79R11250 JHS-D

By:  Dutton                                                       H.R. No. 1069



R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, Former Houston Astros great James Rodney "J. R." 
Richard was one of Major League Baseball's brightest stars during 
the 1970s, and he remains one of the Houston franchise's most 
enduringly popular players; and
	WHEREAS, An intimidating presence on the mound, the 6-foot, 
8-inch Louisiana native was a multisport star at Lincoln High 
School in Rustin; the first-round pick of the Astros in the 1969 
summer draft, he attracted attention as a late-season call-up in 
1971 when he tied a rookie record by striking out 15 batters in his 
major league debut; after several exceptional stints with the major 
league club, he earned a full-time spot on the roster in 1975; and
	WHEREAS, Possessed of an explosive fastball and a wicked, 
almost unhittable slider, J. R. Richard soon established himself as 
one of the premier pitchers in the league, steadily collecting wins 
and fanning batters at a nearly unprecedented rate; during the 1976 
season, he became just the second Astros pitcher to win 20 games, 
notching 214 strikeouts and posting an impressive 2.75 ERA in the 
process; he followed that superlative season with an 18-win 
campaign, becoming the first Houston player to post back-to-back 
seasons of at least 18 victories; and
	WHEREAS, The following season saw the big right-hander take 
his game to a new level as he again reached the 18-win plateau and, 
for the first time in his career, topped 300 strikeouts; the 1979 
season, which proved to be his final campaign, is remembered by fans 
for Richard's sheer dominance: he posted an 18-13 record and broke 
his own National League record with 313 strikeouts, placing himself 
in the rarefied air of pitching legends Sandy Koufax and Nolan Ryan, 
the only other hurlers to have posted back-to-back 300-K seasons at 
that time; and
	WHEREAS, The tremendous success of J. R. Richard has been 
well documented, as have the trials and tribulations that followed 
his meteoric rise to baseball stardom; today, the longtime 
Houstonian gives back to the community as a youth baseball coach, 
sharing both his baseball experience and his life experience with 
area youngsters; his life story, which is being made into a movie, 
Resurrection:  The J. R. Richard Story, continues to inspire and 
educate those who know this esteemed gentleman, and it is a pleasure 
to recognize J. R. Richard at this time; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 79th Texas 
Legislature hereby honor James Rodney "J. R." Richard for his 
impressive career in Major League Baseball and for his commitment 
to helping the young people of Houston, and extend best wishes to 
him for future happiness and success in all his endeavors; and, be 
it further
	RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 
prepared for Mr. Richard as an expression of high regard by the 
Texas House of Representatives.