Ricky Neal Horton (born July 30, 1959) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago White Sox, and Los Angeles Dodgers. He is currently a radio broadcaster for the Cardinals.
| Ricky Horton | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: July 30, 1959 Poughkeepsie, New York, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 7, 1984, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| July 23, 1990, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 32–27 |
| Earned run average | 3.76 |
| Strikeouts | 319 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Early life and amateur career
editHorton was born in Poughkeepsie, New York. He graduated from F. D. Roosevelt High School, in nearby Hyde Park. Horton attended and played college baseball at the University of Virginia. Horton played collegiate summer baseball for the Chatham A's of the Cape Cod Baseball League in 1978 and was named a league all-star.[1][2] During the 1980 season, he led the Cavaliers in innings pitched (66.2), earned run average (2.70) and strikeouts (70).[3]
Playing career
editHorton was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 4th round of the 1980 amateur draft. Horton's first major league hit came on May 21, 1984, off Nolan Ryan.
In 1984, Horton won a career-high nine games as a rookie for the Cardinals. While with the Cardinals, he appeared in the 1985 World Series and 1987 World Series. He pitched in the 1988 World Series as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who won the championship.
Coaching and broadcasting career
editIn 1991, Horton was a minor league pitching coach in the Cleveland Indians farm system. In 1993, he became the director of the St. Louis Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
In 1997, Horton began filling in on Cardinals television broadcasts on FSN Midwest and radio broadcasts on the Cardinals Radio Network.[4] In 2003, he joined the three-man FSN Midwest television broadcast team, working roughly 100 games per year as well as post-game analysis.[5] As of 2022, he provides color commentary on KMOX radio broadcasts.[6]
Personal
editHorton briefly appeared in the film Field of Dreams, shown pitching for the White Sox in a scene where Ray Kinsella's young daughter is watching baseball on television.
Horton and his wife, Ann, reside in St. Louis.[7]
References
edit- ^ "Major League Baseball Players From the Cape Cod League" (PDF). capecodbaseball.org. Retrieved January 9, 2020.
- ^ "Cape Cod League All-Stars Chosen". The Cape Codder. Orleans, MA. July 25, 1978. p. 20.
- ^ Annual Pitching Leaders virginiasports.com (accessed June 26, 2011)
- ^ Cardinals Broadcasters mlb.com (accessed June 26, 2011)
- ^ FOX Sports Midwest announces Cardinals broadcast team foxsportsmidwest.com, January 21, 2011 (accessed June 26, 2011)
- ^ "Broadcasters | St. Louis Cardinals". MLB.com.
- ^ "Broadcasters | St. Louis Cardinals". MLB.com.
External links
edit- Career statistics from Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors)
- Ricky Horton at Baseball Almanac