Bruce Hurst

Infobox MLB retired
name=Bruce Hurst
position=Pitcher
bats=Left
throws=Left
birthdate=birth date and age|1958|3|24
St. George, Utah
debutdate=April 12
debutyear=by|1980
debutteam=Boston Red Sox
finaldate=June 18
finalyear=by|1994
finalteam=Texas Rangers
stat1label=Win-Loss record
stat1value=145-113
stat2label=Earned run average
stat2value=3.92
stat3label=Strikeouts
stat3value=1,689
teams=
* Boston Red Sox (by|1980-by|1988)
* San Diego Padres (by|1989-by|1993)
* Colorado Rockies (by|1993)
* Texas Rangers (by|1994)
highlights=
* All-Star selection (1987)

Bruce Vee Hurst (born March 24, 1958 in St. George, Utah) is a former Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher who played for the Boston Red Sox (1980-88), San Diego Padres (1989-93), Colorado Rockies (1993) and Texas Rangers (1994).

Boston Red Sox

Hurst and Roger Clemens will forever be remembered as one of the best one-two punches in the Red Sox history. Hurst was a specialist at changing speeds. Consistently good but never overpowering hitters, his fastball 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. He won 88 games for the Red Sox in a span of nine years, posting his best season in by|1988 with an 18-6 record.

1986 World Series

In by|1986, despite spending six midsummer weeks on the disabled list with a pulled groin, Hurst posted a 2.99 ERA with 13 victories and helped lead the Red Sox to the 1986 World Series against the New York Mets. He won Game 1 1-0 and Game 5 4-2 to give Boston a 3-2 lead in the Series. The score in Game 6 stood at 3-3 after nine innings. The Red Sox scored in the top of the tenth on a home run by Dave Henderson, then added an insurance run. With nobody on and two outs in the bottom of the tenth, the Shea Stadium scoreboard was all set to display "Congratulations Boston Red Sox, 1986 World Champions", with Hurst being selected as the World Series Most Valuable Player. Suddenly, the Mets rallied to win the game with three runs, forcing decisive Game 7. With three days rest, Hurst had given up only three singles through six innings and left the game tied 3-3. The rest is history, with the Mets winning the World Championship.

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.

Later career

A free agent at the end of the by|1988 season, Hurst signed a 3-year contract with San Diego. On April 10, by|1989, he pitched a one-hitter and collected his first MLB hit as a batter against the Braves. He went 15-11 with a career-best 2.69 ERA in that season.

On May 18, by|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 up going on and off the disabled list for the entire by|1993 season pitching only 13 innings both for the Padres and the Rockies, to whom he was traded at the of July. In by|1994, Hurst pitched for the Texas Rangers, but when the repercussions of the surgery still lingered, he decided to retire in the middle of June.

In 15-year career, Hurst compiled a 145-113 record with 1689 strikeouts, a 3.92 ERA, 83 complete games, 23 shutouts, and 2417.1 innings in 379 games. 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 Fame in November by|2004. In by|2005, he and Jim Lefebvre coached the China national baseball team 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 by|2006, 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 assisted the Boston Red Sox during spring training in 2008 as a pitching instructor. [cite web | url = http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2008/02/16/nonroster_invitees_are_a_varied_group/?page=2 | title = Nonroster invitees are a varied group | author= Gordon Edes | work = Boston Globe | date = 2008-02-16 | accessdate = 2008-02-26 ] On February 26, 2008, Hurst was named as Special Assistant for Player Development with the Red Sox. [cite web | url = http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/baseball/red_sox/view.bg?articleid=1076000 | title = Hurst set to pitch in: Joins team as special instructor | author= Rob Bradford | work = Boston Herald | date = 2008-02-26 | accessdate = 2008-02-26 ]

Highlights

* American League All-Star (1987)
* Top 10 AL Cy Young Award (5th, 1988)
* Led AL in complete games (10, 1989)
* Led National League in shutouts (4, 1990)

References

ee also

* List of Major League Baseball leaders in career wins

External links

*
* [http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseballlibrary/ballplayers/H/Hurst_Bruce.stm Baseball Library]