Bob Bruce, baseball player, 1959-1967

Bob Bruce

Born: 5/16/1933 in New York, NY, USA

Died: 3/14/2017 in Plano, TX, USA

MLB Debut: 1959-09-14 | Final Game: 1967-06-24

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'3" | Weight: 200 lbs

Full name: Robert James Bruce

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Biography

Bob Bruce was a professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1959 to 1967. Born in 1933, Bruce established himself as a reliable arm during a transitional period in the league, which was moving away from the dominance of the deadball era. Over the course of his career, he compiled a record of 49 wins and 71 losses, with a career earned run average (ERA) of 3.85. Bruce was known for his ability to miss bats, evidenced by his total of 733 strikeouts, which reflected his skill in the art of pitching during a time when the game was evolving with a greater emphasis on power hitting. Throughout his time in the league, Bruce showcased his versatility on the mound, contributing not only as a starter but also in relief, as indicated by his single save. His career spanned various teams, allowing him to develop a reputation as a steady presence in the rotation. While he may not have achieved the accolades of some of his contemporaries, Bob Bruce's contributions to his teams and the game during the 1960s remain noteworthy, particularly as baseball was undergoing significant changes in strategy and player dynamics. He retired from the game on June 24, 1967, leaving behind a legacy defined by perseverance and skill on the mound.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
49 71 219 167 26 6 1 1122.3 1146 480 95 340 733 3.85 0

Career ERA 3.85 vs. league average 3.66 across their career seasons — 5.2% worse than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1959 DET AL 0 1 2 1 0 0 0 2.0 2 2 3 1 9.00 — 0.0
1960 DET AL 4 7 34 15 1 0 0 130.0 127 54 56 76 3.74 3.82 (+2%) -1832.1
1961 DET AL 1 2 14 6 0 0 0 44.7 57 22 24 25 4.43 4.03 (-10%) -1037.6
1962 HOU NL 10 9 32 27 6 0 0 175.0 164 79 82 135 4.06 3.96 (-3%) 366.9
1963 HOU NL 5 9 30 25 1 1 0 170.3 162 68 60 123 3.59 3.46 (-4%) 3051.2
1964 HOU NL 15 9 35 29 9 4 0 202.3 191 62 33 135 2.76 3.58 (+23%) 6650.7
1965 HOU NL 9 18 35 34 7 1 0 229.7 241 95 38 145 3.72 3.50 (-6%) 2315.6
1966 HOU NL 3 13 25 23 1 0 0 129.7 160 77 29 71 5.34 3.52 (-52%) -1328.1
1967 ATL NL 2 3 12 7 1 0 1 38.7 42 21 15 22 4.89 3.30 (-48%) -338.7

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
223 346 25 52 7 1 0 17 0 28 102 0.150 0.220 0.176 0.396 -1566.4

Career AVG .150 vs. league average .251 across their career seasons — 40.1% below league average.

Career OBP .220 vs. league average .316 across their career seasons — 30.6% below league average.

Career SLG .176 vs. league average .380 across their career seasons — 53.6% below league average.

Career OPS 0.396 vs. league average 0.696 across their career seasons — 43.1% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1959 DET AL 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1960 DET AL 34 39 4 7 0 0 0 0 0 4 11 0.179 — — — — 0.0
1961 DET AL 14 9 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 2 2 0.111 — — — — 0.0
1962 HOU NL 32 55 8 11 1 0 0 7 0 12 14 0.200 .257 (-22%) .326 (+5%) .393 (-45%) .719 (-22%) -150.0
1963 HOU NL 32 55 5 7 2 1 0 1 0 5 17 0.127 .246 (-48%) .308 (-31%) .371 (-46%) .680 (-39%) -345.9
1964 HOU NL 37 63 1 12 1 0 0 1 0 2 14 0.190 .250 (-24%) .312 (-24%) .377 (-45%) .690 (-36%) -351.6
1965 HOU NL 35 74 3 9 2 0 0 6 0 1 26 0.122 .245 (-50%) .310 (-58%) .371 (-60%) .682 (-59%) -719.0
1966 HOU NL 25 39 2 3 0 0 0 1 0 1 14 0.077 — — — — 0.0
1967 ATL NL 12 12 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 0.167 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 219 167 95 164 8 7

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1959 DET P 2 1 0 0 0 0
1960 DET P 34 15 9 23 1 2
1961 DET P 14 6 5 1 1 0
1962 HOU P 32 27 14 26 1 2
1963 HOU P 30 25 13 21 1 1
1964 HOU P 35 29 11 35 1 0
1965 HOU P 35 34 25 36 3 1
1966 HOU P 25 23 15 18 0 1
1967 ATL P 12 7 3 4 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 219

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
Alma College Alma MI 1952