortham was seen as a future star.
as the White Sox' number three starter. Although he did not have a spectacular year, he had a solid first full season in the major leagues. He won a career-high 14 games, but his ERA was a below-average 4.90, he was in the top ten in the league in losses with 14, and he finished fourth in the league in walks
allowed with 100. However, he also finished 8th in the league in strikeouts per 9 innings pitched, and it appeared that he had solidified his position as a dependable starting pitcher.
. He got off to an impressive start, as in his first three outings of the year, he pitched at least four innings, giving up no runs and a combined four hits in 12.2 innings while picking up a pair of wins. However, as April ended, he had a bad outing, giving up five runs in two innings, followed shortly by giving up six runs without recording an out on May 4.
Wortham was moved back to the rotation, and his first start of 1980 was excellent, as he pitched seven shutout innings against the Kansas City Royals
to pick up his third win of the year. However, he gave up four runs in 4.2 innings in his next start, and he went back to the bullpen. The rest of the season went much the same, as he would have good and bad outings, but more bad than good, winding up with a 5.97 ERA and a record of 4-7. After the season, the White Sox traded him to the Montreal Expos
for second baseman
Tony Bernazard
.
, where he posted an 8.00 ERA in 5 games. More alarming, however, was that he walked a combined 99 batters in just 95 innings, including 28 in 18 innings in Memphis.
Wortham went to spring training
with the Expos in 1982, but was released on April 1. He was signed by the Philadelphia Phillies
, and was assigned to the Double-A Reading Phillies
to work out his problems. Instead, they were magnified, as he not only posted 58 walks in just 36.2 innings, but he failed to win a game, going 0-5, and his ERA was a bloated 11.54. The Phillies released him during the offseason.
. He was started slowly, being assigned to A-ball with the Modesto A's, the first time he had pitched at that lower level. After 14 games, in which he was 2-3 with a 6.75 ERA and 42 walks in 44 innings, he was moved up to the Double-A Albany A's
. Even though his record there was even worse, the desperate Athletics summoned him to the major leagues. He made his last appearance in Major League Baseball on July 23, when he entered the game in the 8th inning in relief of Keith Atherton
. He faced four batters, allowing three hits and a walk without retiring a batter. His catcher in that contest was former Longhorn teammate Bob Kearney
. He was released at the end of the season, and would never again pitch professionally.
and serves as the executive director of the Texas Beef Council. He resides in Leander, Texas
. In 2010, he was elected to the College Baseball Hall of Fame
.
Professional baseball
Baseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world. In these leagues, and associated farm teams, players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system....
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...
. He played all or part of four seasons 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...
, between 1978 and 1983, for 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 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....
.
Amateur career
Highly sought after out of Odessa High SchoolOdessa High School
Odessa High School is a public high school located in Odessa, Texas and is part of the Ector County Independent School District. The full name of the school is Odessa Senior High School. This name was originally to differentiate it from Odessa Junior High School...
in Odessa, Texas
Odessa, Texas
Odessa is a city in and the county seat of Ector County, Texas, United States. It is located primarily in Ector County, although a small portion of the city extends into Midland County. Odessa's population was 99,940 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Odessa, Texas Metropolitan...
, Wortham was selected in the 5th round of the 1972 draft
1972 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1972 Major League Baseball draft.* Did not sign- Background :The Montreal Expos had perhaps their best draft in franchise history. The Expos grabbed outfielder Ellis Valentine in round two of the June regular phase and then...
by the Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
, but instead elected to attend the University of Texas and play for legendary Coach Cliff Gustafson
Cliff Gustafson
Cliff Gustafson is a former Texas high school & college baseball coach who was, for twenty-nine seasons, the head coach of The University of Texas at Austin Longhorn baseball team....
.
In 1973, He was also a member of Team USA during the Federación Mundial de Béisbol Amateur Amateur World Series, the first time Team USA won a Gold Medal in that competition. He defeated Dennis Martínez
Dennis Martínez
José Dennis Martínez Emilia , nicknamed "El Presidente" , is a former Major League Baseball pitcher...
and Team Nicaragua in the final.
Wortham had a great deal of success as a college pitcher with a record of 50-7 and was the ace of the 1975 Longhorns team that won the College World Series
College World Series
The College World Series or CWS is an annual baseball tournament held in Omaha, Nebraska that is the culmination of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, which determines the NCAA Division I college baseball champion. The eight teams are split into two, four-team, double-elimination brackets,...
He was drafted again that year by the Rangers in the 14th round, but again did not sign. He was then selected by the White Sox in the January secondary phase of the 1976 draft
1976 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1976 Major League Baseball draft.* Did not sign- Background :The 1976 Arizona State University team, considered by many to be the best collegiate team ever, played a major role in the draft. Floyd Bannister was picked number one...
.
Early minor league career
After signing with the White Sox, he was assigned directly to Double-A Knoxville, skipping over the lower minor league levels. He appeared in eleven games for Knoxville, 10 as a starting pitcherStarting 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....
, finishing with a 4-2 record and an 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...
of 4.24. He began the 1977 season in Knoxville, but was promoted to the Triple-A Iowa Oaks after improving to a 9-7 record and 2.53 ERA in 22 games. His introduction to the highest minor league level was a rough one, however, as his ERA ballooned to 8.71 in nine starts, of which he won only one.
1978: First taste of the majors
In 1978, Wortham opened the season in Iowa. However, when starting pitcher Ken KravecKen Kravec
Ken Kravec , is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1975-1982. Ken graduated from Midpark High School and played college baseball at Ashland University.-Fast Facts:...
got off to a rough start, he was sent to the minors, and Wortham was called up to replace him. He made his debut on May 3 against the 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...
, and he pitched 6.2 innings
Innings pitched
In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two...
and gave up 3 runs in a 4-0 loss. In his next start, he beat the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
, pitching 8 innings and giving up 2 runs on 9 hits. His next outing found him giving up 10 hits in just 4.1 innings, and he was returned to the minors, with Kravec returning to the majors.
Wortham spent most of the rest of the season in Iowa, and was recalled in September when the rosters expanded. In five September starts, Wortham went 2-0 with a 2.70 ERA, lowering his overall ERA for the season to 3.02. He also pitched his first two major league complete game
Complete game
In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.As demonstrated by the charts below, in the early 20th century, it was common for most good Major League Baseball pitchers to pitch a complete game almost every start. Pitchers were...
s. Wortham was seen as a future star.
1979: Taking a regular turn
In 1979, Wortham came out of spring trainingSpring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
as the White Sox' number three starter. Although he did not have a spectacular year, he had a solid first full season in the major leagues. He won a career-high 14 games, but his ERA was a below-average 4.90, he was in the top ten in the league in losses with 14, and he finished fourth in the league in walks
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...
allowed with 100. However, he also finished 8th in the league in strikeouts per 9 innings pitched, and it appeared that he had solidified his position as a dependable starting pitcher.
1980: A step backward
Wortham was moved to the bullpen to start the 1980 season, where he was used as a long relieverLong reliever
A Long reliever is a type of relief pitcher in baseball.Long relievers traditionally enter early in a game when the starting pitcher cannot continue, whether due to ineffective pitching, lack of endurance, rain delays, injury, or ejection...
. He got off to an impressive start, as in his first three outings of the year, he pitched at least four innings, giving up no runs and a combined four hits in 12.2 innings while picking up a pair of wins. However, as April ended, he had a bad outing, giving up five runs in two innings, followed shortly by giving up six runs without recording an out on May 4.
Wortham was moved back to the rotation, and his first start of 1980 was excellent, as he pitched seven shutout innings against the Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
to pick up his third win of the year. However, he gave up four runs in 4.2 innings in his next start, and he went back to the bullpen. The rest of the season went much the same, as he would have good and bad outings, but more bad than good, winding up with a 5.97 ERA and a record of 4-7. After the season, the White Sox traded him to 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...
for second baseman
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
Tony Bernazard
Tony Bernazard
Antonio Bernazard Garcia is a former Major League Baseball player and former executive in the New York Mets organization...
.
Back to the minors: Control problems
Wortham was assigned by the Expos to the Triple-A Denver Bears, where he struggled with wildness. He went 5-5 for Denver in 18 games with a 4.79 ERA, and was even worse in a brief demotion to the Double-A Memphis ChicksMemphis Chicks
The Memphis Chicks were an American minor league baseball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Chicks were charter members of the Southern Association from 1901 until November 18, 1960, when the club folded and was transferred to Macon, Georgia for 1961.The Chicks suffered a...
, where he posted an 8.00 ERA in 5 games. More alarming, however, was that he walked a combined 99 batters in just 95 innings, including 28 in 18 innings in Memphis.
Wortham went to spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
with the Expos in 1982, but was released on April 1. He was signed by the 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...
, and was assigned to the Double-A Reading Phillies
Reading Phillies
The Reading Phillies are a minor league baseball team based in Reading, Pennsylvania, playing in the Eastern Division of the Eastern League. Since the 1967 season, they have been the AA affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies....
to work out his problems. Instead, they were magnified, as he not only posted 58 walks in just 36.2 innings, but he failed to win a game, going 0-5, and his ERA was a bloated 11.54. The Phillies released him during the offseason.
Last chance
Shortly thereafter, Wortham was signed by the Athletics, whose pitching staff had collapsed after three seasons of abuse by manager Billy MartinBilly Martin
Alfred Manuel "Billy" Martin, Jr. was an American Major League Baseball second baseman and manager. He is best known as the manager of the New York Yankees, a position he held five different times...
. He was started slowly, being assigned to A-ball with the Modesto A's, the first time he had pitched at that lower level. After 14 games, in which he was 2-3 with a 6.75 ERA and 42 walks in 44 innings, he was moved up to the Double-A Albany A's
Albany A's
The Albany A's are a defunct minor league baseball team. They played in the Eastern League at Heritage Park in Colonie, New York. They were affiliated with the Oakland A's. Their announcer that year was Phil Pivnick....
. Even though his record there was even worse, the desperate Athletics summoned him to the major leagues. He made his last appearance in Major League Baseball on July 23, when he entered the game in the 8th inning in relief of Keith Atherton
Keith Atherton
Keith Rowe Atherton , is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues primarily in relief from -. Atherton played for the Oakland Athletics , Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Indians ....
. He faced four batters, allowing three hits and a walk without retiring a batter. His catcher in that contest was former Longhorn teammate Bob Kearney
Bob Kearney
Robert Henry Kearney , is a former American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the San Francisco Giants, Oakland Athletics, and Seattle Mariners from to ....
. He was released at the end of the season, and would never again pitch professionally.
Life after baseball
Wortham is now an attorney in Austin, TexasAustin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
and serves as the executive director of the Texas Beef Council. He resides in Leander, Texas
Leander, Texas
Leander is a city in Williamson and Travis counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 7,596 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau 2008 estimates the population is now 25,424...
. In 2010, he was elected to the College Baseball Hall of Fame
College Baseball Hall of Fame
The National College Baseball Hall of Fame, located in Lubbock, Texas, is a museum operated by the College Baseball Foundation serving as the central point for the study of the history of college baseball in the United States...
.