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.