Kevin Ritz is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher whose professional career spanned nine seasons across two major league franchises, according to Baseball-Reference.com. Born in Eatontown, New Jersey, on June 8, 1965, the 6-foot-4, 195-pound pitcher established himself in the majors primarily as a starter for the Detroit Tigers and the Colorado Rockies, appearing in 299 career games before playing his final major league contest on May 16, 1998, according to Baseball Biographies.
Amateur Career and Draft Selection
Williams High School, where he emerged as the team’s ace pitcher, according to Baseball Biographies. During his junior high school year, he posted a 9-2 record with a 1.85 ERA, earning All-County First Team honors and Team MVP recognition, as reported by Baseball Biographies. He followed with a dominant senior campaign featuring over 100 strikeouts and an ERA under 2.00, attracting attention from college scouts before accepting a baseball scholarship to the University of Notre Dame, according to Baseball Biographies.
After playing for the Fighting Irish—notably recording an 8-3 record and a 3.25 ERA in his junior year—Ritz attended Indian Hills Community College in Centerville, Iowa, according to Baseball Reference and Baseball Biographies. He was selected in the 1985 Major League Baseball Draft: by the San Francisco Giants in the fourth round of the January Draft-Regular Phase, and by the Detroit Tigers in the fourth round of the June Draft-Secondary Phase, according to Baseball Reference.
Major League Career with Detroit and Colorado
Ritz made his major league debut with the Detroit Tigers on July 15, 1989, and earned the franchise’s Rookie of the Year award that same season, according to Baseball Biographies. He pitched for Detroit from 1989 through 1992 before joining the Colorado Rockies, where he played from 1994 to 1998, as documented by Baseball Biographies. As one of the first pitchers for the Colorado Rockies franchise, Ritz navigated the unique pitching challenges of Coors Field in Denver’s high-altitude environment, contributing solidly to the team’s starting rotation, according to Baseball Biographies.
Over his nine-season major league career, Ritz accumulated 462 strikeouts, according to Baseball Reference. He concluded his playing career on May 16, 1998, without ever having been elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, according to Baseball Reference and Baseball Biographies.