CHRIS RICHARD
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | SB | CS | GIDP | HBP | SH | SF | OBP | SLG | AVG | OWP |
| 50 | 155 | 15 | 36 | 11 | 0 | 4 | 21 | 12 | 30 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | .292 | .381 | .232 | .350 |
After missing the first four months or so of the year following postseason shoulder surgery, Chris Richard made his debut on July 31 and immediately hit safely in his first nine games, going 14-33 (.457) with five doubles and three home runs. Unfortunately, it was all downhill from there. In the remaining 41 games Richard played, he hit .180 with six doubles and one home run.
Richard had looked like a decent, if platoon, outfielder since being acquired in the midst of the 2000 season from St. Louis, but the egg he laid over the final two months of 2002 was so large that it raised questions about his status for 2003. The Orioles seem inclined to give Richard the benefit of the doubt that his performance in 2002 was a function of his recovery from injury.
In deference to the arm recovery, Richard appeared in just nine games in the field this past season and all of them were at first base. Only seven were starts. The rest of the time, when in the starting lineup--which was most of the time over the final two months of 2002--Richard was the designated hitter.
It's pretty obvious Richard must play the outfield to have any value, and that he must return to at least the offensive levels of 2000-2001, regardless, if he's to be of any use to the Orioles. Assuming that the arm is back to full strength, Chris is probably capable of doing both, which might stick him in the midst of a crowded, mediocre outfield picture heading into 2003.
TO SUCCESSFULLY CONTRIBUTE NEXT SEASON HE MUST:
1) play the outfield
2) return, offensively, to his first two years in a Baltimore uniform
3) step up his performance at home (see below)
Notes: hit just .220/.225/.320 in 75 ABs at Camden Yards in 2003...in September was .132/.220/.170 in 53 ABs...in seven starts at first base was 3-26 (.115)...the Orioles seem convinced, after his 2000-01 performance, that he's a platoon player (only 16 ABs vs. LHP, 139 vs. RHP in 2002); for his career, Richard is .267/.336/.494 vs. RHP and .224/.276/.273 vs. LHP.