Rich DeLucia
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| Rich DeLucia | |
|---|---|
 DeLucia in 1988 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: October 7, 1964 Reading, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 8, 1990, for the Seattle Mariners | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| May 28, 1999, for the Cleveland Indians | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 38–51 |
| Earned run average | 4.62 |
| Strikeouts | 502 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
Richard Anthony DeLucia (born October 7, 1964) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher who played for several teams between 1990 and 1999.
A native of Reading, Pennsylvania, DeLucia graduated from Wyomissing High School in 1982 and attended the University of Tennessee. He set a Volunteers career record with 246 strikeouts,[1] since surpassed.[2] In 1984, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Wareham Gatemen of the Cape Cod Baseball League.[3]
DeLucia was selected by the Seattle Mariners in the sixth round of the 1986 MLB draft. That July, he threw a 7-inning no-hitter for the Bellingham Mariners. He missed most of the 1987 season with elbow surgery and dealt with a back injury in 1989. He made his major league debut with Seattle in September 1990.[1][4] He led major league rookies with 12 wins in 1991, but led the Mariners with 13 losses, with a 5.09 ERA in 182 innings, more than twice his workload in any other MLB season.[1][5] He moved to a long relief role in 1992.[6] He dealt with a shoulder injury in 1993.[7]
Seattle waived DeLucia ahead of the 1994 season,[8] and he signed with the Cincinnati Reds, pitching most of the season in Triple-A.[5][9] After signing a minor league contract with the Baltimore Orioles that November, the St. Louis Cardinals selected him in the Rule 5 draft. He had a 3.39 ERA in 82+1⁄3 innings. After the season, St. Louis traded him to the San Francisco Giants as part of a five-player trade sending Royce Clayton to the Cardinals.[10]
In April 1997, the Giants traded DeLucia to the Anaheim Angels for minor leaguer Travis Thurmond.[5] DeLucia was ejected and suspended two games after hitting Dean Palmer with a pitch during a June 1998 game that had two bench-clearing brawls.[11] In a ten-season MLB career, DeLucia posted a 4.62 ERA with 502 strikeouts over 624 innings.[5] He continued to pitch in the minors in 2000 and 2001.[12]