ORLEANS – Monday morning, the Orange County Economic Development Partnership (OCEDP) and the Town of Orleans accepted this historic mural from artist Adam Long to be displayed at the Little League fields in Orleans.
The mural celebrates Orleans native and professional baseball player Ken Richardson. Born in Orleans in 1915, Richardson threw and batted right-handed. A second baseman, third baseman and outfielder, he stood 5 feet 10 inches (1.78 m) tall and weighed 187 pounds (85 kg). Both of his MLB stints occurred in early-season trials; he had one single (off Charlie Wagner of the Boston Red Sox) in 15 at-bats for the 1942 Athletics and three hits (including his double off Kirby Higbe of the Brooklyn Dodgers) in 20 at-bats for the 1946 Phillies.
Richardson played in the top-level Pacific Coast League for all or parts of eight seasons. In his 60s, he returned to baseball as a minor league manager in 1976 and from 1978 to 1981, spending the latter four seasons in the Milwaukee Brewers organization.
Richardson died in 1987 in Woodlawn Hills, CA.
