Rich Hinton
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1971-1979)
Rich Hinton was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1971 to 1979 for 5 teams, including the Chicago White Sox, a span of 9 seasons. Across 116 career appearances, he went 9-17 with a 4.87 ERA and 152 strikeouts.
- W (Wins):
- Games credited to a pitcher whose team took a lead it never surrendered while he was the pitcher of record.
- ERA (Earned Run Average):
- Earned runs allowed per nine innings pitched: (ER × 9) ÷ IP. The primary measure of pitching effectiveness.
- SO (Strikeouts):
- For a batter, times retired on a third strike; for a pitcher, batters retired on a third strike.
- WHIP (Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched):
- Baserunners allowed per inning: (BB + H) ÷ IP. Under 1.00 is elite.
Data updated
- Position
- Pitcher
- Bats / Throws
- L / L
- Height / Weight
- 6'2" / 185 lb
- Died
- 8/7/2025 in Sarasota, FL, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1971-07-17
- Last Game
- 1979-09-27
Full name: Richard Michael Hinton
Season-by-Season Pitching
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Lg ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | CHA | AL | 3 | 4 | 18 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24.1 | 27 | 12 | 6 | 15 | 4.44 | 3.47 (-28%) | 521.6 |
| 1972 | NYA | AL | 1 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16.2 | 20 | 9 | 8 | 13 | 4.86 | 3.26 (-49%) | -239.6 |
| 1972 | TEX | AL | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11.1 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 4 | 2.38 | 3.26 (+27%) | -629.9 |
| 1975 | CHA | AL | 1 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37.1 | 41 | 20 | 15 | 30 | 4.82 | 3.71 (-30%) | 779.6 |
| 1976 | CIN | NL | 1 | 2 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17.2 | 30 | 15 | 11 | 8 | 7.64 | 3.51 (-117%) | -1335.6 |
| 1978 | CHA | AL | 2 | 6 | 29 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 80.2 | 78 | 36 | 28 | 48 | 4.02 | 3.69 (-9%) | 760.0 |
| 1979 | CHA | AL | 1 | 2 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 41.2 | 57 | 28 | 8 | 27 | 6.05 | 4.00 (-51%) | 628.1 |
| 1979 | SEA | AL | 0 | 2 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20.0 | 23 | 12 | 5 | 7 | 5.40 | 4.00 (-35%) | -840.1 |
| Career · 8 seasons | 9 | 17 | 116 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 249.2 | 283 | 135 | 91 | 152 | 4.87 | — | -356 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 116 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | .143 | .143 | .429 | .571 | 0 |
Career AVG .143 vs. league average .255 across their career seasons — 44.0% below league average.
Career OBP .143 vs. league average .322 across their career seasons — 55.6% below league average.
Career SLG .429 vs. league average .372 across their career seasons — +15.1% above league average.
Career OPS .571 vs. league average .694 across their career seasons — 17.7% below league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | CHA | AL | 18 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1972 | NYA | AL | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1972 | TEX | AL | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .500 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1975 | CHA | AL | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1976 | CIN | NL | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1978 | CHA | AL | 29 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1979 | CHA | AL | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1979 | SEA | AL | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 8 seasons | 116 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | .143 | — | — | — | — | 0 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (232 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 52 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Away | 64 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .250 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 52 | 135.0 | 146 | 66 | 43 | 78 | 4.40 |
| Away | 64 | 114.2 | 137 | 69 | 48 | 74 | 5.42 |
Last 10 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979-09-27 | SEA | MIL | — | 0.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1979-09-17 | SEA | MIL | L | 0.1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1979-09-11 | SEA | TEX | — | 2.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1979-09-07 | SEA | KCR | — | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1979-09-02 | SEA | TOR | — | 1.2 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1979-08-29 | SEA | CLE | — | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1979-08-14 | SEA | CLE | — | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1979-08-07 | SEA | MIN | L | 3.1 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 1979-08-05 | SEA | OAK | — | 1.1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1979-08-04 | SEA | OAK | — | 0.2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 116 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Arizona | Tucson | AZ | 1967, 1968, 1969 |
Rich Hinton: the record in brief
Rich Hinton played a first major league game on July 17, 1971 and a last one on September 27, 1979. Club by club, the record runs the Chicago White Sox (1971 to 1979), the New York Yankees (1972), the Texas Rangers (1972), the Cincinnati Reds (1976), and the Seattle Mariners (1979). Hinton, born on May 22, 1947, in Tucson, AZ, USA, is listed as a pitcher and both batted and threw left-handed. Size on record: 6 feet, 2 inches and 185 pounds. The bio records the death on August 7, 2025, in Sarasota, FL, USA. On the record, Rich Hinton was born Richard Michael Hinton.
Hinton's career pitching line is 9 wins, 17 losses and a 4.87 ERA over 116 appearances. Also on Hinton's record: 152 strikeouts. Against a 3.62 league ERA for the same seasons, the 4.87 mark was 34.6% worse. 1978 was Hinton's sharpest full season, a 4.02 ERA against the league's 3.69.
Frequently Asked Questions about Rich Hinton
- What years did Rich Hinton play?
- Rich Hinton played in Major League Baseball from 1971 to 1979.
- Was Rich Hinton a pitcher?
- Yes. Rich Hinton pitched in the major leagues, recording 9 wins and 152 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Rich Hinton hit?
- Rich Hinton hit 0 career home runs with 1 hit.
- What teams did Rich Hinton play for?
- Rich Hinton played for 5 teams: the Chicago White Sox (1971, 1975, 1978–1979), the New York Yankees (1972), the Texas Rangers (1972), the Cincinnati Reds (1976), and the Seattle Mariners (1979).
- What were Rich Hinton's career stats?
- In 116 games, Rich Hinton went 9-17 with a 4.87 ERA, 152 strikeouts, 249.2 innings pitched, and 3 saves.
- What position did Rich Hinton play?
- Rich Hinton played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Rich Hinton and how much did he weigh?
- Rich Hinton was listed at 6 feet 2 inches and 185 pounds.
- What was Rich Hinton's career ERA?
- Rich Hinton finished with a 4.87 career ERA, going 9-17 with 152 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did Rich Hinton have?
- Rich Hinton recorded 152 career strikeouts.
- Is Rich Hinton in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Rich Hinton has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.