Richard Edward Bauer (born January 10, 1977 in Garden Grove, California) is a right-handed Major League Baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. He is a 1995 graduate of Centennial High School in Eagle, Idaho and played two seasons for Treasure Valley Community College in Ontario, Oregon.^[1]

Bauer was selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the fifth round of the 1997 amateur draft.^[1] He was a starting pitcher in the Orioles minor league system from 1997 through 2001, compiling a 41-39 record in 119 games (114 starts) with a 4.39 ERA in 666 2/3 innings pitched.^[2]

Bauer made his major league debut in a start against the Seattle Mariners on September 2, 2001, a 1-0 loss in which he surrendered just one run on three hits and two walks in 6 1/3 innings. He pitched primarily in relief for Baltimore from 2001 through 2005, making 116 relief appearances and nine starts and compiling an 8-13 record with a 4.58 ERA in 240 innings pitched.

Bauer was released by the Orioles after the 2005 season and signed a minor league contract with Texas in November 2005.^[3] He was called up to the Rangers April 7, 2006^[4] and remained with the team throughout the 2006 season. In 57 relief appearances and one start, he pitched 71 innings and posted a 3-1 record with two saves and a career-best 3.55 ERA. He was not available to pitch the final week of the season because of tendinitis in his pitching shoulder.^[5]

In January 2007, the Rangers avoided salary arbitration with Bauer when they signed him to a $730,000, one-year contract.^[6] But after a poor spring training, he was designated for assignment and waived by the club.^[7] He signed a minor league deal with the Phillies April 6, 2007,^[8] but was released by their International League affiliate, the Ottawa Lynx, June 20.^[9] He signed another minor league contract with the Dodgers on July 1 playing for their Pacific Coast League affiliate, the Las Vegas 51s. Bauer signed a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training with the Cleveland Indians on November 30, 2007. On July 4, 2008, Bauer was designated for assignment by the Indians; he refused a minor league assignment and was released.

On July 11, 2008, Bauer signed a minor league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays and became a free agent at the end of the season. In November 2008, he re-signed with the Blue Jays. However, he was released at the end of spring training.

Bauer had signed with the York Revolution in the Atlantic League for the 2009 season, but May 13, 2009, signed with the LG Twins in South Korea. He was released from the Twins with an injury on July 22, 2009.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube