Vern Ruhle, who stepped in for J.R. Richard and delivered the best season of his career to help the Astros reach the playoffs for the first time in 1980, died late Saturday night from complications of a donor stem cell transplant at MD Anderson.
Ruhle, 55, spent most of the 2006 season away from baseball after learning that he had multiple myeloma. He was informed he had that cancer of the bone marrow after a routine physical last February at spring training with the Cincinnati Reds.
He had been with the Cincinnati organization since 2004, when he served as the pitching coach at Class A Rookie League Billings. He became the Reds’ major-league pitching coach on June 21, 2005, but he handled other duties in 2006 while he sought treatment.
To be closer to his home in Sarasota, Fla., the Reds named him recently as the club’s pitching rehabilitation coordinator at the Reds’ minor-league facility in Sarasota.
“I would like to thank members of the Reds’ front office, players and coaches for their concerns and support during this difficult time in our family,” Ruhle’s widow, Sue, said in a statement released by the Reds.
“I cannot say enough good things about the doctors and nursing staff at MD Anderson Cancer Center for their medical expertise, comfort and care during the last year. They were a tremendous support system for Vern and our family.”
Ruhle is survived by his wife, Sue, daughter Rebecca, son Kenny, parents Robert and Vivian, brothers Ron and Roy and sisters Suzanne, Judy, Mary and Jane.
Ruhle, who played his first four seasons with the Detroit Tigers, spent seven of his 13 major league seasons with the Astros. After he was released by Detroit, he signed a minor-league contract on March 29, 1978, with Houston and was a key member of the 1980 team that got within a game of reaching the World Series.
“Vern was just a real fine pitcher and, more importantly, a real fine guy,” said Astros president of baseball operations Tal Smith, the general manager of the 1980 club. “He coached for us in the minor leagues and also in the majors. We were just very fond of him. It’s just sad news. He was a class person and a real asset to the game.”
Ruhle, 55, is the second key member of the Astros’ 1980 pitching staff to die in the last three months. Knuckleballer Joe Niekro, the franchise’s all-time leader in victories, died on Oct. 27 after suffering a brain aneurysm the previous day. Ruhle was manager Larry Dierker’s pitching coach with the Astros from 1997 until the 2000 All-Star break.
Dierker estimates that Ruhle may have been a better teacher because as a player he had to work harder than most to compete.
“He made it because he worked hard at it,” Dierker said. “He wasn’t the most talented guy, but he worked hard. Usually the guys that fit that description make better teachers because they learned to make the most of their abilities.”
When needed most after Richard suffered a stroke, Ruhle delivered for the 1980 Astros that lost 3-2 in the best-of-five National League Championship Series against the Philadelphia Phillies.
He was 12-4 with a 2.37 ERA over 28 games (22 starts) in 1980, including a 6-2 finish as the Astros sealed their first NL West pennant.
“There’s no way, no way (the Astros reach the 1980 playoffs without Ruhle),” Dierker said. “There wasn’t anybody else that the organization had that was available or remotely ready like Vern to step up after J.R. Richard was lost. Of course Vern did the best pitching of his life under those tough circumstances. “He was the right man for the job. He was at the right place at the right time and he did the best pitching of his life during the most difficult circumstances.”
Ruhle, 55, spent most of the 2006 season away from baseball after learning that he had multiple myeloma. He was informed he had that cancer of the bone marrow after a routine physical last February at spring training with the Cincinnati Reds.
He had been with the Cincinnati organization since 2004, when he served as the pitching coach at Class A Rookie League Billings. He became the Reds’ major-league pitching coach on June 21, 2005, but he handled other duties in 2006 while he sought treatment.
To be closer to his home in Sarasota, Fla., the Reds named him recently as the club’s pitching rehabilitation coordinator at the Reds’ minor-league facility in Sarasota.
“I would like to thank members of the Reds’ front office, players and coaches for their concerns and support during this difficult time in our family,” Ruhle’s widow, Sue, said in a statement released by the Reds.
“I cannot say enough good things about the doctors and nursing staff at MD Anderson Cancer Center for their medical expertise, comfort and care during the last year. They were a tremendous support system for Vern and our family.”
Ruhle is survived by his wife, Sue, daughter Rebecca, son Kenny, parents Robert and Vivian, brothers Ron and Roy and sisters Suzanne, Judy, Mary and Jane.
Ruhle, who played his first four seasons with the Detroit Tigers, spent seven of his 13 major league seasons with the Astros. After he was released by Detroit, he signed a minor-league contract on March 29, 1978, with Houston and was a key member of the 1980 team that got within a game of reaching the World Series.
“Vern was just a real fine pitcher and, more importantly, a real fine guy,” said Astros president of baseball operations Tal Smith, the general manager of the 1980 club. “He coached for us in the minor leagues and also in the majors. We were just very fond of him. It’s just sad news. He was a class person and a real asset to the game.”
Ruhle, 55, is the second key member of the Astros’ 1980 pitching staff to die in the last three months. Knuckleballer Joe Niekro, the franchise’s all-time leader in victories, died on Oct. 27 after suffering a brain aneurysm the previous day. Ruhle was manager Larry Dierker’s pitching coach with the Astros from 1997 until the 2000 All-Star break.
Dierker estimates that Ruhle may have been a better teacher because as a player he had to work harder than most to compete.
“He made it because he worked hard at it,” Dierker said. “He wasn’t the most talented guy, but he worked hard. Usually the guys that fit that description make better teachers because they learned to make the most of their abilities.”
When needed most after Richard suffered a stroke, Ruhle delivered for the 1980 Astros that lost 3-2 in the best-of-five National League Championship Series against the Philadelphia Phillies.
He was 12-4 with a 2.37 ERA over 28 games (22 starts) in 1980, including a 6-2 finish as the Astros sealed their first NL West pennant.
“There’s no way, no way (the Astros reach the 1980 playoffs without Ruhle),” Dierker said. “There wasn’t anybody else that the organization had that was available or remotely ready like Vern to step up after J.R. Richard was lost. Of course Vern did the best pitching of his life under those tough circumstances. “He was the right man for the job. He was at the right place at the right time and he did the best pitching of his life during the most difficult circumstances.”
