J.R. Richard

On this date in 1980, J.R. Richard suffers a stroke and is rushed to surgery to remove a life-threatening blood clot in his neck. He will never pitch again in the major leagues.

"It was a bunch of junk. Why wasn't I taken to the hospital and diagnosed to see what was really wrong if I meant so much to the Astros?" - who complained of shoulder and back pain and a dead arm in the weeks prior to the stroke

J.R. Richard

On this date in 1984, the Astros release J.R. Richard ending his major league career. Richard suffered a stroke during the 1980 season from which he never came back.

"He had the greatest stuff I have ever seen and it still gives me goosebumps to think of what he might have become." - Joe Morgan

J.R. Richard

On this date in 1980, J.R. Richard suffers a stroke and is rushed to surgery to remove a life-threatening blood clot in his neck. He will never pitch again in the major leagues.

"It was a bunch of junk. Why wasn't I taken to the hospital and diagnosed to see what was really wrong if I meant so much to the Astros?" - who complained of shoulder and back pain and a dead arm in the weeks prior to the stroke

J.R. Richard

On this date, the Astros release J.R. Richard ending his major league career. Richard suffered a stroke during the 1980 season from which he never came back.

"He had the greatest stuff I have ever seen and it still gives me goosebumps to think of what he might have become." - Joe Morgan

J.R. Richard

On this date in 1980, J.R. Richard suffers a stroke and is rushed to surgery to remove a life-threatening blood clot in his neck. He will never pitch again in the major leagues.

"It was a bunch of junk. Why wasn't I taken to the hospital and diagnosed to see what was really wrong if I'd meant so much to the Houston Astros." - who complained of shoulder and back pain and a dead arm in the weeks prior to the stroke