Jerry Reuss(born June 19, 1949)—pronounced "royce" —is an American former left-handedpitcherinMajor League Baseball,best known for his years with theLos Angeles Dodgers.
| Jerry Reuss | |
|---|---|
 Reuss in August 2009 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born:June 19, 1949 St. Louis, Missouri,U.S. | |
Batted:Left Threw:Left | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 27, 1969, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| October 3, 1990, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 220–191 |
| Earned run average | 3.64 |
| Strikeouts | 1,907 |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Reuss played for eight teams in his major league career; along with the Dodgers (1979–87), he played for theSt. Louis Cardinals(1969–71),Houston Astros(1972–73), andPittsburgh Pirates(1974–78). At the end of his career (1987–90), he played for theCincinnati Reds,California Angels,Chicago White Sox,Milwaukee Brewers,and the Pirates again (Reuss is one of only two Pirates to have played forDanny Murtaugh,Chuck Tanner,andJim Leyland,the other beingJohn Candelaria). With the Dodgers, he won the1981 World Seriesover theNew York Yankees.In1988he became the second pitcher in history, joiningMilt Pappas,towin200 career games without ever winning 20 in a single season (a feat later matched by:Frank Tanana,Charlie Hough,Dennis Martínez,Chuck Finley,Kenny Rogers,andTim Wakefield).[1]
Career
editReuss was drafted in the second round of the1967 Major League Baseball draftby the Cardinals after graduating fromRitenour High SchoolinOverland, Missouri.He won his first Major League game in 1969, and became part of the starting rotation in 1970.[2]
In the spring of1972,Reuss wanted a raise from $17,000 to $25,000. Cardinals general managerBing Devine,under ownerGussie Busch's directive, was unwilling to give more than $20,000. Reuss also grew a mustache that raised Busch's ire. When Reuss refused to bend on the salary issue, Busch directed Devine to "get rid of him". Devine then traded Reuss to the Astros forScipio SpinksandLance Clemonson April 15, 1972.[3]The trade looked like a fairly even swap at the time. While Spinks had shuttled between Houston and their top minor league affiliate, theOklahoma City 89ers,over the last three years, he had been almost unhittable during his minor league stints. However, Spinks never recovered from a freak knee injury suffered on July 4, 1972 and was out of baseball by 1976.
During his two seasons with the Astros, Reuss led theNational Leagueinwalkswith 117 in1973.[4]After being traded to the Pirates on October 31, 1973, he responded, "I'm surprised because the Astros received only a second‐string catcher for me. I thought I was worth more thanMilt May."[5]In the offseason, he attended theUniversity of California, Santa Barbara.[6]
Reuss was a two timeAll-Star– first in1975with the Pirates, finishing 18–11 that season and anearned run averageof 2.54, and then again in1980with the Dodgers,striking outall three batters he faced in that year's game, and earning the win.[4][7]
In 1980 Reuss had one of the best seasons of his career with 18 wins and only six losses, and leading the majors inshutoutswith six. He also threw ano-hitteragainst theSan Francisco Giantson June 27, striking out only two batters, narrowly missing aperfect gamedue to a throwing error in the first inning by shortstopBill Russell.Reuss's no-hitter is just one of ten in baseball history in which a pitcher did not walk or hit a batter, but whose perfect game bid was foiled by a fielding error.[8]Reuss finished second behindSteve Carltonin the running for theCy Young Award,and won theSporting News Comeback Player of the Year Award.[9][10]
In1981Reuss went 10–4 with a career-low 2.30 ERA in astrike-shortened season, and won two postseason games including one against theNew York Yankeesin the1981 World Series,helping the Dodgers win the title.[4]On June 11, 1982, Jerry Reuss recorded 27 consecutive outs in a game, with only the opponent's leadoff batter reaching base (double by Reds' Eddie Milner, who reached third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a fielder's choice).[11]
Reuss had two more winning seasons with the Dodgers before injuries took their toll from1984to1986,and was released at the beginning of the1987season. He then played for the Reds, going 0–5 before getting released again, and then for the Angels before becoming a free agent. Reuss then signed with the Chicago White Sox on March 29, 1988,[12]having a 13–9 season and earning his 200th career win that year. He was acquired by theMilwaukee Brewers,in need of a veteran fifth starter for its pennant drive, from the White Sox forBrian Drahmanat thetrade deadlineon July 31, 1989.[12]Reuss retired following the 1990 season.[4]
Retirement
edit
Reuss became a baseball broadcaster, working nationally for ESPN from 1991 to 1993, and was also a color commentator for theCalifornia/Anaheim Angelsfrom 1996-98. He served as a pitching coach with the minor leagueIowa Cubsbefore returning to broadcasting with the Dodgers from 2006-2008, serving as acolor commentatoralongsideRick Monday.
Jerry has also broadcast for theLas Vegas Stars(1994, 1995, and 1999), theLas Vegas 51's(2005–2018) and theLas Vegas Aviators(2019-current).
In 2014, Reuss's autobiography,Bring In the Right Hander!,was published byUniversity of Nebraska Press.[13]Library Journalcalled Reuss "a gifted storyteller" who describes "what it's like to be both an aspiring teenage ballplayer newly signed to a contract and a 40-year-old athlete clinging to the baseball life he loves so much."[14]
On January 31, 2016, Jerry was inducted into theMissouri Sports Hall of Famelocated in Springfield, Missouri. Jerry was inducted into the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame on May 23, 2019.
See also
edit
- List of Houston Astros team records
- List of Los Angeles Dodgers no-hitters
- List of Major League Baseball annual shutout leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career games started leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career innings pitched leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career strikeout leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career wins leaders
- List of Major League Baseball no-hitters
- List of Major League Baseball players who played in four decades
- Los Angeles Dodgers award winners and league leaders
References
edit- ^"Reuss Gets His 200th Victory".Los Angeles Times.May 10, 1988.RetrievedMarch 17,2014.
- ^"1970 St. Louis Cardinals Batting, Pitching, & Fielding Statistics".baseball-reference.com.RetrievedMarch 17,2014.
- ^"Cardinals Trade Reuss To Astros for 2 Pitchers,"The Associated Press(AP), Saturday, April 15, 1972.Retrieved December 24, 2021
- ^abcd"Jerry Reuss Statistics and History".baseball-reference.com.RetrievedMarch 17,2014.
- ^Rogers, Thomas. "People in Sports: Trade Stuns Reuss,"The New York Times,Friday, November 2, 1973.Retrieved December 24, 2021
- ^Gort, Peter (January 30, 1975)."Baseball Season Underway".Daily Nexus.Santa Barbara, California.RetrievedMarch 29,2024.
- ^"July 8, 1980 All-Star Game Play-By-Play and Box Score".baseball-reference.com.RetrievedMarch 17,2014.
- ^"June 27, 1980 Los Angeles Dodgers at San Francisco Giants Play by Play and Box Score".baseball-reference.com.RetrievedMarch 17,2014.
- ^"1980 Awards Voting".baseball-reference.com.RetrievedMarch 17,2014.
- ^"Comeback Player of the Year Award by The Sporting News".baseball-almanac.com.Baseball-Almanac.RetrievedMarch 17,2014.
- ^"June 11, 1982 Cincinnati Reds at Los Angeles Dodgers Play by Play and Box Score".baseball-reference.com.RetrievedMarch 17,2014.
- ^ab"Brewers acquire Reuss,"United Press International(UPI), Monday, July 31, 1989.Retrieved December 24, 2021
- ^"Bring In the Right Hander! – University of Nebraska Press".nebraskapress.unl.edu.RetrievedJune 7,2020.
- ^Jerry, Reuss."Bring in the Right-Hander! My Twenty-Two Years in the Major Leagues".Library Journal.
External links
edit- Career statistics and player information fromBaseball Reference,orFangraphs,orBaseball Reference (Minors)
- Jerry Reussat theSABR Baseball Biography Project
- Jerry Reuss- Baseballbiography.com
- Bring In the Right Hander!