He got off to the best start of his career at 5-0 and did reach double figures in victories for the seventh time, yet suffered a five-game losing streak while posting a 7.84 ERA at a critical point in the season, from August 13 to September 9. He was very vulnerable to home runs, allowing 27 of them in 1988. Dotson may respond better to different handling.
Born in Cincinnati, the Angels made him the seventh player selected in the June 1977 draft. In 1983, Dotson became the youngest White Sox 20-game winner since Reb Russell in 1913."
-Tom Pedulla, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1989 Edition
"The best way to describe Richard Dotson's initial campaign with the Yankees is disappointing. He was acquired before the start of last year to bring some much needed consistency to the pitching staff. Simply stated, he didn't do it.
A veteran of nine years, Dotson rode a rollercoaster through 1988. His season started with five straight wins. Then he didn't gain a victory in over a month, had a trip to the disabled list with a pulled left groin, and then ended up in the bullpen.
Dotson never really recovered, but the Yankees haven't given up on him. The right-hander survived a realignment of the pitching staff because of the level of consistency he has demonstrated throughout his long career. 'When you have problems you have to back to the basics,' Dotson says, 'and that's what I'm going to do.'
Richard Dotson is not a superstar. Outside of his 22 wins with the White Sox in 1983, he's been a steady performer. With a quiet demeanor and a low-key approach, Dotson just seems to get the job done, which is why he's still in the Yankee rotation."
-The New York Yankees Official 1989 Yearbook
"Dotson was acquired from the White Sox along with pitcher Scott Nielsen in November 1987 in exchange for outfielder Dan Pasqua, catcher Mark Salas and left-handed pitcher Steve Rosenberg.
The right-hander made 32 appearances and 29 starts (third on the Yankees) in 1988. He posted a record of 12-9, and his 12 wins tied Rick Rhoden for second place on the Yankees, behind John Candelaria's club-leading 13; Dotson has reached double figures in victories in seven of his eight full major league seasons.
His 171 innings pitched was third on the team and he led the Yankees with 27 home runs given up, a career high. His 5.00 ERA was the second highest ERA of his career and his 77 strikeouts marked only the second time in his eight full seasons he failed to reach the 100-stikeout plateau. He had a .266 batting average against.
Rich made his Yankee debut, a start on April 8 against Milwaukee, a winning one, going 5.2 innings and allowing four hits and three runs (two earned) to gain credit for the Yankees' 6-4 victory. In his next outing, on April 13 at Toronto, he did not allow a run through the first eight innings, allowing just two hits, but tired in the ninth, giving up a run before being relieved and gaining credit for the Yankees' 5-1 win. His seven strikeouts on May 11 against Chicago were his 1988 high and his most since striking out seven against Oakland on June 29, 1987.
From the beginning of the season through May 11, Rich was 5-0 in his first eight games (seven starts) with a 3.10 ERA before having that streak broken on May 17, losing 6-2 to Seattle. Prior to 1988, he had never gotten off to a 5-0 start, and his five-game winning streak was his best since he won five from April 29-May 26, 1984. The last time Dotson won more than five straight games was the longest winning streak of his career, 10 games from August 19-October 2, 1983.
Through June 13, covering his first 14 games (12 starts), Dotson was 7-1 with a 3.24 ERA, and in his 12 starts the Yankees scored an average of 8.0 runs per game. In his 18 appearances (17 starts) after that, however, he went 5-8 with a 6.58 ERA, raising his overall ERA to 5.00. Included in that period was a five-game losing streak (covering five starts from August 13-September 4) when he posted a 9.12 ERA. It was his longest losing streak since he lost five games in five starts from July 9-August 1, 1986 with the White Sox. Dotson has never lost six games in a row.
He was placed on the 15-day disabled list on July 1 with a pulled left groin, an injury he suffered in his start on June 29 against Detroit. At the time of his injury, he was 7-3 with a 4.32 ERA. Rich missed his next two starts while injured before being activated from the DL on July 18. He made 15 appearances (13 starts) following his activation, going 5-6 with a 5.79 ERA.
Rich pitched out of the bullpen on April 20 at Minnesota, June 1 at Oakland and August 2 at Minnesota, combining to allow one run in 6.2 innings pitched. His April 20 outing was his first relief appearance since July 24, 1982 (with the White Sox), and he would have received the win had Minnesota not tied it in the ninth off Dave Righetti. Rich started 159 games between those two relief outings.
His last complete game win came on June 5 at Baltimore, tossing a 6-hitter in the Yankees' 9-2 win- it was his 100th career victory. His last complete game came in a 4-1 loss at Milwaukee on August 25, his fourth complete game of the year and 53rd career complete game.
Dotson was staked to a 7-0 first inning lead on July 24 at Kansas City but gave up seven runs (six earned) in 3.2 innings to wind up with a no-decision in the Yankees' eventual 10-8 win. He was ejected from his August 30 start at Seattle after hitting Henry Cotto with one out in the seventh inning. On September 9 against Detroit he committed two balks, his first balks since June 2, 1984, going 122 starts between balks.
The Yankees won 20 of the 32 games in which he appeared in 1988, including his first eight, and 19 of his 29 starts. In 1987 the White Sox averaged 3.97 runs per Dotson start, and in 1988 the Yankees averaged 5.66 runs in his starts. At Yankee Stadium he was 6-3 in 13 starts with a 4.00 ERA, and on the road, he was 6-6 with a 5.87 ERA in 19 games (16 starts); in his last 10 road appearances, he was 3-6 with an 8.00 ERA. Dotson's career record is 106-97 (.522 won-lost percentage) with a 4.20 ERA.
He is entering the second of two option years following a four-year contract.
Dotson finished with an 11-12 record in 31 games (all starts) with the White Sox in 1987. He posted a 4.17 ERA with 86 walks and 114 strikeouts [and a 1.358 WHIP] in 211.1 innings pitched (the third highest IP total of his career). His 114 strikeouts was the third highest single-season total of his career and the sixth time he recorded 100 or more strikeouts. He finished tied for second on the White Sox in wins, second in innings pitched and third in strikeouts. Rich had seven complete games, including two shutouts: a 5-hit 5-0 win against Texas on May 15 and a 6-hit 1-0 victory at Toronto on August 15. He missed three starts after suffering a sore right shoulder on September 9, but did make one start after that before the end of the season; they were the only three starts he had missed since his recovery from major surgery in July 1985.
He was Chicago's Opening Day pitcher in '87, defeating the Kansas City Royals, but then lost his next four decisions (the first of two four-game losing streaks he suffered in 1987) covering six starts from April 11 through May 10. He rebounded, however, to win six of his next seven decisions, covering 11 starts from May 15 through June 13, his longest winning streak of the year, to give him a 7-5 record in 18 starts with a 3.98 ERA at the All-Star break.
Rich then went 4-7 with a 4.48 ERA in 13 starts after the break. On July 26 he made a bid to pitch the first perfect game in Comiskey Park history, retiring the first 22 Yankees he faced before Mike Pagliarulo ended the no-hitter with a sharp single to right with one out in the eighth inning. After Mike Easler followed with a double, Dan Pasqua hit a three-run pinch-hit home run to lead the Yankees to an eventual 5-2 win, with Dotson getting the tough loss.
He had his second four-game losing streak from August 20 through September 4, covering four consecutive starts. In his next outing, on September 9 at Minnesota, he was forced to leave the game after one inning pitched because of stiffness in his right shoulder. After missing three starts Dotson came back to make one more start, on September 30 against California, pitching five innings and gaining credit for the White Sox' 5-2 victory.
He had a season high eight strikeouts on May 6 at California and had a season high six walks on July 9 at New York. At Comiskey Park he was 6-8 with a 4.35 ERA, while on the road he was 5-4 with a 3.99 ERA. Dotson had an overall batting average against of .249 and allowed 24 home runs.
Dotson was originally selected in the first round (the seventh player in the nation) by the California Angels in the June 1977 free agent draft and went 4-5 with Idaho Falls in his first professional season, with 83 strikeouts in 66 innings pitched. He was traded by the Angels along with outfielders Bobby Bonds and Thad Bosley to the White Sox in December 1977 in exchange for catcher Brian Downing and pitchers Chris Knapp and Dave Frost. In 1978 he was 11-10 with AA Knoxville with 152 strikeouts in 145 innings pitched. Rich spent only two full seasons in the minors and never pitched higher than AA before his callup; he had 368 strikeouts in 326 minor league innings.
He made his major league debut on September 4, 1979 against California and recorded his first major league shutout in his second major league start on September 9, blanking Oakland 7-0 on six hits. The only right-hander in the Sox' 'kiddie corps' of young starters in 1980, his first complete season in the big leagues, Dotson was second on the staff to Britt Burns in wins (12), strikeouts (109) and complete games (6) and tied for second with 32 starts.
The Chisox' most effective starter in his sophomore big league season in 1981, Dotson enjoyed a string of 21 consecutive scoreless innings (May 3-15) with a pair of 4-hit shutouts. He finished tied for the American League lead with four shutouts, all during the season's first half, led the Sox staff with 24 starts and tied for the lead in complete games (5). After a dismal 3-10 first half in 1982, Rich won eight in a row in the second half to climb to 11-11 on September 8 with a win over California. He was named American Pitcher of the Month for August 1982 after going 6-0 with a 1.68 ERA in 48.1 innings.
In 1983 Dotson joined Cy Young Award-winning teammate Lamar Hoyt in posting a 20-win season and leading the White Sox to their AL West Division Championship. His 22-7 record led the American League in winning percentage (.759) and he was second in the league to Hoyt (24-10) in wins. Dotson and Hoyt became only the third Chisox pitching duo in 63 years to win 20 or more games in the same season and the first to turn the trick since Jim Katt (21-13) and Wilbur Wood (20-19) in 1974. They were also the first White Sox twosome to win at least 46 games in one year since 1919 when Ed Cicotte (29-7) and Lefty Williams (23-11) won 52. At age 24, Dotson was the youngest Sox pitcher to record a 20-win season since Reb Russell won 21 in 1913 (Russell was just four months younger). The Chisox were 27-8 in games Dot started and he was 12-3 at Comiskey Park.
On May 18, he pitched the first 1-hitter of his career at Baltimore, only to lose 1-0 on an eighth inning home run by Dan Ford just inside the right field foul pole. Dot won his last eight decisions and 16 of his last 18. From July 15 [through the American League Championship Series], he lost only twice- once in the regular season and once in the ALCS (both times to Baltimore). He joined Hoyt and Floyd Bannister to form the 'Big Three' and fashion a 42-5 won-lost record during the second half [of the season] with a collective ERA of 2.55 in 385 innings. Rich was the American League Pitcher of the Month for September when he was 7-0 with a 1.93 ERA in 51.1 innings.
Between the 1983 and the 1984 All-Star Games (he participated in the latter), Rich posted a composite 25-6 record with a 2.45 ERA in 272.1 innings. The White Sox' lone representative on the American League All-Star team in '84, he led Sox starters that year with a 3.59 ERA, 245.2 innings pitched and 14 complete games and tied for second on the staff with 14 victories. His 14 complete games ranked third in the AL and were just three shy of league leader Charlie Hough of Texas.
He registered two 3-hitters and three 4-hitters in '84 and established a personal single-game strikeout high with 10 against Texas on May 26 en route to a 4-hit 5-1 victory. His best effort came on June 13 in a 2-1 win at California when he 3-hit the Angels and was deprived of a shutout on an unearned run with two outs in the ninth; he also recorded his 500th career strikeout (Rob Wilfong) in that game. Rich was 11-4 and a 2.64 ERA prior to the All-Star break but lost four consecutive games after the break. 1985 circulatory surgery in his right shoulder probably explains his sub-par second half.
Rich made only a pair of game appearances in spring training of 1985 due to right arm tenderness later diagnosed as a circulatory problem - the problem was considered career threatening. He opened the season on the 15-day supplementary disabled list and his season came to an end in early June. He underwent surgery which corrected the problem in late July. Considered the ace of the Sox mound staff entering the season, his absence was a severe blow to Pale Hose title hopes. Rich managed just nine starts between April 22 and June 7 and fashioned a 3-4 record. He fired no complete games but lasted a full seven innings on three occasions.
He returned from his July 1985 surgery to pitch the entire 1986 season and was the only Sox starter not to miss a turn in the rotation, leading the club with 197 innings. He finished with a 10-17 mark and a 5.48 ERA, the most losses and highest ERA of his big league career, and allowed a team-high 24 homers. Rich managed just three complete games, two in the season's final month when his arm strength improved.
His only shutout was his 10th and last win of the season on September 5 against the Blue Jays at Comiskey Park; he limited the Blue Jays to just four hits in that outing. His first complete game was July 4th over the Yankees at Chicago, a 2-1 success. Rich suffered a five-game losing streak after the Independence Day win and did not earn another victory until winning 3-1 at Boston on August 5, and also endured a five-game losing streak at the end of the season. His longest winning streak was a three-gamer, capped by his July 4th win, that temporarily evened his record at 7-7. Rich twice matched his career single-game strikeout best with 10 whiffs at Milwaukee on August 10 (6.1 innings) and 10 against Texas on August 31 (7.1 innings).
Rich had a stellar prep career at Anderson High School in Cincinnati and signed a letter of intent to attend Miami University (Ohio) after graduating, but instead elected to turn professional after the 1977 draft. He met his wife, a Sarasota (FL) native, during spring training.
He served as Chicago's player representative his last three years there. His hobbies are hunting and fishing, his favorite spectator sport is football, and his favorite team growing up was the Cincinnati Reds."
-1989 New York Yankees Information Guide
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