| Jerry Reuss | |
|---|---|
 Reuss in August 2009 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: (1949-06-19)June 19, 1949 (age 76) 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 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Jerry Reuss (born June 19, 1949)—pronounced "royce"—is an American former left-handedpitcher inMajor League Baseball, best known for his years with theLos Angeles Dodgers.
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 Series over theNew York Yankees. In1988 he became the second pitcher in history, joiningMilt Pappas, towin 200 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]
Reuss was born on June 19, 1949, inSt. Louis, Missouri.[2] As a child, he dreamed of playing baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals. He attendedRitenour High School inOverland, Missouri, where he played baseball and basketball. In both 1966 and 1967, he led Ritenour to the Missouri state baseball championship. He also playedAmerican Legion baseball.[3][4]
He signed a letter of intent to attendSouthern Illinois University (SIU), but once he was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals, he followed his American Legion coach's advice to sign with them if they offered him a contract in the belief Reuss could become a major league pitcher.[4] He still attended SIU, which allowed him to receive a draft deferment during theVietnam War.[5]
Reuss was drafted in the second round of the1967 Major League Baseball draft by the Cardinals, with the 30th overall selection.[6] Only 18-years old, he spent the majority of 1967 pitching for theSingle-ACedar Rapids Cardinals in the Cardinal'sminor league system. He had a 2–5 won–loss record in ninestarts, but an excellent 1.86earned run average (ERA).[7][8] He played the 1968 season for theDouble-AArkansas Travelers, with a 7–8 record, but again with an excellent ERA (2.17).[9] In 1969, he was promoted to the Triple-A Tulsa Oilers, where he had his first winning record (13–11), but a 4.06 ERA,striking out 151batters in 186innings pitched.[10]
He was called up to the St. Louis Cardinals for the first time in 1969. Reuss won his first Major League game in 1969, a 2–1 victory over the Montreal Expos, pitching seven innings without giving up a run; and became part of the starting rotation in 1970.[8][11][12] In 1970, he played a portion of the season in Tulsa (7–2 with a 2.12 ERA),[8] and was called up to the Cardinals where he started 20 games (going 7–8 with a 4.10 ERA).[13] He played a full season for the Cardinals in 1971, starting 35 games, with a 14–14 record and 4.78 ERA.[13] During his time with the Cardinals he started 56 games, with a 22–22 record and 4.43 ERA.[13]
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".[citation needed] Devine then traded Reuss to the Astros forScipio Spinks andLance Clemons on April 15, 1972.[14] Reuss said that Devine later told him the chief reason he was traded was because Busch disapproved of Reuss's blond mustache, and not chiefly Reuss's negotiation style.[15] The trade was crushing for Reuss because of his lifelong feelings about wanting to play for his hometown Cardinals.[16]
The trade looked like a fairly even swap at the time.[citation needed] 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.[citation needed]
Spinks had pitched well in Single-A baseball in 1968, but with the Triple-A 89ers in 1969 he was 7–11 with a 5.48 ERA, 9–12 with a 3.30 ERA in 1970, and 9–6 with a 3.25 ERA in 1971. He played in 10 games for the Astros in 1970-71.[17] In trading Spinks, Astros managerHarry Walker thought Spinks could win six-eight games a season, while Reuss had the potential to win 14-18 games a year.[18] Spinks had an excellent start with the Cardinals in 1972, but never recovered from a freak knee injury he suffered on July 4, 1972. Although a pitcher, Spinks was used as apinch runner because of his speed. He ran through his third-base coach's signal to stop at third base, racing towards home plate where he collided with catcherJohnny Bench, tearing knee ligaments. Spinks needed knee surgery, and then needed shoulder surgery in 1973 because of a sore arm, which would be his last major league season. He was out of baseball by 1976.[18]
During his two seasons with the Astros, Reuss was 9–13 with a 4.17 ERA in 1972, but in 1973, he improved to 16–13 with a 3.74 ERA, tied for 7th best in theNational League for wins. Reuss tied for the league lead in games started (40) andwalks allowed with 117 in1973.[13][19]
After the 1973 season, the Astros traded Reuss to the Pirates for Milt May.[20] After the October 31, 1973 trade, Reuss responded, "I'm surprised because the Astros received only a second‐string catcher for me. I thought I was worth more thanMilt May."[21] In the offseason, he attended theUniversity of California, Santa Barbara.[22]
In his first three seasons with the Pirates (1974-76) he had winning records, 16–11, 18–11, and 14–9, respectively. In 1975, in addition to his Pirates best won-loss record, he had a 2.54 ERA, and was selected to play on the NL All-Star team.[13][23] Reuss was named starting pitcher for All-Star Game, and pitched three innings, without allowing a run.[24] He was 23rd inMost Valuable Player (MVP) voting that year.[25] He was fourth best in the league for most wins and in ERA.[26]
Reuss had a down year in 1977 (10–13 with a 4.11 ERA), and had shoulder problems which limited his availability in 1978.[13][15] The Pirates traded him to the Los Angeles Dodgers for pitcherRick Rhoden before the start of the 1979 season.[20]
Reuss was 7–14 with a 3.54 ERA for the Dodgers in 1979, but in 1980 Reuss had one of the best seasons of his career. He had 18 wins and only six losses, a 2.51 ERA (fourth best in the major leagues) and led the majors inshutouts with six.[13][27] He also threw ano-hitter against theSan Francisco Giants on June 27, striking out only two batters, narrowly missing aperfect game due 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.[28] Reuss finished second behindSteve Carlton in the running for theCy Young Award, and won theSporting News Comeback Player of the Year Award.[29][30] He was also selected for the second time to the NL All-Star Team and struck out all three batters he faced in that year's game, earning the win.[31][32][33]
In1981 Reuss went 10–4 with a career-low 2.30 ERA in astrike-shortened season.[13][34] He defeatedNolan Ryan and the Houston Astros 4–0 in the deciding game five of theNL West Division Series, throwing a complete game five-hitter.[35][36][37] He lost Game 3 of the1981 National League Championship Series to theMontreal Expos,[38] and went 1–1 in two games against theNew York Yankees in the1981 World Series, helping the Dodgers win the title.[39][40][13] In his Game 5 victory over the Yankees, Reuss pitched a complete game five-hitter, allowing only one run in a 2–1 victory overRon Guidry.[40]
In 1982, Reuss was 18–11 with a 3.11 ERA.[13] 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).[41]
Reuss had two more winning seasons with the Dodgers before injuries took their toll. His last good season with the Dodgers was in 1985 (14–10, 2.92 ERA), but in1986, at age 37, he suffered a sore elbow requiring surgery after a dismal start to the season (2–6 with a 5.84 ERA).[13][15] Reuss was released at the beginning of the1987 season.[20] In his time with the Dodgers, Reuss had a 86–69 record with a 3.11 ERA, and five seasons of winning 10 or more games.[13]
He then played for the Reds, going 0–5 before getting released again, and then for the Angels before becoming a free agent.[13][20] Reuss then signed with the Chicago White Sox on March 29, 1988,[42] leading White Sox pitchers with a 13–9 season,[43] and earning his 200th career win that year.[1] He was acquired by theMilwaukee Brewers, in need of a veteran fifth starter for its pennant drive, from the White Sox forBrian Drahman at thetrade deadline on July 31, 1989.[42] Reuss retired following the 1990 season.[31]
During these last years, he took extensive photographs of the stadiums in which he played, which proved to be a popular collection.[16]
Reuss became a baseball broadcaster, working nationally for ESPN from 1991 to 1993,[44][15] andThe Baseball Network in 1995.[5] He was also a color commentator for theCalifornia/Anaheim Angels from 1996[15] to 1998. He served as a pitching coach with the minor leagueIowa Cubs (2001-03)[45] before returning to broadcasting with the Dodgers from 2006 to 2008, serving as acolor commentator alongsideRick Monday.[46]
Jerry has also broadcast for theLas Vegas Stars (1994, 1995, and 1999), theLas Vegas 51's (2005–2018),[47] and theLas Vegas Aviators (2019-current).[48]
On January 31, 2016, Jerry was inducted into theMissouri Sports Hall of Fame located inSpringfield, Missouri.[3] Jerry was inducted into the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame on May 23, 2019.[4]
In 2014, Reuss's autobiography,Bring In the Right Hander!, was published byUniversity of Nebraska Press.[49]Library Journal called 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."[50]
· Baseball Almanac| Preceded by | No-hitter pitcher June 27,1980 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Los Angeles DodgersOpening Day Starting pitcher 1982 | Succeeded by |
