Scheinblum, Richie

Richard Alan Scheinblum

The only Jewish switch-hitter to hit .300 in a season, Scheinblum accomplished the feat three times -- and he did it for four different teams! He batted .318 with Cleveland in 1967, .300 with Kansas City in 1972, and .307 splitting the following season between Cincinnati and California. In 1972, he actually led the American League in batting for five months, before eventually losing the title to Hall of Famer Rod Carew. In 1976, he severed his Achilles tendon, which ended his career.

Birth and Death Dates:
b. November 5, 1942

Career Highlights:
After graduating from C.W. Post College in 1964 with the school's highest career average (.395), Scheinblum signed with the Cleveland Indians. That season, he hit .309 in A ball, but he didn't hit with power; so he spent the off-season swinging a sledge hammer to strengthen his hands. He played sparingly in his first three seasons. Finally, in 1969, he got his first real chance in the majors. That year, he led the American League with 54 pinch-hit appearances, and played in 102 games. In 1970, Richie was sent back to the minors, and was then traded to the Washington Senators. He split time between the Senators and the minors, where he led the American Association in batting, with a .388 mark, and in RBI, with 88. In 1972, Richie returned to the majors as a full-time player, and had a career year for the Kansas City Royals. As a regular outfielder, he hit a blistering .300 for the season (6th in the AL), had an on-base percentage of .383 (5th in the AL), and was an All-Star. He also had career highs in home runs (8), runs batted in (66), and in every other hitting category. Richie played in the majors for two more seasons and with four teams. He retired in 1976 with a career .263 average.

Career Dates:
Scheinblum played for the Cleveland Indians, 1965 (4 games), and 1967-69, the Washington Senators, 1971, the Kansas City Royals, 1972 and 1974, the Cincinnati Reds, 1973, the California Angels, 1973-1974, and the St. Louis Cardinals, 1974.

Position:
Outfield, and became a Designated Hitter toward the end of his career.

Physical description:
6'1", 180 pounds
Throws right, bats both

Career Statistics:
Games: 462
Batting Avg.: .263
Slugging Avg.: .352

At-bats: 1218
Hits: 320
Doubles: 52
Triples: 9

Home Runs: 13
Home Run %: 1.1
Runs: 131
RBI: 127

BB: 149
Strike Outs: 135
Stolen Bases: 0

Pinch Hitting
At-bats: 134
Hits: 35

Fielding Statistics
Put-outs: 503
Assists: 20
Errors: 19
Double-plays: 5

Total Chances per Game: 1.7
Fielding Avg: .965

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