View source for Rick Matula

{{short description|American baseball player (born 1953)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Rick Matula
|image=Rick Matula Braves.jpg
|position=[[Pitcher]]
|bats=Right
|throws=Right
|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1953|11|22}}
|birth_place=[[Wharton, Texas]], U.S.
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate=April 8
|debutyear=1979
|debutteam=Atlanta Braves
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=June 11
|finalyear=1981
|finalteam=Atlanta Braves
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=[[Win–loss record (pitching)|Win–loss record]]
|stat1value=19–23
|stat2label=[[Earned run average]]
|stat2value=4.41
|stat3label=[[Strikeout]]s
|stat3value=129
|teams=
*[[Atlanta Braves]] ({{baseball year|1979}}–{{baseball year|1981}})
}}
'''Richard Carlton Matula''' {{small|[muh-tu'-la]}} (born November 22, 1953) is a former [[starting pitcher]] in [[Major League Baseball]] who played from 1979 to 1981 for the [[Atlanta Braves]]. Listed at 6' 0", 190 lb., he batted and threw right handed.
Born in [[Wharton, Texas]], Matula was originally selected by the [[Montreal Expos]] in the 16th round of the [[1972 MLB Draft]]. But he chose not to sign, instead going on to attend [[Sam Houston State University]]. He was drafted again by the Braves in the 14th round of the [[1976 Major League Baseball Draft|1976 draft]], and after signing was assigned to the [[Kingsport Braves]]. There, Matula went 3–5 with a 2.63 ERA in 20 appearances (48 [[innings pitched]]). He also appeared in three games for the [[Greenwood Braves]], posting a 1–0 record and 7.50 ERA in six innings. Overall that season, Matula went 4–5 with a 3.17 ERA in 54 innings.
In 1977, Matula split time between the Greenwood Braves and [[Savannah Braves]]. With Greenwood, he went 2–1 with a 2.14 ERA in 21 innings of work. With Savannah, he went 8–5 with a 3.24 ERA in 100 innings (22 games). Combined, he went 10–6 with a 3.05 ERA.
Matula went a combined 10–5 with a 3.12 ERA in 127 innings in 1978. He split time between the Savannah Braves and [[Richmond Braves]].
On April 8, 1979, Matula made his major league debut at the age of 25. Although he gave up no walks and only two earned runs in seven innings of work, he still lost against the [[Houston Astros]] starter, [[Joe Niekro]] (Niekro pitched a complete game shutout).
He made 28 starts in his rookie season, going 8–10 with a 4.15 ERA in 171.1 innings. He was ahead in most of the 10 games that didn't get the statistic for, when the reliever took the loss. Not a strikeout pitcher, he walked 64 batters and struck out only 67. In 1980, Matula made 33 appearances (30 starts), going 11–13 with a 4.58 ERA. In 176.2 innings, he struck out only 62 batters and his 13 losses were the ninth most in the league.
For the majority of the 1981 season, Matula was in the minors, with the Richmond Braves. He appeared in 16 games for them, making 11 starts and going 7–4 with a 2.97 ERA. He didn't do so well in the majors, making five relief appearances and posting an ERA of 6.43. He played his final major league game on June 11 that year.
On March 29, 1982, he was released by the Braves. He played for the [[Evansville Triplets]] in the [[Detroit Tigers]] organization and [[Denver Bears]] in the [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]] organization, going a combined 3–8 with a 5.62 ERA in 36 appearances, (10 starts).
Overall, Matula made 66 appearances in the majors (58 starts). He went 19–23 with a 4.41 ERA, striking out 129 batters and walking 126 in 355 innings of work. As a batter, he hit .099 in 111 [[at bat]]s, walking three times and striking out 48 times.
==Sources==
{{Baseballstats |mlb=118448 |espn= |br=m/matulri01 |fangraphs=brm=Rick-Matula }}, or [https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/M/Pmatur101.htm Retrosheet]
*[http://www.pelotabinaria.com.ve/beisbol/mostrar.php?ID=maturic001 Pelota Binaria (Venezuelan Winter League)]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Matula, Rick}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1953 births]]
[[Category:Atlanta Braves players]]
[[Category:Baseball players from Wharton County, Texas]]
[[Category:Cardenales de Lara players]]
[[Category:American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela]]
[[Category:Denver Bears players]]
[[Category:Evansville Triplets players]]
[[Category:Greenwood Braves players]]
[[Category:Kingsport Braves players]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball pitchers]]
[[Category:People from Wharton, Texas]]
[[Category:Richmond Braves players]]
[[Category:Sam Houston Bearkats baseball players]]
[[Category:Savannah Braves players]]