James Rodney Richard, better known as J.R. Richard, was a towering 6-foot-8 right-hander who twice struck out more than 300 batters in a season and dominated the National League for five consecutive seasons from 1976 through 1980.

J.R. Richard was selected No. 2 overall in the first round of the 1969 MLB Draft and spent the next several years in the Minor Leagues, where he pitched from 1969 through 1974. In 1971, with the Oklahoma City 89ers, Richard posted a 2.45 ERA, a 12-7 record and 202 strikeouts over 173 innings. Even then, he was already showing the traits of an exceptionally dominant — and intimidating — pitcher. He possessed one of the most overpowering fastballs of his era and, while control was an early issue, he steadily improved in that area as his career progressed.

On Sept. 5, 1971, J.R. Richard made his MLB debut with the Houston Astros, the only organization he would ever pitch for in the Major Leagues. In his first big league appearance, Richard struck out 15 batters in the second game of a doubleheader against the San Francisco Giants at Candlestick Park. The performance tied the record for the most strikeouts in a Major League debut, matching the mark set by Karl Spooner of the Brooklyn Dodgers against the New York Giants on Sept. 22, 1954.

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In 1975, J.R. Richard became one of the Astros' top starting pitchers

From 1971 through 1974, the Astros' flamethrowing right-hander worked both as a starter and a reliever, but it was not until 1975 that he established himself as a full-time member of Houston's rotation. He went 12-10 for an Astros team that finished 64-97, but his best years were still ahead of him.

Beginning in 1976, Richard emerged as one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball. His fastball was already explosive, frequently reaching 100 mph, while his devastating slider sat around 91-93 mph — a velocity that was faster than many Major League fastballs at the time.

According to Stathead, from 1976 through 1979, J.R. Richard ranked second in the Majors with 74 wins, trailing only Steve Carlton, who had 77. He also ranked second in strikeouts with 1,044, behind only Nolan Ryan (1,151), and finished fourth in ERA at 2.88.

During that four-year stretch, Richard twice finished among the top five in National League Cy Young Award voting.

1980 could have been J.R. Richard's greatest season. Instead, it became a turning point

The 1980 season began in spectacular fashion for J.R. Richard. Through 17 starts, he had a 1.90 ERA and a 10-4 record, earning his first and only All-Star selection.

Shortly after his appearance in the 1980 All-Star Game, Richard was removed from a game against the Atlanta Braves on July 14 after experiencing nausea and numbness in his arm. He was subsequently placed on the injured list.

Just 16 days later, on July 30, Richard collapsed while playing catch. He had suffered a massive stroke caused by a blood clot, but his life was saved. The incident, however, effectively ended his Major League career. He would never pitch in the big leagues again, and the Astros later faced heavy criticism over how the organization and its medical staff handled his condition in the weeks leading up to the stroke.

When J.R. Richard attempted a comeback, he was no longer the same dominant pitcher

As he worked his way back from the stroke, Richard made several appearances in the Minor Leagues in 1982 and 1983. He was added to the Astros' Major League roster in September 1982, although there was never any serious intention of using him in a game.

Richard continued to deal with blurred vision and slower reflexes as a result of the stroke, raising concerns about whether he could react quickly enough to a sharply hit ball back through the middle. The towering right-hander also filed a lawsuit against the doctors who had treated him, alleging that they had failed to conduct the appropriate physical examinations.

After the 1983 season, J.R. Richard became a free agent and later signed another Minor League contract with the Astros, receiving an invitation to Spring Training in 1984. Houston released him in late March without allowing him to pitch in a Class A game. The organization cited the same concerns surrounding his command and slowed reflexes.

After his playing career ended, and following some difficult years away from baseball, Richard returned to the game in a different role. In 2003, he was hired as a volunteer coach for the Texas Southern University baseball team.

His life story was later chronicled in the 2005 film "Resurrection: The J.R. Richard Story."

In 2014, Richard was among the featured speakers at a baseball and civil rights roundtable organized by Major League Baseball as part of the league's annual Civil Rights Game festivities in Houston, Texas.

Richard died in 2021 at age 71. According to former teammate Enos Cabell, he died from COVID-19 after declining Cabell's repeated requests that he get vaccinated.

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Some of J.R. Richard's notable Major League accomplishments

• One-time All-Star (NL, 1980).
• Led the National League in ERA (1979).
• Two-time National League strikeout leader (1978 and 1979).
• Four seasons with at least 15 wins (1976-79), including one 20-win season.
• Five consecutive seasons with at least 200 innings pitched (1975-79).
• Four consecutive seasons with at least 200 strikeouts (1976-79), including two seasons with more than 300.

Recently, renowned baseball coach Jim Koenigsberger honored Richard in a post on X, highlighting several aspects of the right-hander's career and sharing statistics that illustrate just how dominant he was on the mound.

To close, here are the words of legendary second baseman Joe Morgan, Richard's teammate in 1980. Morgan's comments were originally published in February 2000 by Astros Daily:

"J.R. Richard had the most impressive repertoire I had ever seen, and I still get chills thinking about what he could have become."