Ricardo Jordan

Ricardo Jordan

• Bats Left, Throws Left
• Height 5' 11", Weight 165 lb.
• School Miami Dade College
• High School Atlantic Community High School
• Debut June 23, 1995
• Final Game April 13, 1998
• Born June 27, 1970 in Boynton Beach, FL USA

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Biographical Information

Ricardo Jordan pitched for 12 years in professional baseball, including parts of four seasons in the major leagues. Overall, his record was 48-46. After his career ended, he got into legal trouble.

1989-1995: Blue Jays system

The Houston Astros picked Jordan with their 22nd-round pick in the 1989 amateur draft but he did not sign. The Toronto Blue Jays then selected him in the 37th round of the 1990 amateur draft a year later. Despite his low draft spot, he debuted at high class A with the Dunedin Blue Jays, going 0-2 with a 2.38 ERA. He walked 19 in 22 2/3 IP but allowed only 15 hits and fanned 16. In 1991, Ricardo was 9-8 with a save and 2.74 ERA for the Myrtle Beach Hurricanes. He struck out 152 and allowed 101 hits in 144 2/3 IP but walked 79. He was 10th in the South Atlantic League in ERA.

In 1992, Jordan moved to the bullpen and returned to Dunedin. In 45 games, he was 0-5 with 15 saves and a 3.83 ERA. He struck out over a batter per inning but was more hittable than in his first two seasons. Ricardo split 1993 between Dunedin (2-0, 1 Sv, 4.38) and the Knoxville Smokies (1-4, 2 Sv, 2.45). He fell just shy of a strikeout per inning for the first time, missing the mark barely at both stops, while continuing to struggle with his control.

Ricardo was with the Smokies again in 1994 and had a 4-3, 17 save, 2.66 line as the club's closer. He cut his walks to 23 in 64 1/3 IP while striking out 70. In 1995, Jordan sputtered with the Syracuse Chiefs (0-0, 6.57, 1.78 WHIP) but struck out 17 in 12 1/3 innings, earning him a look with the major league club. He didn't look any better there: with the Blue Jays, Ricardo had a 1-0 record with one save and a 6.60 ERA in 15 games, walking more than he fanned and allowing over a hit per inning.

That winter, Jordan was traded with Howard Battle to the Philadelphia Phillies for Paul Quantrill.

1996-1998: Bouncing around the majors and AAA

Jordan had a 3-3, 1 Sv, 5.26 line for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons in 1996, pitching in 32 games. He struck out 40 in 39 1/3 IP but walked 22 and allowed 40 hits. He was much better in 26 games for the Phillies, posting a 1.80 ERA and 2-2 record in his best major league campaign. His WHIP was 1.20 as MLB batters had a difficult time connecting against him than had International League ones that year.

He was dealt again in the off-season, with Toby Borland to the New York Mets for Rico Brogna.

In 1997, Ricardo had a 0-1 record and one save and a 2.79 ERA in 34 outings for the Norfolk Tides, walking 24 in 29 innings but striking out 34 and allowing just 20 hits. With the Mets, he had a 1-2 record and 5.33 ERA.

A free agent, Jordan was picked up by the Cincinnati Reds. He had a 3.49 ERA in 37 games with the Indianapolis Indians, posting a 2-4 record in 1998. His strikeout rate of 6.7 K/9 was the worst of his career to that point. He concluded his major-league career very early in the year, with the Reds, going 1-0 with a 24.30 ERA in 6 outings, walking 7 in 3 1/3 innings. Overall, he had walked 47 and fanned 47 in 70 1/3 major league innings over 69 games, going 5-4 with one save and a 5.25 ERA (82 ERA+). He allowed 71 hits.

Let go by Cincinnati, Ricardo was signed by the New York Yankees. The left-hander had a 2-0 record and 4.85 ERA in five starts for the Columbus Clippers, issuing 17 walks and striking out 22 in 26 innings.

1999-2002: Independent ball and one last chance at Organized Baseball

Signed by the Somerset Patriots, the 28/29-year-old reliever went 2-3 with one save and a 3.86 ERA for that club, striking out 29 in 33 innings in 1999. In 2000, he had a 2-2 mark, three saves and a 3.96 ERA for Somerset. He pitched four games for the Indianapolis Indians that year and 39 for the Richmond Braves. Overall, he won three, lost two and saved four in the two AAA appearances. He struck out 38 in 47 2/3 IP and had a 4.91 ERA, allowing 19 walks and 47 hits.

Jordan was 10-5 with a 3.18 ERA for Somerset in 2001, allowing 93 hits and 40 walks in 119 innings. He was 5th in the Atlantic League in ERA and named the All-Star left-handed pitcher of the league while Len Picota took home honors for right-handers. He also had a 3-7, 4.02 for the Chinatrust Whales. In his last year, he had a 12-10, 4.57 record for the Patriots. He struck out 97 in 155 innings, a far cry from the rates earlier in his career, though his 57 walks showed improved control.

2007: Prison

In March of 2007, Jordan was sentenced to seven years in jail and fined $150,000 for selling cocaine and marijuana in his hometown of Delray Beach, FL. (Seven years was the minimum sentence for selling over 200 grams of cocaine). Police described him as a mid-level distributor who supplied street dealers. His lawyer said he was not a user, but was trying to replace his baseball earnings.

Sources include an Associated Press report printed in the 3/5/07 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 1991-2003 Baseball Almanacs