Rich Harden
Canadian pitcher known for strikeouts and the 'spluckle' pitch.
James Richard Harden is a Canadian former professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball for the Oakland Athletics, Chicago Cubs, and Texas Rangers. He debuted in 2003 and was known for his high strikeout rates and an unusual splitter pitch.
Quick Facts
- Position
- Pitcher
- Born
- 30 November 1981
- Birthplace
- Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
- Bats
- Left
- Throws
- Right
- Debut league
- MLB
- Debut date
- July 21
- Debut year
- 2003
Facts from the source article.
Early years
Harden attended Claremont Secondary School in Victoria, British Columbia, and was a childhood friend of Olympic diver Riley McCormick. Drafted by the Seattle Mariners in 1999, he instead attended Central Arizona College, graduating in 2001. In 2001 he led NJCAA Division I pitchers with 127 strikeouts and posted a 2.14 ERA. In his first professional season with the Vancouver Canadians, he struck out 100 batters in 74 innings.
Professional career
Harden was drafted by the Athletics in 2000 and signed in May 2001. In 2002 he pitched for Single-A Visalia and Double-A Midland, combining for a 12–6 record, 2.93 ERA, and 187 strikeouts in 153 innings. He began 2003 with Midland, throwing 13 perfect innings across two starts, then moved to Triple-A Sacramento, where he went 9–4 with a 3.15 ERA. Promoted to Oakland in July 2003, he debuted on July 21 against the Kansas City Royals, allowing one run in seven innings. Through his first five starts he had a 3–1 record and 1.69 ERA, but later struggled, finishing the season 5–4 with a 4.46 ERA. In the Division Series against the Red Sox, he earned a win in relief but also took a loss after allowing two runs in one-third of an inning.
Pitching style
Harden threw a fastball, changeup, splitter, and slider. His fastball reached 92–96 mph and occasionally exceeded 100 mph. His splitter, gripped in a way that made it behave unpredictably, was called the 'ghost pitch' and was termed a 'spluckle' by catcher Adam Melhuse. From 2008 to mid-2010 his swinging strike rate of 13 percent led all major league starters, and his career rate of 12.5 percent ranked third among pitchers with at least 700 innings from 2003 to 2011.
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