The Strike Wiped that 'Stache Right Off Bruno's Face
And maybe cost him a shot at the HOF ballot
1995 Score Tom Brunansky (#86) - Card of the Day
As we wrap up Hall of Fame week here in Sillytown, one guy stands out for his unusual combination of power and absence from the Cooperstown ballot.
I mean, usually when a guy hits 298 home runs, you’d expect him to at least be up for consideration, right? But it turns out slugger Mark Reynolds isn’t the charter member of the Thunder-Bat/No-Ballot club.
It does appear to be an exclusive gathering, though.
Heading into the 2025 season, Reynolds’ 298 taters put him 164th on the all-time home run leaderboard. The next man below him on that list who didn’t make it to a Cooperstown vote is Matt Kemp, tied for 178th with 287 homers.
The closest guy above Reynolds to not make the ballot is Jay Bruce, tied for 134th with 319 long balls.
That’s three guys in 45 slots, slots that are pretty far down the all-time list to begin with. Drop down another 32 slots but just 16 homers, and we run into an eclectic group of guys with 271 dingers:
Mookie Betts, who could retire tomorrow and sail into the Hall in five years, barring any off-field news-cycle character transformations.
Raul Mondesi, who got zero votes on his only ballot in 2011.
Hanley Ramirez, who is on his first ballot in 2025.
George Scott, who appeared on the 1985 and 1986 ballots.
And then there is the guy who lines up as the fifth most similar batter to Reynolds in MLB history, according to Baseball Reference’s Similarity Scores: Tom Brunansky.
You might remember Brunansky for his early years with the Twins, when he hit 32 homers on two separate occasions. One of those was in 1987, when he also connected on two in the ALCS before sort of dudding out during Minnesota’s almost impossible seven-game World Series win.
Or you might remember Brunansky for his legendary mustache, one that dropped all the way to his armpits and would have looked right at home on the roster of, say, the 1980 Cubs.
Or maybe the April 1988 trade that sent Brunansky to the Cardinals in exchange for Tom Herr is what comes to mind when you think of the erstwhile Twins slugger. That was sort of like a scaled down ‘80s version of Rocky Colavito-for-Harvey Kuenn. Or maybe like swapping Dick York and Dick Sargent.
Brunansky also had a pretty decent run with the Red Sox from 1990 through 1992, providing a little pop and OK-ish defense in right field. You probably don’t remember Brunansky’s time in Milwaukee, though. Or if you do, you wish you could forget it.
Bruno signed a free agent deal with the Brewers in January 1993 and then played in 80 games for them that summer, mostly in right. He hit .183 with six homers and 29 RBI, and he didn’t make an appearance after August 4, ceding right field to Darryl Hamilton.
After 16 even more anemic games to start 1994, Brunansky returned to Boston, traded on June 16 for Dave Valle. Back with the Red Sox, Brunansky rebounded a bit, to .237, 10 home runs, and 34 RBI.
The 1994 strike ended both Boston’s season and Brunansky’s career, but not before he got a curtain call with the fans who loved him most. On August 10, the last day of the season, Brunansky went 1-for-3 with a walk and an RBI, and he also scored a run as the Sox lost to the Twins in the Metrodome.
In his final plate appearance, Bruno faced Twins reliever Carl Willis and popped out to catcher Matt Walbeck.
The next year, as baseball started dusting itself off, collectors got one final batch of Brunansky cards. Among the career-cappers was the Score number you see above, showing Bruno in his somewhat familiar Red Sox togs but sporting an otherworldly *gasp* clean shaven face.
And five years later, when he was eligible for the Hall of Fame? Brunansky’s name was nowhere to be found.
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Homer Hankies Forever!
There’s all sorts of memorabilia available from Brunansky’s 1987 Twins, but does anything scratch that nostalgia itch better than the original Homer Hanky?? Here is just one of many available (cheap!) on eBay…
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