Abram Harding "Hardy" Richardson (April 21, 1855 – January 14, 1931), also known as "Hardie" and "Old True Blue", was an American professional baseball player whose career spanned from 1875 to 1892 with a brief minor league comeback in 1898. He played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball, playing at every position, including 585 games at second base, 544 games in the outfield, and 178 games at third base. Richardson played for six major league teams, with his longest stretches having been for the Buffalo Bisons (1879–1885), Detroit Wolverines (1886–1888) and Boston Reds (1890–91).
Richardson appeared in 1,334 major league games, compiled a .299 batting average and .437 slugging percentage, and totaled 1,127 runs scored, 1,694 hits, 305 doubles, 126 triples, 73 home runs, 828 RBIs, and 377 bases on balls. From 1881 to 1888, he was part of the "Big Four", a group of renowned batters (the others being Dan Brouthers, Jack Rowe, and Deacon White) who played together in Buffalo and Detroit and led Detroit to the National League pennant and 1887 World Series championship.
Early years Richardson was born in 1855 at Clarksboro, which is located in the existing municipality of East Greenwich Township, New Jersey. His father, Robert D. Richardson, was a New Jersey native who worked in 1870 as a house carpenter. His mother, Naomi (Jones) Richardson, was a Pennsylvania native.1860 U.S. Census entry for Robert and Naomi Richardson. Son Abraham [sic] H. Richardson, age 5, born in New Jersey. Source Citation: Year: 1860; Census Place: Greenwich, Gloucester, New Jersey; Roll: M653_691; Page: 114; Image: 118; Family History Library Film: 803691. Ancestry.com. 1860 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Richardson grew up in Greenwich Township, Gloucester County, and Gloucester City, New Jersey. By 1870, Richardson, at age 15, was working on a farm.1870 U.S. Census entry for Robert and Naomi Richardson. Son, Abram H. Richardson, born in New Jersey, age 15, "works on a farm." Source Citation: Year: 1870; Census Place: Gloucester City, Camden, New Jersey; Roll: M593_855; Page: 30A; Image: 64; Family History Library Film: 552354. Ancestry.com. 1870 United States Federal Census [database on-line].
Professional baseball player
Minor leagues Richardson began playing organized baseball with semipro teams in South Jersey and Philadelphia in the early 1870s. In 1875, he played at third base and catcher for the Gloucester City, New Jersey club. For a portion of the 1876 season, he played with the Philadelphias, but that team disbanded in July 1876. Richardson next played for the "Crickets" from Binghamton, New York, during the 1876 and 1877 seasons. In 1878, he played for the Utica, New York club in the International Association for Professional Base Ball Players. While playing for Utica, the New York Clipper called him the best fielding center fielder in baseball; he also won "The Clipper medal for best fielding average."
Buffalo Richardson joined the Buffalo Bisons of the National League in 1879 and remained with Buffalo for seven years from 1879 to 1885.
1879–1882 As a rookie, Richardson made his major league debut on May 1, 1879, and promptly became Buffalo's starting third baseman. He compiled a .283 batting average, earned a 2.5 Wins Above Replacement (WAR) rating, and ranked fifth in the National League with 10 triples and fourth with 16 bases on balls. He also led the league's third basemen in games played (78), double plays turned (13), and errors (44), and ranked second at the position in assists (153), putouts (83), and fielding percentage (.843).
In 1880, Richardson was again positioned at third base. He saw his batting average drop to .259 and his WAR rating drop to 1.1. He still hit for power and ranked among the league leaders with eight triples (10th) and 26 extra base hits (10th). Defensively, his performance suffered as he ranked second among the league's third basemen with 47 errors and saw his Defensive WAR rating dip into negative territory at -0.7.
After a poor defensive performance in 1880, Richardson was moved to the outfield in 1881. With the move, his batting average jumped to .291, and his WAR rating bounced back to 2.5 -- 10th best among the league's position players. Showing good power, he ranked among the league leaders with nine triples (3rd), 53 RBIs (4th), 29 extra base hits (9th), 62 runs scored (10th), 100 hits (10th), and 142 total bases (10th). The move to the outfield also suited Richardson defensively. He led the league's outfielders with 45 assists and a range factor of 2.84 and ranked third with 179 putouts. Richardson's total of 45 outfield assists (in only 79 games at the position) was five short of Orator Shafer's major league record and remains the third highest season total in major league history.
In 1882, and despite his solid defensive performance in the outfield, Richardson switched positions for the second time in as many years. This time, he was moved to second base, where he played 83 games. Richardson handled the move reasonably well, as he led the league's second basemen with 275 putouts and ranked second with a 6.69 range factor and 63 errors. He also hit .271, earned a 2.2 WAR rating and ranked fourth in the league with 57 RBIs.
The "Big Four" From 1881 to 1888, Richardson was one of four Buffalo (later Detroit) infielders with Dan Brouthers, Jack Rowe, and Deacon White who were known in baseball as the "Big Four." The "Big Four" played together for eight years and were "regarded for many years as the greatest quartette in the history of the national pastime." The Sporting News later wrote; "How the Big Four was admired! Even in hostile cities the fans praised them in the next breath after they had jeered them."
Richardson remained the Bisons' second baseman in 1883, playing all 92 of his games at the position. His 4.1 WAR rating in 1883 was the second highest in his career and the ninth highest among the National League's position players. He ranked among the league leaders with a .311 batting average (10th), .347 on-base percentage (9th), 34 doubles (5th), 42 extra base hits (9th), and 146 times on base (9th). Defensively, he led the league's second basemen with a career high 6.88 range factor, and ranked second at the position in assists (344) and putouts (289). However, he also ranked second at the position with a career high 68 errors.
In a game against Philadelphia on July 20, 1883, both Richardson and Jack Rowe were credited with home runs when outfielder Conny Doyle was unable to find balls they hit into a patch of deep of grass in the left field corner.Bill James, The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract, p. 511.
During the 1884 season, Richardson played 71 games at second base and 24 in the outfield, as the "Big Four" led Buffalo to a third place finish and a 64–47 (.577) record – the highest winning percentage in the club's history. All four players had outstanding seasons, combining for an 18.6 WAR rating. The chart below tracks the WAR rating of the "Big Four" during their eight seasons together.
Year Brouthers Richardson Rowe White Total WAR 1881 2.5 2.5 2.8 1.2 9.0 1882 5.9 2.2 2.7 1.2 12.0 1883 5.8 4.1 1.9 1.1 12.9 1884 5.4 3.7 4.6 4.9 18.6 1885 5.2 3.2 2.2 2.1 12.7 1886 8.2 7.0 4.2 2.7 22.1 1887 5.3 3.8 4.1 2.3 15.5 1888 6.6 2.1 2.6 3.4 14.7 Total 44.8 28.6 25.1 19.1117.6
Richardson was involved in another unusual circumstance in a game against the Chicago White Stockings on August 13, 1884. Chicago's George Gore was instructed by player-manager Cap Anson to avoid the double play. When the next batter hit a ground ball, Gore tackled Richardson at second base before he could complete the relay throw. The umpire called both the batter and the runner out, and Anson protested the ruling and refused to resume play, leading the umpire to declare the game forfeited to Buffalo. The two teams then agreed to resume a game which had been postponed earlier in the season, as a way of placating the dissatisfied fans. In the later game, Anson decided to demonstrate of the right way to break up the double play. He reached first base, and when the next batter hit a ground ball to Richardson, Anson waved his arms while running to second in an effort to interfere with Richardson's throw. Possibly flustered by this display, Richardson in turn struck Anson square in the head with his throw, which was delivered hard enough that it bounced all the way into the grandstands. A woozy Anson was forced to leave the game.
During the 1885 season, Richardson split his time between second base (50 games) and outfield (48 games), and even appeared in one game as a pitcher – compiling a 2.25 earned run average in four innings pitched. He ranked among the league leaders with a .319 batting average (4th), .458 slugging percentage (4th), 11 triples (7th), six home runs (7th), 195 total bases (7th), 90 runs scored (8th), and 3.9 Offensive WAR rating (8th).
Detroit
In mid-September 1885, the Detroit Wolverines purchased the "Big Four" from Buffalo, paying $7,000 for entire team. League officials initially halted the sale, but ultimately allowed it to proceed, provided the Big Four did not play for Detroit until the start of the 1886 season. Richardson responded to threats to void the transaction by saying that the "Big Four" would "retire to Canada".
The merger of the Detroit and Buffalo line-ups turned two losing teams (Buffalo was 38-74 in 1885, Detroit 41-67) into one of the best in the game. With the addition of the "Big Four", the Wolverines improved substantially, finishing in second place with an 85-38 record. For Richardson, the 1886 season was the best of his career with a 7.0 WAR rating – the fourth highest among the National League's position players. He led the league with 189 hits and 11 home runs and was among the league leaders with a .351 batting average (5th), .402 on-base percentage (6th), .504 slugging percentage (4th), 125 runs scored (4th), 271 total bases (3rd), 27 doubles (7th), 11 triples (8th), 49 extra base hits (4th), and 42 stolen bases (4th). He also had the second highest ratio of at bats to strikeouts at 48.9. Defensively, Richardson played at multiple positions during the 1886 season, including 80 games in the outfield, 42 at second base, and four as a pitcher (12 innings, 4.50 ERA).
The 1887 season was the pinnacle in the eight-year history of the Detroit Wolverines. The team won the National League pennant with a 79-45 record and then defeated the St. Louis Browns in the 1887 World Series. In an article published in 1911, Richardson called the 1887 Detroit team "one of the grandest collection of hitters ever seen together." Richardson contributed another strong season, splitting his playing time between second base (64 games) and outfield (59 games), and compiling a 3.8 WAR rating. He was again among the league leaders with a .328 batting average (6th), 131 runs scored (3rd), 178 hits (3rd), 263 total bases (3rd), 18 triples (6th), 94 RBIs (7th), and 51 extra base hits (9th). Despite playing only 64 games at the position, he also led the league's second basemen with a 6.78 range factor.
During the 1888 season, the Wolverines finished in fifth place with a 68-63 record. Richardson's playing time was limited to 58 games at second base, and his batting average and WAR rating to .289 and 2.1 – Richardson's lowest numbers since 1880. With high salaries owed to the team's star players, and gate receipts declining markedly, the team folded in October 1888 with the players being sold to other teams. On October 16, 1888, the Wolverines sold Richardson along with Charlie Bennett, Dan Brouthers, Charlie Ganzel and Deacon White to the Boston Beaneaters for an estimated $30,000.
Boston