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James Rodney Richard

The tragic story of J.R. Richard is one that deserves to be told and retold for as long as the sport of baseball survives. Much like the timeless Greek tragedies written thousands of years ago, it is the story of a great figure brought to ruin at the heig

The tragic story of J.R. Richard is one that deserves to be told and retold for as long as the sport of baseball survives. Much like the timeless Greek tragedies written thousands of years ago, it is the story of a great figure brought to ruin at the heig

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James Rodney Richard Biography

J.R. Richard was a towering, 6'8" right-hander from Louisiana drafted by the Houston Astros in the first round of 1969 summer draft. He was arguably the single most dominating pitcher of his time. With a 103 mph fastball that earned a deadly reputation, backed up by a 94 mph slider, he was virtually unhittable. In his first major league start in 1971, Richard struck out 15 batters. In 1976, he was a 20 game winner and started a string of 4 straight 18 win seasons. He struck out 300 batters in 1978 and 1979 and was an all-star in 1980. Then just weeks after the all-star game it all came crashing down.

On July 30th , 1980, J.R. Richard collapsed during throwing drills and suffered a near fatal, career ending stroke. The blood flow through the main arteries in the right side of his neck was cut off. J.R. had no pulse in his right cartoid artery and blood flow was cut off for three or four hours. Nine hours after J.R. collapsed, he underwent emergency, life saving surgery.

J.R. Richard would never step foot on a major league mound again, and after a failed comeback in 1981, Richard was released by the Astros and the downward spiral continued. J.R.'s life became a tailspin of failure and pain. Bad business investments lost him hundreds of thousands of dollars, he lost his agent, his attorney, 2 wives and his home. In the winter of 1994, J.R. Richard was broke, homeless, and living under a Houston Interstate bridge.

"The only way to understand homelessness is to get out there under the bridge," said Richard. "I am very lucky. God allowed me to get through this to make me a better individual."

Today, J.R. Richard is a minister in his church. He works closely with the homeless and with troubled youth to establish programs that help kids survive their surroundings. As a speaker, J.R. inspires and motivates audiences to never give up. J.R.'s story is like none other and is well worth telling, and even more worth hearing.

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FAQs on booking James Rodney Richard

  • How do I book James Rodney Richard to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like James Rodney Richard for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for James Rodney Richard, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for James Rodney Richard or any other speaker of your choice.
  • What are the speaker fees for James Rodney Richard

    Speaking fees for James Rodney Richard, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book James Rodney Richard are for live events and for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire James Rodney Richard, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
  • What topics does James Rodney Richard speak about?

    James Rodney Richard is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Baseball, Sports Inspiration, Sports Motivation.
  • Where does James Rodney Richard travel from?

    James Rodney Richard generally travels from an undisclosed location, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.
  • Who is James Rodney Richard’s agent?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like James Rodney Richard for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book James Rodney Richard for your next private or corporate function.
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    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host James Rodney Richard or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
  • Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

    If you’re looking for the best, unbiased speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.

James Rodney Richard is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics . The estimated speaking fee range to book James Rodney Richard for your event is $5,000 - $10,000. James Rodney Richard generally travels from and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Webb Simpson, Doc Redman, Pat Perez, Matt Parziale and Trey Mullinax. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling James Rodney Richard for an upcoming live or virtual event.

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