RIP Rick Baldwin, 1953-2020

[G-Fafif]

Word on Facebook is Rick Baldwin, Mets reliever from 1975-1977, has died from COVID-19, per his family's own posting. Wikipedia lists October 30 as the date of passing.

[Benjamin Grimm]

In my mind, he will forever be linked with Dwight Bernard. (I'm not even sure if they were ever teammates.)



https://www.tcdb.com/Images/Cards/Baseball/79/79-587Fr.jpg>

[G-Fafif]

This from his Visalia teammate https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=rusco-001davDavid Rusco (on Facebook):

Just received word that the young man, Rick Baldwin, who told me about Jesus, at age 23, just went home to be with Jesus. After a game on the road, we stayed up all night. We talked for hours about the Bible and Jesus. As the sun was coming up we thought we better get some sleep for the game that night. Rick pitched for the NY Mets, but after baseball he became a pastor. He was still pastoring when Jesus called him home. It's interesting that I also became a pastor. His # was 33, mine 66. I loved that man. But it won't be long before we all will leave this body. My friends, Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one goes to the Father except through Me." Rick wanted to see me in heaven one day. That's why he told me how. I also want to see you in heaven one day also.

[smg58]

I remember getting his baseball card in 1976 (the year before the one BG posted), and thinking he looked so young.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

I conflate him with a bunch of 70s Mets relievers.



Did he run a lumberyard in the South? I remember talking about this once

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

That musta been Bernard.



Baldwin was from Fresno, like Seaver, but threw sidearm.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

Actually the guy I was thinking of Bob Myrick

[Edgy MD]

Rick's top game was the last one of 1977.



The Mets tore ass out of the gate and held a 6-0 lead through most of the game, as Lee Mazzilli, Leo Foster, and Bruce Bosclair opened with three consecutive doubles. Pat Zachry cruised along before faltering in the eighth. So goofy were the over-confident Mets that Mazzilli and Torre conspired to lift Maz mid-game to ensure a .250 batting average on the season for Lee. FUN TIMES!!



After three runs crossed, Paul Siebert came on for the final out, but Siebert faltered as well in the ninth, giving up another run before leaving with the tying runs on and one out. Torre called on Bald Mountain, and he got pinch-hitters Mike Potter on a lineout and Roger Freed on a bouncer to short.



Steve Henderson capped a very good rookie season when he caught up with Potter's liner, and inadvertently ended Potter's baseball days. The at-bat was the last of Potter's 0-23 career.



http://leaptoad.com/mets/scorecard_graph.php?game=2607&font=1>

[whippoorwill]

Lately (this is awful) when I see someone die young (and forgive me dear Zvon), I think to myself...

Now they don't have to worry about coronavirus or Trump or anything ever again...



RIP Rick

[vtmet7]

Edgy MD wrote: http://leaptoad.com/mets/scorecard_graph.php?game=2607&font=1>

forgive me for my ignorance on the scorecard...but, is that a scorecard that someone actually did during a game, or a recreation? I realize that I write like a 5 year old using a crayon for the first time; but holy cow that is great penmanship if it was done live at a game while trying to watch and consume hot dogs, refreshments, etc...

[vtmet7]

it's a shame about Rick, especially if related to Covid...I remember watching Rick during the 70's....

[Edgy MD]

forgive me for my ignorance on the scorecard...but, is that a scorecard that someone actually did during a game, or a recreation? I realize that I write like a 5 year old using a crayon for the first time; but holy cow that is great penmanship if it was done live at a game while trying to watch and consume hot dogs, refreshments, etc...

http://leaptoad.com/mets/The Ultimate Mets Database generates scorecards from every game in Mets history, in your choice from over a dozen fonts.



Thrill to the UMDB watermark, a symbol of quality known the world over.



http://leaptoad.com/mets/scorecard_graph.php?game=1&font=12>

[vtmet7]

thanks Edgy

[G-Fafif]

Place of passing was Modesto, Calif.



Deep profile https://ripbaseball.com/2020/11/08/obituary-rick-baldwin-1953-2020/here.

He had never played higher than the AA level, so the experience of spending spring training with the big-league club was a novelty. “They even wash your uniforms for you here,” he marveled.

[Edgy MD]

Hit .260 in the minors and .273 in the bigs.