Jerry Reuss

Jerry Reuss

• Bats Left, Throws Left
• Height 6' 5", Weight 217 lb.
• School University of California, Santa Barbara
• High School Ritenour High School
• Debut September 27, 1969
• Final Game October 3, 1990
• Born June 19, 1949 in St. Louis, MO USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Jerry Reuss was drafted and played for his hometown team. He pitched Ritenour High School in St. Louis, MO to the Missouri state championships in both 1966 and 1967. He was then drafted by the Cardinals in the second round of the 1967 amateur draft.

Reuss, whose last name was pronounced "Royce", relied on his fastball to win 220 games, mainly as a starter, from 1969 to 1990. He was a National League All-Star in 1975 and 1980. On June 27, 1980, he tossed a no-hitter for the Los Angeles Dodgers over their rival San Francisco Giants in Candlestick Park.

In case his baseball career went awry, Jerry started studying veterinary medicine at the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1974 but his exams conflicted with the start of spring training in 1975. He hurried off to join the team when he received word that the Pittsburgh Pirates were fining him $100 per day.

Jerry Reuss is one of a handful of players to play in four decades, pitching for the Buffalo Bisons of the International League in 1990 so that he could get a September call-up with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

After his playing career ended, Reuss was a broadcaster for the Anaheim Angels in 1997 and 1998. He served as pitching coach of the Harrisburg Senators in 2000, Iowa Cubs in 2001-2003, and Binghamton Mets in 2004. He joined the Dodgers as a color commentator in 2006.

An article in the July 16, 2006 Los Angeles Times about Reuss indicates that he is an enthusiastic sports photographer, taking artistic photos of other players, and he also collects vintage photos of himself playing for various teams. The article is accompanied by a photo of Reuss as a child attending a Cardinals game in 1960.

His son, Jason Reuss, played two seasons in the Houston Astros organization. Jerry Reuss made his first baseball card appearance in the 1970 Topps set. Jerry's autobiography, Bring In The Right Hander, was published in 2014.

Notable Achievements

• 2-time NL All-Star (1975 & 1980)
• 1980 NL Comeback Player of the Year Award
• NL Shutouts Leader (1980)
• 15 Wins Seasons: 5 (1973-1975, 1980 & 1982)
• 200 Innings Pitched Seasons: 10 (1971, 1973-1977, 1980, 1982, 1983 & 1985)
• Won a World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1981

Further Reading

• Jerry Reuss (as told to George Vass): "The Game I'll Never Forget", Baseball Digest, September 1988, pp. 69-71. [1]
• Jerry Reuss: Bring In the Right-Hander!: My Twenty-Two Years in the Major Leagues, University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, NE, 2014. ISBN 978-0803248977

Related Sites

• Jerry Reuss at the SABR Bio Project
• Description of Reuss's no-hitter