Rick Helling
| Rick Helling | |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | |
| Born: December 15, 1970 Devils Lake, North Dakota |
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| Batted: Right | Threw: Right |
| MLB debut | |
| April 10, 1994 for the Texas Rangers | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 9, 2006 for the Milwaukee Brewers | |
| Career statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 93–81 |
| Earned run average | 4.68 |
| Strikeouts | 1,058 |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Richard Allen Helling (born December 15, 1970) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher.
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High school and college [edit]
Helling attended Lakota High School in Lakota, North Dakota for three years, before graduating from Shanley High School in Fargo, North Dakota. He was a letterman in football, basketball, and baseball. In football, he was a three-time All-Conference honoree.
Helling played college ball at Stanford University. While there he joined Delta Tau Delta International Fraternity. He was selected by the Texas Rangers in the 1st round of the 1992 Major League Baseball Draft.
Baseball career [edit]
Helling was an early critic of performance enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball, warning the Players Union as early as 1998 that drugs were a problem in the sport; he served as a Union Executive Board Member from 1999-2007.[1]
Helling was a member of two World Series Championship teams: the 1997 World Series Champion Florida Marlins and the 2003 World Series Champion Florida Marlins. Despite being traded to the Texas Rangers earlier in the 1997 season which meant he did not participate in the Marlins' World Series win that year he was still awarded a World Series ring by his former teammates because of his 1/2 season contribution.
In 1998 he won five straight games on the road; no Texas pitcher matched that accomplishment again until Scott Feldman surpassed it in 2009.[2] Helling had his best season by far in 1998 going 20-7, tying for the American League lead in wins with David Cone and Roger Clemens. His 11 road victories in 1998 set a club record, later matched by Vincente Padilla (2008) and surpassed by Scott Feldman (2009).[3][4][5]
In 2000, Helling broke a dubious 30-year-old record by giving up 66 doubles. One year later, he broke his record by allowing 68 doubles.
On June 20, 2006, Helling struck out three batters on nine pitches — Curtis Granderson, Plácido Polanco and Iván Rodríguez — in the first inning of a 10-1 loss to the Detroit Tigers. Helling became the 38th pitcher in major league history to throw an immaculate inning.
On February 5, 2007, he announced his retirement to spend more time with his family.[6]
Post-baseball life [edit]
On March 17, 2009, he was hired as a special assistant to the head of the Major League Baseball Players Association, Donald Fehr.[7]
He currently resides in the Twin Cities of Minnesota.
See also [edit]
- List of Major League Baseball wins champions
- List of Texas Rangers Opening Day starting pitchers
- Pitchers who have struck out three batters on nine pitches
References [edit]
- ^ Helling Named Assistant to Fehr NY Times, March 18, 2009
- ^ "Recap: Tampa Bay vs. Texas," The Miami Herald, 8/23/09, accessed 8/23/09
- ^ Palmer, Matt, "Rangers roll, trim Wild Card deficit to two: Feldman stifles Orioles for 11th road victory, 15th overall," MLB.com, 9/4/09, accessed 9/4/09
- ^ Ginzburg, David, "Feldman, Cruz lead Rangers over Orioles 5-1," Associated Press, 9/4/09, accessed 9/4/09
- ^ Wilson, Jeff (2009-09-09). "Texas Rangers find good vibe with sweep of Tribe, 10-0". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved 2009-09-27.
- ^ Helling to retire after 12 seasons
- ^ Helling, Myers added to MLBPA staff
External links [edit]
- The Man Who Warned Baseball About Steroids - Time Magazine
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube
| Preceded by Roger Clemens |
American League Wins Champion 1998 (with Roger Clemens & David Cone) |
Succeeded by Pedro Martínez |
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- Living people
- 1970 births
- Major League Baseball pitchers
- Baseball players from North Dakota
- People from Ramsey County, North Dakota
- Kishwaukee Kougars baseball players
- Florida Marlins players
- Milwaukee Brewers players
- Arizona Diamondbacks players
- Texas Rangers players
- Baltimore Orioles players
- Olympic baseball players of the United States
- Baseball players at the 1992 Summer Olympics
- American League wins champions
- Charlotte Rangers players
- Tulsa Drillers players
- Tucson Sidewinders players
- Rochester Red Wings players
- Oklahoma City 89ers players
- Nashville Sounds players
- New Britain Rock Cats players
- Oklahoma RedHawks players
