Cannonball Dick Redding

"Cannonball" Dick Redding

Pitcher

Born: April 15, 1893
Atlanta

Died: October 31, 1948 (aged 58)
Islip, New York

Batted: Right

Threw: Right

Negro league baseball debut

1911, Lincoln Giants

Last appearance

1932, Bacharach Giants

Career statistics

Run average*

4.71

Earned run average*

3.64

Teams

Negro leagues

Lincoln Giants (1911–14, 1915–16)
Lincoln Stars (1914–15)
Indianapolis ABCs (1915)
Chicago American Giants (1917)
Brooklyn Royal Giants (1918–19, 1923–31)
Bacharach Giants (1919–22, 1932)

Other

Fe, Cuba (1912–13, 1914–15)
Habana, Cuba (1922–23)

Richard Redding (April 15, 1893 – October 31, 1948), nicknamed "Cannonball", was an American pitcher, outfielder and manager in baseball's Negro leagues, regarded as perhaps the fastest pitcher in the history of black baseball (which makes the origin of his nickname no mystery). In his career, he played for the Philadelphia Giants, New York Lincoln Giants,Lincoln Stars, Indianapolis ABC's, Chicago American Giants, Brooklyn Royal Giants, and Bacharach Giants.

Born in Atlanta in the era of racial segregation, he was functionally illiterate and was not allowed to play in the Major Leagues because of his race. Against all levels of competition he threw seven no-hitters in one year and approximately thirty in his career. Quiet and clean-cut off the field, he was as intimidating as anyone on it. He had a limited pitching repertoire, but his main pitch, his fastball, was feared by batters all over the league. It was likely faster than Bob Feller's and was far more accurate than Steve Dalkowski's. Redding gained an extra advantage by throwing "brushback" pitches inside, similar to that of today's stars like Pedro Martínez.

His career began in 1911 with the Philadelphia Giants. That year, at the age of twenty, he won seventeen consecutive games. Early in his career he was at his best, and in 1914, playing for the New York Lincoln Giants, he was 12-3 against official competition and 31-9 in barnstorming. He served in World War I in 1918, and was a player-manager from 1919 to 1922. His playing career was essentially over by the mid-1920s, but he managed the Brooklyn Royal Giants from 1927 to 1932.

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