Rick Wise

Infobox MLB retired
name=Rick Wise
position=Pitcher
bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date and age|1945|9|13
Jackson, Michigan
debutdate=April 18
debutyear=by|1964
debutteam=Philadelphia Phillies
finaldate=April 10
finalyear=by|1982
finalteam=San Diego Padres
stat1label=Win-Loss record
stat1value=188-181
stat2label=Earned run average
stat2value=3.69
stat3label=Strikeouts
stat3value=1,647
teams=
* Philadelphia Phillies (by|1964, by|1966-by|1971)
* St. Louis Cardinals (by|1972-by|1973)
* Boston Red Sox (by|1974-by|1977)
* Cleveland Indians (by|1978-by|1979)
* San Diego Padres (by|1980-by|1982)
highlights=
* 2x All-Star selection (1971, 1973)

Richard Charles Wise (born September 13, 1945 in Jackson, Michigan) is a former right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball for 18 seasons (1964, 1966-1982). He was the winning pitcher for the Boston Red Sox in Game 6 of the 1975 World Series, considered by some to be the greatest Series game ever played.

Career

Wise was only 18 years of age when he debuted for the Philadelphia Phillies in by|1964, his second professional season. He developed into a solid starter, winning 17 games with a 2.88 earned run average for a sub-.500 Phillies team in by|1971. The highlight of Wise's Philadelphia career occurred that year on June 23; he no-hit the Cincinnati Reds at Riverfront Stadium and hit two home runs in the same game—one of the greatest days any pitcher has enjoyed. Wise, Wes Ferrell (by|1931) and Earl Wilson (by|1962) are the only three no-hit pitchers to hit a home run in the same game. Then, 5 weeks later, on August 18, against the San Francisco Giants, Wise had another day when he hit two home runs. And finally, on September 18th, against the Chicago Cubs, he performed an amazing feat, by retiring 32 batters in a row; 4 shy of the record. He also knocked in the winning run in the 12th inning.

The following season, Wise became an unwitting participant in one of the most one-sided trades of the 1970s. The owner of the St. Louis Cardinals, August "Gussie" Busch, ordered his team to trade its star left-handed pitcher, Steve Carlton, after a contract squabble. Because all of baseball knew of the trade mandate, teams drove very hard bargains, and the Phils' offer of Wise was the best St. Louis could do. Wise won a total of 32 games during his two seasons (1972-73) in St. Louis, but Carlton won 27 for the last-place by|1972 Phillies alone and would go on to anchor their starting pitching staff for the next decade, ultimately winning 329 games and a place in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

After the by|1973 campaign, Wise was shipped to Boston in the American League for outfielder Reggie Smith. His by|1974 season was ruined by an arm injury suffered during a freezing April start at Fenway Fact|date=February 2007, but he rebounded in by|1975 to win 19 for the Red Sox, winners of the AL East. He then won his only start in the 1975 ALCS against Oakland, and was the relief pitcher of record in Game 6 when Carlton Fisk ended the 12-inning game with his oft-replayed walk-off home run.

Wise was traded to the Cleveland Indians in spring training of by|1978, and won 15 games for a poor team in by|1979, before finishing his career with the San Diego Padres.

In an 18-year career, Wise posted a 188-181 record with 1647 strikeouts and a 3.69 ERA in 3127.00 innings pitched.

Trivia

*Wise, who grew up in Portland, Oregon, led his Rose City Little League team to the Little League World Series in 1958, making him one of a handful of major league players to have played in both the Little League and Major League World Series.cite web|url=http://www.baseball-almanac.com/legendary/little_league_world_series_major_league_world_series.shtml|publisher="Baseball Almanac|title=Little League/Major League World Series Players|accessdate=2007-05-18]

*On June 13, by|1973, Wise, having already pitched one no-hitter against the Reds, nearly joined Addie Joss as the only pitchers to no-hit the same team twice (the Cleveland Indian pitcher's two no-hitters were against the Chicago White Sox, in by|1908 and by|1910; the former was a perfect game). This bid, however, was broken up by Joe Morgan's single with one out in the ninth.

*Wise also had a no-hitter broken up against the Milwaukee Brewers in by|1975 while with the Red Sox. In the first game of a July 2 doubleheader that year, former Red Sox George Scott homered off Wise with two out in the ninth to break up the no-hitter. Wise would have joined Cy Young and Jim Bunning as pitchers who had hurled no-hitters in both leagues; Nolan Ryan, Hideo Nomo and Randy Johnson had done it after Wise's bid was broken up.

*Rick Wise started as the pitching coach for the Lancaster Barnstormers in 2005, leading them to an Atlantic League championship in 2006. He was promoted to interim manager in July 2007 after the organization fired manager Frank Klebe. He returned to his duties as pitching coach after Von Hayes was named the new manager for 2008.

Quotation

*“The designated hitter rule is like having someone else take Wilt Chamberlain’s free throws.”

ee also

* List of Major League Baseball no-hitters
* List of Major League Baseball leaders in career wins

References

External links

* [http://www.oceanviewpress.com/id17.html Rick Wise interviewed at OceanViewPress.com]
* [http://www.baseball-reference.com/w/wiseri01.shtml Baseball Reference]
* [http://www.angelfire.com/nj4/jerzgirl/rw.html Words For The Wise]