Ralph Richard "Blackie" Schwamb (August 6, 1926 – December 21, 1989) was an American professional baseball pitcher and convicted murderer. He played for the St. Louis Browns of Major League Baseball in 1948. Listed at 6 feet 5 inches (1.96 m) and 198 pounds (90 kg), he threw and batted right-handed.

Schwamb was nicknamed "Blackie" while in grade school, due to his habit of wearing black clothing, a practice he adopted after watching Western movies and seeing the "bad guys" wearing black.^{[1]: 21–22} He served in the United States Navy during World War II,^[2] receiving a bad conduct discharge after hitting an officer.^[1]: 3–5

Schwamb first played in the minor leagues from 1947 to 1949; initially in the Arizona–Texas League and Northern League (both Class C) and later the American Association (Triple-A) and Southern Association (Double-A).^[3] In 1948, Schwamb pitched in 12 major league games (five starts) for the St. Louis Browns, recording one win and one loss, while compiling an 8.53 earned run average (ERA).^[3] His lone win came in his second start,^[4] when he pitched 6+1⁄3 innings at home against the Washington Senators while allowing six runs (five earned) on eight hits, benefitting from his team scoring seven runs in the bottom of the sixth inning.^[5] Schwamb had three hits in 10 major league at bats and scored one run.^[6]

After the 1948 season, Schwamb killed a doctor in Long Beach, California, named Donald Buge.^[7] Schwamb did it to pay off a debt to a Los Angeles mobster, Mickey Cohen.^[8] Schwamb was sentenced to life in prison in 1949,^[9] but was granted parole in 1960.^[10]

In 1961, Schwamb played a final season of minor league baseball, for the Hawaii Islanders of the Pacific Coast League.^[3] Overall, in four seasons of professional baseball, Schwamb pitched in 62 games while compiling a 13–15 record with a 4.44 ERA. His life is the subject of a 2005 book entitled Wrong Side of the Wall.^[11]