Bring in the Righthander: My Years in the Major Leagues is an autobiography by former Major League Baseball pitcher Jerry Reuss. The book was written in Las Vegas, where he lives now. Reuss sent me a copy for my 50th birthday. Jerry also has a copy of my first book. A friend who is a Notre Dame fan also sent me a copy.
That was a good birthday present, and since Notre Dame lost in the college football playoff final to Ohio State, I will review this book. Bring in the Righthander is a fascinating look inside major league locker rooms. What is the best birthday present you have ever gotten?
Bring in the Righthander
Bring in the Righthander is an autobiography that traces Jerry Reuss’ life. By the way, the title is what Reuss (who is lefthanded) heard every time the manager came to take him out. Readers learn about his upbringing in St. Louis and his high school, college, and draft experience. Signing his initial contract with the St. Louis Cardinals was fascinating. Most of Bring in the Righthander details Reuss’s career in Major League Baseball. Reuss was in the major leagues for 22 years, and the book has a boatload of locker room stories. Also interesting is how a former professional baseball player dealt with retirement.
There are many excellent stories in Bring in the Righthander, but we will single out two here to give the reader an idea. First, when Reuss went for his tryout with the St. Louis Cardinals, they were playing a series against the Atlanta Braves. He used the visitor locker room to get ready and got a locker between the great Hank Aaron and Eddie Mathews. Both wished him luck. He did well because the Cardinals signed him. Second, one of the many Major League Baseball teams Reuss played for was the Pittsburgh Pirates, and one of his teammates there was Dave Parker. Reuss portrays Parker as supremely confident in his talents. He was a great player.
Jerry Reuss’ Career
Jerry Reuss is the answer to a trivia question. Only 31 players have played in Major League baseball in four decades. After being inserted in a game by the Pittsburgh Pirates on September 7, 1990 (in sort of a career sendoff), he became one of them. Some other notable members of the four-decade club in Major League Baseball are Minnie Minosoa, Tim McCarver, Jim Kaat, Nolan Ryan, Carton Fisk, Rick Dempsey, and Bill Bucker. To play in majors for four decades, you must begin your career, most likely at the end of a decade. Reuss makes this point in the book.
Reuss’s career statistics would be long and boring to recount. But he won 220 games in the Major Leagues and is most known for pitching and winning a World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers. His best year was probably 1980, when Reuss, 31, started 37 games for them. He was 18-6 with a 2.51 earned run average. He had several other good seasons and played for a long time.
The Historical Connection
There is a bit of a historical connection with Bring in the Righthander. This type of locker room tell-all book harkens back to the seminal Ball Four by Jim Bouton. We owe Bouton a debt of gratitude, were it not for his book we would not know what goes on inside major league locker rooms. That type of insight was a major benefit for Reuss’ book.
Conclusion
To a certain extent, Bring in the Righthander is a piece of Americana. Baseball is the national pastime, and the people who play it are shown to be actual human beings through these types of books. It makes them relatable. One of the book’s strengths is the recounting of practical jokes played by baseball players. That really makes them human.
