View source for Dick Ruthven

{{short description|American baseball player (born 1951)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Dick Ruthven
|image=Dick Ruthven Cubs.jpg
|position=[[Pitcher]]
|bats=Right
|throws=Right
|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1951|3|27}}
|birth_place=[[Sacramento, California]], U.S.
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate=April 17
|debutyear=1973
|debutteam=Philadelphia Phillies
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=May 1
|finalyear=1986
|finalteam=Chicago Cubs
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=[[Win–loss record (pitching)|Win–loss record]]
|stat1value=123–127
|stat2label=[[Earned run average]]
|stat2value=4.14
|stat3label=[[Strikeout]]s
|stat3value=1,145
|teams=
* [[Philadelphia Phillies]] ({{By|1973}}–{{By|1975}})
* [[Atlanta Braves]] ({{By|1976}}–{{By|1978}})
* [[Philadelphia Phillies]] ({{By|1978}}–{{By|1983}})
* [[Chicago Cubs]] ({{By|1983}}–{{By|1986}})
|highlights=
* 2× [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] ([[1976 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1976]], [[1981 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1981]])
* [[World Series champion]] ({{wsy|1980}})
}}
'''Richard David Ruthven''' (born March 27, 1951) is an [[Americans|American]] former professional [[baseball]] player. He played in [[Major League Baseball]] as a right-handed [[pitcher]] from {{By|1973}} through {{By|1986}} for the [[Philadelphia Phillies]], [[Atlanta Braves]], and [[Chicago Cubs]]. The two-time National League [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] player was a member of the {{By|1980}} [[List of World Series champions|world champion]] Philadelphia Phillies team, as well as a member of the {{By|1984}} [[National League Eastern Division]] champion Chicago Cubs.

==Major league career==
===Draft and early Philly years===
Ruthven was born in [[Sacramento, California]] and attended [[Irvington High School (Fremont, California)|Irvington High School]] in [[Fremont, California]]. He was selected out of high school by the [[Baltimore Orioles]] in the 20th round (469th overall) of the [[1969 Major League Baseball draft]],<ref>[https://prosportstransactions.com/baseball/DraftTrades/1969-11-20.htm Major League Baseball (MLB) June 1969 Draft, Rounds 11&ndash;20 &ndash; Pro Sports Transactions.] Retrieved August 1, 2021</ref> but opted to enroll at [[California State University, Fresno|Fresno State]].<ref name="rfmrtesi730430">[https://vault.si.com/vault/1973/04/30/so-far-so-good-so-fast Fimrite, Ron. "So far so good so fast," ''Sports Illustrated'', April 30, 1973.] Retrieved August 1, 2021</ref> The Philadelphia Phillies drafted him in the secondary phase of the 1st round of the [[1973 Major League Baseball draft]]. Ruthven made his major league debut with the Phillies on April 17, 1973 at the age of 22.<ref name="BR">[https://www.baseball-reference.com/r/ruthvdi01.shtml Dick Ruthven Statistics - Baseball-Reference.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> He was described as looking "like a young [[Lee Marvin]]" by [[Ron Fimrite]] in the April 30, 1973 issue of ''[[Sports Illustrated]]''.<ref name="rfmrtesi730430"/>

In his rookie season of 1973, Ruthven pitched 25 games, starting 23.  He finished the season 6-9 with a 4.21 earned run average for a team that finished in last place in the National League Eastern Division with a 71-91 record.

In 1974, Ruthven started 35 games and pitched over 200 innings for the first time (212{{fraction|2|3}}).  He had a record of 9-13 with a 4.02 earned run average, as the Phillies improved their overall record to 80-82, good enough for third place.  He also set his career record for strikeouts with 153.

In 1975, injuries limited Ruthven to 11 games and seven starts.  He went 2-2 with a 4.20 earned run average.

[[File:Dick Ruthven - Atlanta Braves.jpg |thumb|left|150px|Ruthven with the [[Atlanta Braves]]]]

===Atlanta Braves===
Ruthven was traded twice within a span of three days in December 1975. First to the [[Chicago White Sox]] with [[Alan Bannister]] and [[Roy Thomas (pitcher)|Roy Thomas]] for [[Jim Kaat]] and [[Mike Buskey]] on December 10.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1975/12/11/archives/phils-obtain-kaat-in-5player-trade.html Koppett, Leonard. "Phils Obtain Kaat In 5‐Player Trade," ''The New York Times'', Thursday, December 11, 1975.] Retrieved May 1, 2020</ref> Then to the [[Atlanta Braves]] with [[Ken Henderson]] and [[Dan Osborn (baseball)|Dan Osborn]] for [[Ralph Garr]] and [[Larvell Blanks]] two days later on December 12.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=eHsjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=f9YEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2032,2251339&dq "Veeck Triggers Wild Trade Spree," ''The Associated Press'' (AP), Saturday, December 13, 1975.] Retrieved May 1, 2020</ref>

With the Braves, Ruthven had a solid 1976 season, being named to the National League All-Star team for the first time. He was the only Braves player selected to the All-Star Game that year, although NL manager [[Sparky Anderson]] never brought him in to pitch.<ref name="cigar"/><ref name="time"/> On June 20, he threw a four-hit shutout in a 5-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs.<ref>{{cite web|agency=Associated Press|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1946&dat=19760621&id=zn0xAAAAIBAJ&pg=986,1479890|title=Braves 5, Cubs 0|newspaper=[[The Montreal Gazette]]|date=June 21, 1976|access-date=January 7, 2020}}</ref> He faded in the latter part of the season, finishing the season 14-17 with a 4.19 earned run average in 36 starts. The 17 losses and 36 starts were both career highs, however, the Braves finished last in the National League Western Division, going 70-92.

Ruthven won three games to start the 1977 season, but suffered a torn ankle tendon after that and was out of action over two months, then after coming off the disabled list, lost eight straight games.<ref name="cigar">{{cite web|author=United Press International|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2002&dat=19780420&id=4B0vAAAAIBAJ&pg=5045,5889181|title=Close, but no cigar|newspaper=Beaver County Times|date=April 20, 1978|access-date=January 7, 2020}}</ref> He finished the year with 25 games (23 starts).  Even though his earned run average did not change much (rising to 4.23), Ruthven finished with only a 7-13 record for a Braves team that lost 101 games.

===Return to the Phillies===
"I guess I have something to prove this year," Ruthven said, after a start on April 19, 1978. "Still, I could pitch very well and not have a good record, as I did last year. It would be nice if I could pitch back to 1976."<ref name="cigar"/> He started with only a 2-6 record for the Braves, though his earned run average had improved some (4.10), when he was re-acquired by the Phillies on June 15.  For Ruthven, the Phillies sent popular relief pitcher [[Gene Garber]] to Atlanta.<ref name="BR"/>  Ruthven was stellar with the Phillies, going 13-5 from June 15 to the end of the regular season, with a 2.99 earned run average.  For the entire season, Ruthven's record was 15-11 with a 3.38 earned run average.  His contributions helped the Phillies win 90 games and capture the Eastern Division title, the team's third division title in a row.  He pitched one game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the [[1978 National League Championship Series]], losing Game 2 of a series the Phillies lost in four games.

1979 started great for Ruthven, who sprinted out to a 6-0 record and a 1.65 earned run average as of May 9.  Unfortunately, injuries would again plague Ruthven for the rest of the season as he would win only one more game through the last of the season, finishing 7-5 with a 4.27 average.  Injuries hit other Phillies pitchers, and the three-time division champs fell to fourth place in the National League East, 14 games behind the eventual World Champion Pittsburgh Pirates.

His best season may have been in 1980, a year he did not make the All-Star team.  He finished the season with a career-high 17 wins, and had a 3.55 earned run average in 33 games started.  Ironically, even though he started every game during the season, Ruthven came in as a relief pitcher in the pivotal 5th game of the National League Championship Series, pitching two shutout innings to earn the victory in the 10th inning, capping a Phillies comeback in a game in which the team faced a 5-2 deficit in the 8th inning against [[Nolan Ryan]].  Ruthven pitched the third game of the [[1980 World Series]], won by the Royals, without a decision.  The Phillies won that Series in six games.

Ruthven charged from the gate in 1981, compiling an 8-3 record before the [[1981 baseball strike]] began on June 12. He was the Phillies' representative to the [[Major League Baseball Players Association]].<ref name="time"/>  Because of his record, Ruthven was named to the National League All-Star team for the second time.  Play resumed on August 10; Ruthven told reporters, "I played catch a little bit during the strike. I don't think I'm that far away. But I've never stopped in the middle of the season, just like anyone else, and I really don't know how long it will take" to get back to form.<ref name="time">{{cite web|agency=Associated Press|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1955&dat=19810806&id=aPghAAAAIBAJ&pg=6341,3866090|title=Dick Ruthven Says Starters Need Time|newspaper=[[The Reading Eagle]]|date=August 6, 1981|access-date=January 7, 2020}}</ref> He struggled for the remainder of the season, going 4-4 the rest of the way.  For the season, Ruthven finished 12-7 with a high 5.15 earned run average.  Because of the strike, major league baseball split the 1981 season, and two teams from each division made an extra round of playoffs.  The Phillies "won" the first-half title, though lost the [[1981 National League Division Series]] to the [[1981 Montreal Expos season|Montreal Expos]] in five games, with Ruthven losing Game 2 to the Expos.

In 1982, Ruthven pitched in 33 games (31 starts), accumulating more than 200 innings (204.1) for the fifth time, and his record was 11-11 with an earned run average of 3.79.  The Phillies finished second in the division, three games behind the eventual World Champion St. Louis Cardinals.

===Traded to Cubs and retirement===
1983 started out terribly for Ruthven, starting out the season with a 1-3 record and a 5.61 earned run average for the [[1983 Philadelphia Phillies season|Phillies]]. He was dealt along with [[Bill Johnson (pitcher)|Bill Johnson]] from the Phillies to the [[1983 Chicago Cubs season|Cubs]] for [[Willie Hernández]] on May 22.<ref>[https://www.upi.com/Archives/1983/05/23/The-Philadelphia-Phillies-may-have-been-rained-out-Sunday/2483422510400/ "The Philadelphia Phillies may have been rained out Sunday...," ''United Press International'' (UPI), Monday, May 23, 1983.] Retrieved February 10, 2023.</ref> While the Phillies won the National League pennant that season, the Cubs would finish fifth with a 71-91 record, 19 games behind the Phillies.  Ruthven pitched better for the Cubs, going 12-9 with a 4.10 earned run average.  1983 was the last season in which Ruthven won ten or more games.

In 1984, Ruthven began a downward slide in his effectiveness. He started the season as the opening day starter for the Cubs, winning on April 3 against the [[San Francisco Giants]].<ref>[https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SFN/SFN198404030.shtml April 3, 1984 Chicago Cubs at San Francisco Giants Play by Play and Box Score - Baseball-Reference.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Even though the Cubs would win the division with 96 victories, Ruthven would win only six games against ten losses, compiled in 23 games (22 starts). His earned run average also ballooned, rising to 5.04.  It was his lowest win total since 1975.  Ruthven did not appear in the [[1984 National League Championship Series]], which the Cubs lost in five games to the San Diego Padres.<ref>[https://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1984_NLCS.shtml 1984 NL Championship Series - SDP vs. CHC - Baseball-Reference.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

In 1985, the Cubs slid to 77-84, and Ruthven slid to fifth in their starting rotation.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/tgl.cgi?team=CHC&t=p&year=1985|title=1985 Chicago Cubs Pitching Gamelogs|work=baseball-reference.com|access-date=January 8, 2020}}</ref> He only made fifteen starts and five relief appearances. The team tried to trade him for [[Tommy John]] of the [[Los Angeles Angels|California Angels]], but the Angels decided not to make the trade, not wanting to pay Ruthven $400,000 in deferred salary.<ref>{{cite book|last1=John|first1=Tommy|last2=Valenti|first2=Dan|title=TJ: My Twenty-Six Years in Baseball|publisher=Bantam|location=New York|year=1991|isbn=0-553-07184-X|page=6}}</ref> He finished with a 4-7 record, with a 4.53 earned run average.

In 1986, Ruthven lost his starting spot in the Cubs' rotation.  He finished up making only six relief appearances, and his earned run average had risen to 5.06. He appeared in his final major league game on May 1, 1986 at the age of 35.<ref name="BR"/> He was released by the Cubs five days later on May 6, ending his major league career.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1986/05/07/sports/transactions-070986.html "Transactions," ''The New York Times'', Wednesday, May 7, 1986.] Retrieved March 4, 2021</ref>

==Career statistics==
In a fourteen-season major league career, Ruthven posted a 123-127 record with 1,145 [[strikeout]]s and a 4.14 [[earned run average|ERA]] in 2,109 [[innings pitched]], including 17 [[shutout]]s and 61 [[complete game]]s.

He is the father of retired professional soccer player [[Tyler Ruthven]].<ref>[https://www.ajc.com/sports/soccer-playing-son-brave-leans-dad/XheJ7d1Xn9AjlU0yzo5iXL/ Roberson, Doug. "Soccer-playing son of ex-Brave leans on dad," ''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution'', Friday, August 10, 2012.] Retrieved March 4, 2021</ref> He is also the brother-in-law of former MLB infielder / outfielder and former baseball television broadcaster [[Tommy Hutton]].

==See also==
*[[List of baseball players who went directly to Major League Baseball]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Baseballstats|mlb=121581|espn=637|br=r/ruthvdi01|fangraphs=1011330|brm=ruthve001ric|retro=R/Pruthd001}}
*[https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/dick-ruthven/ Dick Ruthven] at [[Society for American Baseball Research|SABR]] Bio Project

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{{1972 College Baseball All-Americans}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Ruthven, Dick}}
[[Category:1951 births]]
[[Category:National League All-Stars]]
[[Category:Atlanta Braves players]]
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[[Category:Major League Baseball pitchers]]
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[[Category:Baseball players from Fremont, California]]
[[Category:Baseball players from Sacramento, California]]
[[Category:Toledo Mud Hens players]]
[[Category:Lodi Crushers players]]
[[Category:Fresno State Bulldogs baseball players]]
[[Category:All-American college baseball players]]