Lee Richmond (1st baseball perfect game)

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Richmond

John Lee Richmond, or, more commonly, Lee Richmond or J. Lee Richmond (May 5, 1857, in Sheffield, Ohio – October 1, 1929, in Toledo, Ohio) was a Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He pitched the first perfect game in baseball history.

Career

He played for the Worcester Ruby Legs when he pitched his perfect game. The game was played at the Worcester Agricultural Fairgrounds near the intersection of Sever St. and Highland St. in Worcester, which is located on the Becker College Campus. The game was played on June 12, 1880, and the second perfect game in history came just five days later, pitched by John Montgomery Ward. In his perfect game, Richmond struck out five, allowed only three balls to be hit out of the infield, and, remarkably, got one of his 27 outs when the right fielder threw the batter out at first base. Worcester beat the Cleveland Blues 1-0, with the only run scoring on an error. That season, Richmond pitched in a National League-leading 74 games. He went 32-32 with a 2.15 earned run average.

During a six-year baseball career, Richmond compiled 75 wins, 552 strike outs, and a 3.06 ERA. Of the 179 games he started, 161 were complete games, 8 of them shutouts, and one of those his famous perfect game. After leaving baseball, Richmond became a doctor and later a professor. He was buried in Forest Cemetery in Toledo, Ohio.