The Mike Bruhert Singularity
7 years in, a Mets farmhand spiked into the rotation...and our wax packs
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1979 Topps Mike Bruhert (#172) - Card of the Day
How do you know that your favorite team is about to embark on a rough year?
Well, a 64-98 record accompanied by a midseason managerial change during the preceding year could be one clear indicator.
And trading away a future Hall of Famer for a pack of Luckies during that same lost summer could be another.
And then, well, the final nail in the don’t-get-your-hopes-up coffin just might be when your team comes out of Spring Training with a 26-year-old rookie with no major league experience in their rotation.
A 26-year-old rookie who would turn 27 by midseason, and who posted a 4.10 ERA in Triple-A the year before, no less.
If none of this sounds familiar, well, let me introduce you to your 1978 New York Mets!
Taking our tea leaves in order…
The Mets fired Joe Frazier (“down goes Frazier!”) in favor of Joe Torre while spiraling to 64-98 in 1977.
Along the way, on June 15, the Mets traded Tom Seaver to the Reds for Doug Flynn, Steve Henderson, Dan Norman, and Pat Zachry.
And on April 9, 1978, in the second game of a doubleheader at Shea Stadium against the Expos, right-hander Mike Bruhert drew the start in his big league debut.
After giving up a leadoff single to Ellis Valentine, Bruhert set Montreal down in order in the first. Then Tony Perez reached on an error by shortstop Tim Foli in the second, and scored when Larry Parrish doubled. The next batter, Chris Speier, tripled to bring Foli home.
It was mostly smooth sailing from there until the fifth for Bruhert, when he balked with Andre Dawson at the plate. Hawk then singled to score Dave Cash and put the Expos ahead 3-0. Bruhert unleashed a wild pitch to Gary Carter, then walked him, then coaxed Tony Perez into a groundout.
The sixth was quieter (no runs), and Joel Youngblood pinch hit for Bruhert in the bottom of the frame. On the day, the rookie went six innings and gave up eight hits, two walks, three runs…but only one earned run. That amounted to a 1.50 ERA for the day, and it was still just 1.59 after two more starts by the end of April.
After six May starts, though, Bruhert’s record stood at 1-4 with a 4.65 ERA. Things didn’t get any better from there, and he finished 4-11 with a 4.78 ERA in 27 appearances (22 starts) through the end of the season. He also took a four-game detour back to Triple-A Tidewater.
That turned out to be both a nod to the past and a look at the future, as Bruhert would never return to the majors.
See…
After signing with the Mets as an amateur free agent way back in 1971 and spending seven years in the minors, he was back there in 1979…just as his first (and only) big league card hit the hobby. You can see that sunny 1979 Topps card at the top of this post.
Then in June, just days before his 28th birthday, Bruhert was traded with Bob Myrick to the Rangers for Dock Ellis. The change of scenery bought Bruhert, well, a change of scenery, but not of fortunes.
After bouncing between the Rangers and Yankees farm seasons through 1982, the righty was done with pro baseball as a player.
But, aside from his (nearly) full season in Queens and his rookie card, Bruhert has another diamond legacy. After all, how many men can claim to be Gil Hodges’ former son-in-law and a one-year wonder with the Mets?
Only one that I know of.
That would be Michael Edwin Bruhert, who turns 74 years old today.
Valentine in June?
The very first batter Bruhert faced in the majors was Ellis Valentine, who led off with a single in the rookie’s debut. But Mets catcher John Stearns cut Valentine down when he tried to steal second, with New York shortstop Tim Foli making the putout.
Once upon a time, Valentine and his unconventional grill protection featured prominently in my All-Time All-Valentine Baseball Card Team.