Pitcher, Houston
Colt .45s
Age: 31 (May 16)
3rd season
with Colt .45s
Bats – Right,
Throws – Right
Height: 6’3” Weight: 200
Prior to 1964:
A native of Detroit, Michigan, Bruce had little time for sports in his youth due to Depression-era family responsibilities. He played baseball as a senior at Highland Park High School and received a baseball scholarship to attend Alma College. A 19-strikeout performance against the University of Detroit drew the interest of the Detroit Tigers who signed him in 1953 for a $20,000 bonus. Initially assigned to the Wausau Lumberjacks of the Class D Wisconsin State League, where he posted an 18-8 record and a 3.20 ERA with 17 complete games, 3 shutouts, and 181 strikeouts over 191 innings, although he also issued 131 walks. Moving on to the Durham Bulls of the Class B Carolina League in 1954, he produced a 13-8 tally with a 3.42 ERA and 14 complete games and 4 shutouts and 122 strikeouts over 158 innings while reducing his walks to 67. He finished the year with a brief stint with Wilkes-Barre of the Class A Eastern League. Bruce spent most of 1955 with Augusta of the Class A South Atlantic (or Sally) League where he went 7-10 with a 3.89 ERA and 97 strikeouts over 148 innings. Military service interrupted his career in 1956 and cost him the entire 1957 season. Discharged in 1958, Bruce was assigned to the Birmingham Barons of the Class AA Southern Association where he compiled a 5-4 record and 4.46 ERA with 84 strikeouts over 101 innings. After playing winter ball in Puerto Rico, he advanced to the Charleston Senators of the Class AAA American Association in 1959 where he produced a 11-13 tally and 3.57 ERA with 8 complete games, 4 shutouts, and 177 strikeouts over 222 innings. Called up to the Tigers in late September he appeared in two games, one of them a start, and went 0-1. Bruce started the 1960 season in the Detroit bullpen but got the chance to start in late June and finished with a 4-7 record that included a two-hit shutout of the Chicago White Sox. His ERA was 3.74 and he recorded 76 strikeouts over 130 innings pitched. Bruce saw minimal action with the Tigers in 1961, making a total of 14 appearances, 6 of them starts, and producing a 1-2 tally and 4.43 ERA. He was even briefly sent down to Class AAA Denver of the American Association. In the offseason, while playing winter ball in Puerto Rico, he was traded to the expansion Colt .45s. Starting the 1962 season in the bullpen, he moved into the starting rotation in May and ended up being the club’s only starter to finish with a record over .500 at 10-9. His ERA was 4.06 and he compiled 6 complete games and 135 strikeouts over 175 innings. Bruce started poorly in 1963 and hindered by a sore shoulder, he finished with a lesser tally of 5-9 with a 3.59 ERA and 123 strikeouts over 170.1 innings although he pitched a one-hit shutout at home against Cincinnati. His repertoire included curves at varying speeds, a fastball, and a changeup.
1964 Season Summary
Appeared in 37
games
P – 35, PH – 1, PR – 1
[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]
Pitching
Games – 35
Games Started –
29
Complete Games
– 9 [18, tied with five others]
Wins – 15 [14,
tied with Bob Buhl & Jim Maloney]
Losses – 9
PCT - .625 [10]
Saves – 0
Shutouts – 4
[6, tied with Juan Marichal, Chris Short & Joe Nuxhall]
Innings Pitched
– 202.1
Hits – 191
Runs – 70
Earned Runs – 62
Home Runs – 8
Bases on Balls
– 33
Strikeouts – 135
[17]
ERA – 2.76 [10]
Hit Batters – 3
Balks – 1 [6,
tied with twenty-two others]
Wild Pitches – 4
Midseason Snapshot: 9-4, ERA - 2.74, SO - 69 in 98.2 IP
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Most
strikeouts, game – 10 (in 8 IP) vs. San Francisco 5/14, (in 9 IP) vs. NY Mets
5/24, (in 9 IP) vs. NY Mets 9/20
10+ strikeout
games – 3
Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 2 (in 9 IP) vs. NY Mets 9/20, (in 8 IP) vs. Chi. Cubs 8/24
Batting
PA – 72, AB – 63, R – 1, H – 12, 2B – 1, 3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 1, BB – 2, SO – 14, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .190, GDP – 0, HBP – 2, SH – 5, SF – 0
Fielding
Chances – 47
Put Outs – 11
Assists – 35
Errors – 1
DP – 0
Pct. - .979
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The Colt .45s went 66-96 to finish ninth in the NL, 27 games behind the pennant-winning St. Louis Cardinals. The pitching staff led the league in fewest complete games (30), fewest shutouts (9), and fewest walks (353). The Colt .45s stayed just a few games under .500 until midseason and were at 32-34 on June 21 following a four-game sweep of the Braves at Milwaukee (with Bruce going the distance in winning the third game), but the club floundered the rest of the way to settle into ninth place once again and finishing 13 games ahead of the NL’s other third-year team, the Mets.
Aftermath of 1964:
Houston had a new name and a glamorous new home in the Astrodome in 1965 and Bruce drew the first start in the new venue which he lost to the Philadelphia Phillies although he gave up only two runs over 7 innings pitched. The lack of run production proved to be a chronic problem for the Astros and Bruce finished at 9-18 with a 3.72 ERA, 7 complete games, and 145 strikeouts over 229.2 innings. In 1966 Bruce was hindered by an eye infection that kept him on the disabled list for seven weeks and finished at 3-13 in 25 appearances with a poor 5.34 ERA and 71 strikeouts over 129.2 innings. In the offseason he was dealt to the Atlanta Braves as part of a trade for veteran third baseman Eddie Mathews. The Braves were hoping Bruce could return to form and bolster their starting rotation. It was not to be. Bothered by a rib injury he was used sparingly in 1967 and was sent down to Richmond of the Class AAA International League at midseason. He excelled at Richmond where he posted a 7-2 record and 1.87 ERA with 37 strikeouts over 77 innings. But with the Braves showing no interest in recalling him, he chose to retire at age 34 following the season. For his major league career, Bruce compiled a 49-71 record and 3.85 ERA with 26 complete games, 6 shutouts, and 733 strikeouts over 1122.1 innings pitched. With Houston his performance was 42-58 with 24 complete games, 6 shutouts, and 609 strikeouts over 907 innings. He never appeared in the postseason. In 2012 he appeared at a ceremony in Houston to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the franchise’s first game. Bruce died in 2017 at age 83.
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Highlighted Years feature players who led a major league
in one of the following categories: batting average, home runs (with a minimum
of 10), runs batted in, or stolen bases (with a minimum of 20); or pitchers who
led a major league in wins, strikeouts, earned run average, or saves (with a
minimum of 10). Also included are participants in annual All-Star Games between
the National and American Leagues since 1933. This category also includes Misc.
players who received award votes, were contributors to teams that reached the
postseason, or had notable seasons in non-award years.
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