Rickey Eugene Reuschel (, born May 16, 1949) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a right-handed pitcher from 1972 to 1991, winning 214 games with a career 3.37 ERA. His nickname was "Big Daddy" because his speed belied his portly physique. He was known for his deceptive style of pitching, which kept hitters off balance by constantly varying the speeds of his pitches.

Reuschel was listed as 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds. Reuschel could run surprisingly well for his size (logging four triples in his batting career) and he was frequently used as a pinch runner on days he was not pitching. He was also a fair—though awkward-looking—hitter, batting well over .200 several times. The Reuschel brothers were Illinois farm boys, with strong physiques and plain-spoken ways. The two are the only siblings to combine on a shutout.

Minor League Career

Reuschel attended Central High School in Camp Point, Illinois. After high school he played at Western Illinois University in Macomb, Illinois. Rueschel was the Cubs 3rd Round pick (#67) in the 1970 Amateur Draft out of Western Illinois, after he went 10-0 with a 1.29 ERA as a junior in 1969.

In 1970, Reuschel went 9-2 with a 3.53 ERA in fourteen starts for the Class A Huron Cubs of the Northern League. In 1971, Reuschel went 8-4 with a 2.31 ERA in sixteen starts for the Class AA San Antonio Missions of the Dixie Association, where he was teammates with his older brother, pitcher Paul Reuschel. at a time when they were declining in the post-Durocher era, and provided a strong arm for the Cubs' increasingly mediocre staff. After spending two years in the minor leagues, he joined the Cubs' major league team in 1972. In addition, Reuschel pitched in a memorable game for Cub fans on July 28, 1977, when making a rare relief appearance on two days' rest, he entered the 13th inning of a 15–15 tie between the Cubs and the Cincinnati Reds at Wrigley Field. Reuschel retired two batters to end the top of the 13th. Then, he singled and scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the 13th, also picking up the victory in the 16–15 contest.

thumb|left|Reuschel in 1981

New York Yankees (1981)

Reuschel was traded to the New York Yankees in 1981. The 1981 World Series marked the last chapter of the Dodgers-Yankees trilogy of that era, this one won by the Dodgers. Reuschel was ineffective in that Series, and it appeared his career might be finished.

He returned to the Cubs and was on the roster in 1984 when they won the National League Eastern Division and made the playoffs, but, somewhat controversially, he was not named to the playoff roster.

In twelve total seasons with the Cubs, Reuschel was 135-127 with a 3.50 ERA in 388 games, with 343 starts with 65 complete games.

Pittsburgh Pirates (1985–1987)

Reuschel was signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1985 as a free agent,

Reuschel was 31-30 with a 3.04 ERA in 91 games with the Pirates.

In 1989 at the age of 40, Reuschel was selected as the starting pitcher for the National League in the 1989 All-Star Game, and gave up back-to-back home runs, to Bo Jackson and Wade Boggs, to start the game. Reuschel finished the 1989 season with seventeen wins for the Giants as he helped lead them to the World Series (their first since 1962). In the 1989 World Series, Reuschel was the losing pitcher in Game 2 with an 11.25 ERA, five earned runs, and five hits given up against the Oakland Athletics.

With the Giants, Reuschel was 44-30 with a 3.29 ERA in 96 games.

Career statistics

{| class="wikitable"

|W

|L

|PCT

|ERA

|G

|GS

|CG

|SHO

|SV

|IP

|H

|ER

|R

|HR

|BB

|SO

|WP

|HBP

|-

|214

|191

|.528

|3.37

|557

|529

|102

|26

|5

|3548.1

|3588

|1494

|1330

|221

|935

|2015

|89

|88

|}

In a nineteen-year major league career, Reuschel compiled a record of 214–191 in 557 games (529 starts). Reuschel is tied for 94th with Mark Buehrle on the all-time wins list. Reuschel amassed 68.1 pitching WAR over his career, good for 37th most all-time. Reuschel won the Hutch Award in 1985, and was also a winner of The Sporting News Comeback Player of the Year Award.

Honors

  • Reuschel was inducted into the Western Illinois University Hall of Fame in 1982.

See also

  • List of Major League Baseball career wins leaders
  • List of Major League Baseball career hit batsmen leaders
  • List of Major League Baseball career strikeout leaders

References

  • How Perseverance Paid Off for Rick Reuschel by Al Doyle, Baseball Digest, May 1986
  • Rick Reuschel: He Lets Batter Get Himself Out by Casey Tefertiller, Baseball Digest, December 1988
  • Rick Reuschel in Sports Illustrated, July 15, 1985
  • Rick Reuschel in Sports Illustrated, July 10, 1989
  • Rick Reuschel at SABR Bio Project