304 pages
30 photographs
One of only twenty-nine Major Leaguers to play in four different decades, Jerry Reuss pitched for eight teams, including the Pittsburgh Pirates twice. So when Reuss tells his story, he covers about as much of baseball life as any player can.
Bring In the Right-Hander! puts us on the mound for the winning pitch in Game Five of the 1981 World Series, then takes us back to the schoolyards and ball fields of Overland, Missouri, where Reuss first dreamed of that scene. His baseball odyssey, dedicated to the mantra “work hard and play harder,” began in 1969 with his hometown team, the St. Louis Cardinals (who traded him three years later for mustache-related reasons). Reuss carries us through his winning seasons with the Dodgers, taking in a no-hitter and that World Series triumph, and introducing us to some of baseball’s most colorful characters. Along the way, as the grizzled veteran faces injuries, releases, and trips to the Minors, then battling his way back into the Majors to finish his career with the Pirates, we get a glimpse of the real grit behind big league life, on and off the field.
Since his retirement as an active player, Jerry Reuss has worked in broadcasting as a color analyst for ESPN, the Anaheim Angels, and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“In Bring In the Right-Hander! Jerry Reuss delivers a revealing and remarkable performance.”—Fred Claire, former Los Angeles Dodger executive vice president and general manager and author of Fred Claire: My 30 Years in Dodger Blue
“Jerry Reuss had one of the great deliveries in baseball. And he has pitched a strike again with an insightful look at a career that transcended the ‘Golden Era’ of the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s. I couldn’t put it down!”—Steve Garvey, 1974 National League Most Valuable Player and ten-time All-Star
