Nolen Richardson
Third Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1929-1939)
Nolen Richardson was a third baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1929 to 1939 for the Detroit Tigers, the New York Yankees, and the Cincinnati Reds, a span of 11 seasons. In 168 career games, he hit .247 with 117 hits and 45 RBI.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
- Position
- Third Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'1" / 170 lb
- Died
- 9/25/1951 in Athens, GA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1929-04-16
- Last Game
- 1939-04-17
Full name: Clifford Nolen Richardson
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 168 | 473 | 39 | 117 | 19 | 5 | 0 | 45 | 8 | 23 | 22 | .247 | .282 | .309 | .591 | -1,125 |
Career AVG .247 vs. league average .278 across their career seasons — 11.1% below league average.
Career OBP .282 vs. league average .342 across their career seasons — 17.6% below league average.
Career SLG .309 vs. league average .397 across their career seasons — 22.3% below league average.
Career OPS .591 vs. league average .740 across their career seasons — 20.1% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1929 | DET | AL | 13 | 21 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | .190 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1931 | DET | AL | 38 | 148 | 13 | 40 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 16 | 2 | 6 | 3 | .270 | .276 (-2%) | .338 (-12%) | .388 (-8%) | .726 (-10%) | -261.2 |
| 1932 | DET | AL | 69 | 155 | 13 | 34 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 5 | 9 | 13 | .219 | .275 (-20%) | .335 (-22%) | .391 (-29%) | .726 (-26%) | -650.4 |
| 1935 | NYA | AL | 12 | 46 | 3 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 1 | .217 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1938 | CIN | NL | 35 | 100 | 8 | 29 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 4 | .290 | .272 (+6%) | .341 (-9%) | .392 (-16%) | .734 (-13%) | -213.3 |
| 1939 | CIN | NL | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 6 seasons | 168 | 473 | 39 | 117 | 19 | 5 | 0 | 45 | 8 | 23 | 22 | .247 | — | — | — | — | -1,125 | ||
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 (168 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 73 | 208 | 18 | 55 | 0 | 23 | .264 |
| Away | 95 | 266 | 21 | 62 | 0 | 20 | .233 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1939-04-17 | CIN | PIT | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1938-10-02 | CIN | PIT | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1938-10-01 | CIN | PIT | W | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1938-09-30 | CIN | PIT | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1938-09-30 | CIN | PIT | W | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1938-09-29 | CIN | STL | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1938-09-28 | CIN | STL | L | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1938-09-27 | CIN | STL | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1938-09-25 | CIN | PIT | L | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1938-09-24 | CIN | PIT | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Third Base | 105 |
| Shortstop | 63 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Georgia | Athens | GA | 1924, 1925, 1926 |
Nolen Richardson: the record in brief
Nolen Richardson's major league career runs from a debut on April 16, 1929 to a final game on April 17, 1939. The season rows list, in order, the Detroit Tigers (1929 to 1932), the New York Yankees (1935), and the Cincinnati Reds (1938 through 1939). Richardson played primarily as a third baseman and threw and hit right-handed. The bio adds a birth date on January 18, 1903, in Chattanooga, TN, USA and a listed size of 170 pounds on a 6-foot-1 frame. Richardson's death is recorded on September 25, 1951, in Athens, GA, USA. The bio lists the given name Clifford Nolen.
Richardson finished with 117 hits from 473 at bats in 168 games, which works out to .247, along with 45 RBI. The on-base percentage is .282 and the slugging percentage .309, for an OPS of .591. The league as a whole hit .278 across Richardson's seasons, which puts the .247 career mark 11.1% below average. In OPS terms, Richardson's .591 stands 20.1% below the league's .740. The hits column peaks at 40, in 1931.
Frequently Asked Questions about Nolen Richardson
- What years did Nolen Richardson play?
- Nolen Richardson played in Major League Baseball from 1929 to 1939.
- Was Nolen Richardson a pitcher?
- No. Nolen Richardson was a position player (Third Baseman).
- How many home runs did Nolen Richardson hit?
- Nolen Richardson hit 0 career home runs with 117 hits.
- What teams did Nolen Richardson play for?
- Nolen Richardson played for 3 teams: the Detroit Tigers (1929, 1931–1932), the New York Yankees (1935), and the Cincinnati Reds (1938–1939).
- What were Nolen Richardson's career stats?
- In 168 games, Nolen Richardson had 117 hits, 45 RBI, 39 runs, and 8 stolen bases, with a .247 batting average.
- What position did Nolen Richardson play?
- Nolen Richardson played primarily as a third baseman, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Nolen Richardson and how much did he weigh?
- Nolen Richardson was listed at 6 feet 1 inch and 170 pounds.
- What was Nolen Richardson's career batting average?
- Nolen Richardson batted .247 over his career, with 117 hits in 473 at bats.
- How many RBI did Nolen Richardson have?
- Nolen Richardson drove in 45 runs in his career.
- Is Nolen Richardson in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Nolen Richardson has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.