Bruce Hurst
Encyclopedia
Bruce Vee Hurst is a former Major League Baseball
left-handed starting pitcher
. He is best remembered for his brilliant performance for the Boston Red Sox
in the postseason. He was even named World Series
M.V.P. prior to the New York Mets
' miraculous comeback in Game Six of the World Series.
out of Dixie High School
in St. George, Utah
. After going 17-6 with a 2.88 earned run average
for the Winter Haven
& Bristol Red Sox
in , Hurst was put on Boston's opening day roster for . He made his major league debut in relief
in the second game of the season, giving up five earned runs in an inning of work in a 18-1 blowout at the hands of the Milwaukee Brewers
. He made six more appearances, all starts, before being optioned back to Pawtucket
with a 10.57 ERA. He returned to the majors in August, ending the season with a 2-2 record and 9.10 ERA at the major league level.
Hurst went 12-7 with a 2.87 ERA for Pawtucket in , and had actually retired from the game briefly before receiving a September call-up to Boston. In five major league starts, Hurst went 2-0 with a 4.30 ERA.
Hurst had gone 42-46 with a 4.59 ERA with the Bosox before his breakthrough 1986 season. Hurst posted a 2.99 ERA with 13 victories despite spending six midsummer weeks on the disabled list with a pulled groin. The Red Sox won the American League East
by 5.5 games over the New York Yankees
to head to the 1986 American League Championship Series
against the California Angels. He went 1-0 with a 2.40 ERA in two starts in the American League Championship Series
won by the Sox in seven games.
in the Game One pitchers' duel with Ron Darling
won 1-0 by the Red Sox. In Game Five, Hurst pitched a complete game
victory to give Boston a 3-2 lead in the Series.
With Boston winning 5-3 in the tenth inning of Game Six, the Mets were down to their last out with no one on base. A Red Sox World Series victory seemed all but a certainty as the Shea Stadium
scoreboard was all set to display "Congratulations Boston Red Sox, 1986 World Champions". Hurst had been selected as the World Series Most Valuable Player until the Mets rallied to win the game with three runs, forcing a decisive Game Seven.
Oil Can Boyd
was originally slated to be the Game Seven starter for Boston, but when the game was delayed a day by rain, manager John McNamara bumped him in favor of Hurst. Hurst gave up just one hit through five innings of work, however, the Mets came back with three runs
in the sixth to tie the game. Hurst would get a no-decision as he handed the ball over to the bullpen
. The rest is history, with the Mets winning the World Championship, and Ray Knight
receiving MVP honors.
Believers of "The Curse of the Bambino
" have pointed out the letters in the name BRUCE HURST can be re-arranged as B RUTH CURSE.
All-Star
team, however, he did not appear in the game. He ended the season at 15-13 as the Bosox finished the season twenty games out of first place.
Hurst was 9-4 with a 4.60 ERA midway through the season when the Red Sox replaced McNamara at manager with Joe Morgan
. The Sox were in fifth place, nine games back of the first place Detroit Tigers
at the time of the managerial change. The team went 46-31 from that point forward to finish one game ahead of Detroit in the AL East.
Hurst himself went 9-2 with a 2.54 ERA under his new manager to end the season at 18-6. He pitched a complete game in Games One of the 1988 American League Championship Series
against the Oakland Athletics
, but was outmatched by Oakland's ace, Dave Stewart. With Boston down three games to none, the two faced off again in Game Four with Stewart and the A's again emerging victorious to complete the sweep.
following the 1988 season, and signed a three year contract with the San Diego Padres
worth $5.25 million. On April 10, , he pitched a one-hitter against the Atlanta Braves
for his first National League
win and also collected his first MLB hit as a batter. He went 15-11 with a career-best 2.69 ERA that season.
On May 18, 1992, Hurst pitched a one-hit shutout over Dwight Gooden
and the Mets. The only hit was a single by Chico Walker
. At the end of the season, he began to feel pain in his left shoulder
and underwent surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff
and labrum. The rehabilitation was an arduous process, and Hurst ended making just two starts for the Padres in before being traded to the Colorado Rockies
on July 26 with Greg Harris for Brad Ausmus
, Doug Bochtler
and Andy Ashby
. He pitched just three games for Colorado.
Hurst signed with the Texas Rangers
for the season. He was 2-1 with a 7.11 ERA in eight starts through June, but with the repercussions of the surgery still lingering, he decided to retire mid season.
was hard enough to get in on right-handed hitters, and he mixed it with an excellent curve
and a slider
as well. He also had a decent forkball
at times. Thanks to his great control, Hurst was able to work corners well and had a profuse knowledge of each hitter. In seven post-season games he had 3-2 with 37 strikeouts and a 2.29 ERA.
in November . In , he and Jim Lefebvre
coached China
to a bronze medal at the 23rd Asian Baseball Championship
, which was the first time ever that China had defeated one of the "Big Three" Asian teams (Japan
, South Korea
, Chinese Taipei). In , Hurst and Lefebvre also led the Chinese team in the inaugural World Baseball Classic
, where they were eliminated in the first round of competition in the Asian bracket, which also featured eventual tournament champion Japan, as well as Korea and Chinese Taipei.
Hurst returned to the Boston Red Sox during spring training
in 2008 as a pitching instructor. On February 26, 2008, Hurst was named as Special Assistant for Player Development with the Red Sox.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
left-handed starting pitcher
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
. He is best remembered for his brilliant performance for the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
in the postseason. He was even named World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
M.V.P. prior to the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
' miraculous comeback in Game Six of the World Series.
Boston Red Sox
Hurst was selected by the Bosox with the 22nd overall pick in the 1976 Major League Baseball Draft1976 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1976 Major League Baseball draft.* Did not sign- Background :The 1976 Arizona State University team, considered by many to be the best collegiate team ever, played a major role in the draft. Floyd Bannister was picked number one...
out of Dixie High School
Dixie High School (Utah)
Dixie High School is in St. George, Utah at 350 East 700 South. It is a Utah Class 3A school with around 1000 students. The school's mascot is the Flyers and is represented by a World War I-era biplane pilot.-History:...
in St. George, Utah
St. George, Utah
St. George is a city located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Utah, and the county seat of Washington County, Utah. It is the principal city of and is included in the St. George, Utah, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city is 119 miles northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada, and 303 miles ...
. After going 17-6 with a 2.88 earned run average
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
for the Winter Haven
Winter Haven Red Sox
The Winter Haven Red Sox is a former minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Boston Red Sox from 1969 to 1992.*Location: Winter Haven, FL*League: Florida State League *Affiliation: Boston Red Sox...
& Bristol Red Sox
Bristol Red Sox
The Bristol Red Sox was name of an American minor league baseball franchise. Based in Bristol, Connecticut, it was the Double-A Eastern League farm system affiliate of the Boston Red Sox for ten seasons, 1973 through 1982, and played at Muzzy Field....
in , Hurst was put on Boston's opening day roster for . He made his major league debut in relief
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
in the second game of the season, giving up five earned runs in an inning of work in a 18-1 blowout at the hands of the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
. He made six more appearances, all starts, before being optioned back to Pawtucket
Pawtucket Red Sox
The Pawtucket Red Sox are the minor league baseball Triple-A affiliates of the Boston Red Sox and belong to the International League...
with a 10.57 ERA. He returned to the majors in August, ending the season with a 2-2 record and 9.10 ERA at the major league level.
Hurst went 12-7 with a 2.87 ERA for Pawtucket in , and had actually retired from the game briefly before receiving a September call-up to Boston. In five major league starts, Hurst went 2-0 with a 4.30 ERA.
Hurst had gone 42-46 with a 4.59 ERA with the Bosox before his breakthrough 1986 season. Hurst posted a 2.99 ERA with 13 victories despite spending six midsummer weeks on the disabled list with a pulled groin. The Red Sox won the American League East
American League East
The American League Eastern Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions . This division was created before the start of the 1969 season along with the Western Division...
by 5.5 games over the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
to head to the 1986 American League Championship Series
1986 American League Championship Series
The 1986 American League Championship Series was a back-and-forth battle between the Boston Red Sox and the California Angels for the right to advance to the 1986 World Series to face the winner of the 1986 National League Championship Series...
against the California Angels. He went 1-0 with a 2.40 ERA in two starts in the American League Championship Series
American League Championship Series
In Major League Baseball, the American League Championship Series , played in October, is a round in the postseason that determines the winner of the American League pennant...
won by the Sox in seven games.
1986 World Series
Hurst pitched brilliantly in the World Series, holding the New York Mets to just four hitsHit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
in the Game One pitchers' duel with Ron Darling
Ron Darling
Ronald Maurice Darling, Jr. is an American former right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the New York Mets, Oakland Athletics and Montreal Expos...
won 1-0 by the Red Sox. In Game Five, Hurst pitched a complete game
Complete game
In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.As demonstrated by the charts below, in the early 20th century, it was common for most good Major League Baseball pitchers to pitch a complete game almost every start. Pitchers were...
victory to give Boston a 3-2 lead in the Series.
With Boston winning 5-3 in the tenth inning of Game Six, the Mets were down to their last out with no one on base. A Red Sox World Series victory seemed all but a certainty as the Shea Stadium
Shea Stadium
William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, usually shortened to Shea Stadium or just Shea , was a stadium in the New York City borough of Queens, in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. It was the home baseball park of Major League Baseball's New York Mets from 1964 to 2008...
scoreboard was all set to display "Congratulations Boston Red Sox, 1986 World Champions". Hurst had been selected as the World Series Most Valuable Player until the Mets rallied to win the game with three runs, forcing a decisive Game Seven.
Oil Can Boyd
Oil Can Boyd
Dennis Ray "Oil Can" Boyd is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. Boyd played for the Boston Red Sox , Montreal Expos , and Texas Rangers .He batted and threw right-handed....
was originally slated to be the Game Seven starter for Boston, but when the game was delayed a day by rain, manager John McNamara bumped him in favor of Hurst. Hurst gave up just one hit through five innings of work, however, the Mets came back with three runs
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
in the sixth to tie the game. Hurst would get a no-decision as he handed the ball over to the bullpen
Bullpen
In baseball, the bullpen is the area where relief pitchers warm-up before entering a game. Depending on the ballpark, it may be situated in foul territory along the baselines or just beyond the outfield fence. Also, a team's roster of relief pitchers is metonymically referred to as "the bullpen"...
. The rest is history, with the Mets winning the World Championship, and Ray Knight
Ray Knight
Charles Ray Knight is a former right-handed Major League Baseball third baseman best remembered for his time with the Cincinnati Reds and New York Mets...
receiving MVP honors.
Believers of "The Curse of the Bambino
Curse of the Bambino
The Curse of the Bambino was a superstition cited as a reason for the failure of the Boston Red Sox baseball team to win the World Series in the 86-year period from 1918 to 2004...
" have pointed out the letters in the name BRUCE HURST can be re-arranged as B RUTH CURSE.
Return to the postseason
Hurst had a 9-6 record and 3.81 ERA when his manager added him to the American LeagueAmerican League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
All-Star
All-star
All-star is a term designating an individual as having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry...
team, however, he did not appear in the game. He ended the season at 15-13 as the Bosox finished the season twenty games out of first place.
Hurst was 9-4 with a 4.60 ERA midway through the season when the Red Sox replaced McNamara at manager with Joe Morgan
Joe Morgan (manager)
Joseph Michael Morgan is a retired American infielder, manager, coach and scout in Major League Baseball.-Early life:...
. The Sox were in fifth place, nine games back of the first place Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
at the time of the managerial change. The team went 46-31 from that point forward to finish one game ahead of Detroit in the AL East.
Hurst himself went 9-2 with a 2.54 ERA under his new manager to end the season at 18-6. He pitched a complete game in Games One of the 1988 American League Championship Series
1988 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 5, 1988 at Fenway Park in Boston, MassachusettsIn an interview conducted before Game 1, José Canseco denied reports in that day's Washington Post by baseball reporter Thomas Boswell that he had used steroids...
against the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
, but was outmatched by Oakland's ace, Dave Stewart. With Boston down three games to none, the two faced off again in Game Four with Stewart and the A's again emerging victorious to complete the sweep.
San Diego Padres
Hurst chose to leave the only organization he'd ever known as a free agentFree agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
following the 1988 season, and signed a three year contract with the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
worth $5.25 million. On April 10, , he pitched a one-hitter against the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
for his first National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
win and also collected his first MLB hit as a batter. He went 15-11 with a career-best 2.69 ERA that season.
On May 18, 1992, Hurst pitched a one-hit shutout over Dwight Gooden
Dwight Gooden
Dwight Eugene Gooden , nicknamed "Doc Gooden" or "Dr. K", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He was one of the most dominant and feared pitchers in the National League in the middle and late 1980s.-Career:...
and the Mets. The only hit was a single by Chico Walker
Chico Walker
Cleotha "Chico" Walker is a former professional baseball player. He played all or part of eleven seasons in Major League Baseball, between 1980 and 1993. He played 40 or more games at five different positions: third base, second base, and all three outfield positions.Walker is the uncle of NBA...
. At the end of the season, he began to feel pain in his left shoulder
Shoulder
The human shoulder is made up of three bones: the clavicle , the scapula , and the humerus as well as associated muscles, ligaments and tendons. The articulations between the bones of the shoulder make up the shoulder joints. The major joint of the shoulder is the glenohumeral joint, which...
and underwent surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff
Rotator cuff
In anatomy, the rotator cuff is the group of muscles and their tendons that act to stabilize the shoulder. The four muscles of the rotator cuff, along with the teres major muscle, the coracobrachialis muscle and the deltoid, make up the seven scapulohumeral muscles of the human body.-Function:The...
and labrum. The rehabilitation was an arduous process, and Hurst ended making just two starts for the Padres in before being traded to the Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
on July 26 with Greg Harris for Brad Ausmus
Brad Ausmus
Bradley David "Brad" Ausmus is a former All Star catcher in Major League Baseball, and currently a special assistant for the San Diego Padres....
, Doug Bochtler
Doug Bochtler
Douglas Eugene Bochtler is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball from -.-External links:...
and Andy Ashby
Andy Ashby
Andrew Jason Ashby is a former Major League Baseball starting pitcher who played for the Philadelphia Phillies , Colorado Rockies , San Diego Padres , Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers...
. He pitched just three games for Colorado.
Hurst signed with the Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
for the season. He was 2-1 with a 7.11 ERA in eight starts through June, but with the repercussions of the surgery still lingering, he decided to retire mid season.
Career stats
Consistently good but never overpowering hitters, Hurst was a specialist at changing speeds. His fastballFastball
The fastball is the most common type of pitch in baseball. Some "power pitchers," such as Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, have thrown it at speeds of 95–106 mph and up to 108.1 mph , relying purely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit...
was hard enough to get in on right-handed hitters, and he mixed it with an excellent curve
Curveball
The curveball is a type of pitch in baseball thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball causing it to dive in a downward path as it approaches the plate. Its close relatives are the slider and the slurve. The "curve" of the ball varies from pitcher to...
and a slider
Slider
In baseball, a slider is a pitch that breaks laterally and down, with a speed between that of a curveball and that of a fastball....
as well. He also had a decent forkball
Forkball
The forkball is a type of pitch in baseball. Related to the split-fingered fastball, the forkball is held between the first two fingers and thrown hard snapping the wrist....
at times. Thanks to his great control, Hurst was able to work corners well and had a profuse knowledge of each hitter. In seven post-season games he had 3-2 with 37 strikeouts and a 2.29 ERA.
Post-playing activities
Bruce Hurst was inducted to the Boston Red Sox Hall of FameBoston Red Sox Hall of Fame
The Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame was instituted in 1995 to recognize the careers of former Boston Red Sox baseball players. A 15-member selection committee of Red Sox broadcasters and executives, past and present media personnel, and representatives from The Sports Museum of New England and the...
in November . In , he and Jim Lefebvre
Jim Lefebvre
James Kenneth Lefebvre is a former second baseman, third baseman and manager in Major League Baseball. Lefebvre, the 1965 National League Rookie of the Year, was signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers as an amateur free agent in 1962. In 1965, his rookie year, he hit .250 with 12 home runs and 69 RBI...
coached China
China national baseball team
The China national baseball team is the national representative team of the People's Republic of China.-Olympic Games:China secured qualification to the 2008 Summer Olympics automatically as host nation, giving the country its first Olympics berth....
to a bronze medal at the 23rd Asian Baseball Championship
Asian Baseball Championship
The Asian Baseball Championship is the main championship tournament between national baseball teams in Asia, governed by the Baseball Federation of Asia . It is held every other year in odd-numbered years and since 1983 it also functions as the qualification games for the Baseball at the Summer...
, which was the first time ever that China had defeated one of the "Big Three" Asian teams (Japan
Japan national baseball team
The Japan national baseball team is the national baseball team representing Japan in international competitions. They are one of the more successful baseball teams in the world, having won the World Baseball Classic in 2006 and 2009...
, South Korea
Korea national baseball team
The Korea national baseball team , nicknamed "Blue Bogy ", is the national baseball team of the Republic of Korea . It has participated in the Summer Olympic Games in 1984, 1988, 1996 and 2000. At the 2008 Summer Olympics, it won the gold medal in a final victory against Cuba...
, Chinese Taipei). In , Hurst and Lefebvre also led the Chinese team in the inaugural World Baseball Classic
World Baseball Classic
The World Baseball Classic is an international baseball tournament sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation and created by Major League Baseball , the Major League Baseball Players Association , and other professional baseball leagues and their players associations around the world...
, where they were eliminated in the first round of competition in the Asian bracket, which also featured eventual tournament champion Japan, as well as Korea and Chinese Taipei.
Hurst returned to the Boston Red Sox during spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
in 2008 as a pitching instructor. On February 26, 2008, Hurst was named as Special Assistant for Player Development with the Red Sox.