Clayton Richard is a former professional baseball player who played as a pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) for over a decade. He was born on September 12, 1983, in Lafayette, Indiana, and attended McCutcheon High School in Lafayette. After high school, Richard attended the University of Michigan, where he played college baseball for the Wolverines.
Richard was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the eighth round of the 2005 MLB draft. He made his MLB debut with the White Sox in 2008 and played for them until 2009. In 2010, Richard was traded to the San Diego Padres, where he played until 2013. He then played for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2014 before returning to the Padres in 2015. Richard played for the Padres until 2018, when he was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays. He finished his career with the Blue Jays in 2019.
Throughout his career, Richard was known for his sinkerball, which he used to induce ground balls and get outs. He was also known for his durability, as he pitched over 200 innings in a season twice in his career. Richard's best season came in 2012 when he went 14-14 with a 3.99 ERA for the Padres. He also pitched a complete game shutout that season.
In addition to his MLB career, Richard also played for Team USA in the 2017 World Baseball Classic. He started two games for the team and pitched a total of 8.1 innings, allowing just one run and striking out six batters.
After retiring from baseball, Richard became the head baseball coach at the University of Michigan, his alma mater. He was hired in June 2021 and will begin coaching the Wolverines in the 2022 season.
Overall, Clayton Richard had a successful career as a pitcher in MLB. He played for five different teams and was known for his sinkerball and durability. He also represented Team USA in the World Baseball Classic and is now coaching at the University of Michigan.
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