J. R. Richard
While I liked lots of baseball players as a kid, thanks in part to having a father who liked baseball over football, a rare few stick out in my memory today. One who remains vivid is J.R. Richard, the best pitcher who ever lived as far as I'm concerned.
Even though he played for the Astros (I’m a Cubs fan). This guy was a madman to watch. He was 6’8” and could throw 100 mph fast balls like nobody’s business. His ERA was crazy: no one could hit those rockets.
His life story is rather tragic. A stroke ended his professional career when he was 30. He eventually was homeless, but became a Christian minister and now works in the Houston area.