J.R. Richard was absolutely awesome in his peak years.
Happily, his struggles after baseball seem to have ironed themselves out; and I hope the move to retire his number in HOU wins out.
From Wikipedia:
"n the winter of 1994, Richard was homeless and destitute and lived under a bridge in Houston.
"By 1995, Richard was eligible for his major league baseball pension. That year he also participated in the Old-Timers' Day game with the Astros. In the following months, he turned to the Now Testament Church and sought help from its minister, Reverend Floyd Lewis. Richard overcame his homelessness by working with this minister, with a belief that he "always knew God was on his side".[2] Richard would later become a minister at the church. He also started working at an asphalt company.[83]
Richard became involved in the Houston community, and started working with financial donors in Houston to help establish baseball programs for children.[8] A small-budget 2005 movie, Resurrection: The J.R. Richard Story, depicted Richard's baseball career as well as his life after baseball.[84] A recent online petition, created by Astros fans to convince the team to retire Richard's number, has collected over 3,100 signatures from Astros fans and other baseball enthusiasts."
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