Hardy Richardson

Abram Harding Richardson
(Old True Blue)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 9½", Weight 170 lb.

• Debut May 1, 1879
• Final Game September 10, 1892
• Born April 21, 1855 in Clarksboro, NJ USA
• Died January 14, 1931 in Utica, NY USA

BR page

Biographical Information

"When massive first baseman Dan Brouthers became a Bison on May 30, he became a teammate of Jim (Deacon) White, Jack Rowe and Hardy Richardson, a trio who rate high among the players of the game's early years. By dint of powerful hitting, this quartet soon came to be known as Buffalo's 'Big Four.' " - from the Buffalo Bisons site at minorleaguebaseball.com

". . . the Bisons . . . had four of the most redoubtable sluggers in the game - Dan Brouthers, Jim (Deacon) White, Hardy Richardson, and Jack Rowe, who were popularly known as 'The Big Four'." - from an article in Baseball Digest, October 1956, about the Big Four and how they came from Buffalo to Detroit

Hardy Richardson was famed as one of The Big Four, along with Dan Brouthers, Deacon White, and Jack Rowe. His Gray Ink score of 120 (the average Hall of Famer has 144) gives an approximation of his impact on the game.

The Big Four played several years with the Buffalo Bisons, and then were bought up by the Detroit Wolverines, something which caused a huge uproar. The four stayed several seasons in Detroit and then split up thereafter. Richardson and Brouthers went to Boston.

With the Wolverines in 1887, Richardson and The Big Four won the pennant and also won the post-season championship over the St. Louis Browns, featuring Tip O'Neill who had hit .435 in the regular season.

On September 2, 1889, playing for the Boston Beaneaters, he led off a game by homering off pitcher Henry Boyle of the Indianapolis Hoosiers for what turned out to be the only run of the game. It was the first time that this rare feat was performed in the major leagues.

He umpired one National League game in 1892.

The similarity scores method shows four Hall of Famers on his list of the most similar players.

Notable Achievements

• NL At Bats Leader (1886)
• NL Hits Leader (1886)
• NL Singles Leader (1886)
• NL Home Runs Leader (1886)
• PL RBI Leader (1890)
• 100 Runs Scored Seasons: 4 (1886, 1887, 1889 & 1890)
• 100 RBI Seasons: 1 (1890)