1976 Topps #484 - Eric Raich

• Eric Raich pitched for the Cleveland Indians in 1975 and 1976. Raich was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in 1969 but he didn't sign. Raich played baseball and football for the USC Trojans -- USC won  four straight NCAA Baseball championships from 1968-1971. Eric was then the first player selected in the 1972 draft and signed with the Cleveland Indians. Raich pitched in the minors from 1972-1975.
• Raich came up to the Indians in late May 1975 and went 7-8 with a 5.52 ERA in 17 starts. Here is an interesting story (from an article about official scorers) about Eric in  his rookie season: "Schneider, who covered the Indians for the Cleveland Plain Dealer for more than 20 years, was one of the last full-time beat writers to work double duty as an official scorekeeper.In 1979, newspaper editors began to forbid their reporters from doing the extra job, citing conflict-of-interest concerns.
  Schneider saw that conflict first-hand in 1975 when his son-in-law, Eric Raich, was promoted to the Indians, and Schneider was the official scorer for one of the pitcher's first games.
  In the fourth inning, Raich had yet to give up a hit, and Billy North of the A's hit a grounder in front of the plate. Both Raich and catcher Alan Ashby ran toward the ball, and both pulled back, thinking the other would field it. Ashby finally picked the ball up and threw it to first, but North was safe.
  Schneider ruled the play a base hit, and the press-box phone immediately rang.
  "How could you call that a hit?" the female caller yelled to Schneider.
  Who was the mystery woman on the line?
  "It was my wife, who was watching the game on TV with my daughter," Schneider recalled with a laugh."
•  Eric was in the minors for most of the 1976 season and came back to the Indians in September. Raich allowed 5 runs in 2.2 innings in a relief appearance on September 12 and that was it for his major league career.
• Eric pitched in the minors in 1977 and 1978 without much success.
• Raich now works as a pitching instructor at The Brunswick B.A.T. Cage baseball training facility in a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio. Here is his TTM information. 

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