Bruce Ruffin, baseball player, 1986-1997

Bruce Ruffin

Born: 10/4/1963 in Lubbock, TX, USA

MLB Debut: 1986-06-28 | Final Game: 1997-06-26

Bats: B | Throws: L | Height: 6'2" | Weight: 205 lbs

Full name: Bruce Wayne Ruffin

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Biography

Bruce Ruffin was a professional baseball pitcher whose career spanned from 1986 to 1997. Born in 1963, Ruffin made his Major League Baseball debut on June 28, 1986, and played until his final game on June 26, 1997. Over the course of his career, he compiled a record of 60 wins and 82 losses, with a notable earned run average (ERA) of 4.19. Known for his durability on the mound, he recorded a total of 843 strikeouts and achieved 63 saves, showcasing his ability both as a starter and a reliever. Ruffin played during a transformative era in baseball, navigating the late 1980s and 1990s when the game was shifting towards more power-hitting and specialized pitching roles. His contributions on the field reflected a time when pitchers were increasingly relied upon for both starting and closing duties. Though he may not have achieved the accolades of some contemporaries, Ruffin's steady presence in the bullpen and rotation made him a valuable asset to the teams he represented. His career left a lasting impression, particularly in the context of an evolving game, as he adapted to the demands of both starting and relief roles throughout his tenure in Major League Baseball.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
60 82 469 152 17 3 63 1268.0 1345 591 92 565 843 4.19 0

Career ERA 4.19 vs. league average 4.11 across their career seasons — near 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
1986 PHI NL 9 4 21 21 6 0 0 146.3 138 40 44 70 2.46 3.97 (+38%) 2647.8
1987 PHI NL 11 14 35 35 3 1 0 204.7 236 99 73 93 4.35 4.29 (-1%) 811.1
1988 PHI NL 6 10 55 15 3 0 3 144.3 151 71 80 82 4.43 3.73 (-19%) -946.5
1989 PHI NL 6 10 24 23 1 0 0 125.7 152 62 62 70 4.44 3.71 (-20%) -1460.2
1990 PHI NL 6 13 32 25 2 1 0 149.0 178 89 62 79 5.38 3.86 (-39%) -1445.6
1991 PHI NL 4 7 31 15 1 1 0 119.0 125 50 38 85 3.78 3.91 (+3%) 2576.7
1992 ATL AL 1 6 25 6 1 0 0 58.0 66 43 41 45 6.67 3.75 (-78%) -
1993 COL NL 6 5 59 12 0 0 2 139.7 145 60 69 126 3.87 4.19 (+8%) 2055.3
1994 COL NL 4 5 56 0 0 0 16 55.7 55 25 30 65 4.04 4.51 (+10%) 906.6
1995 COL NL 0 1 37 0 0 0 11 34.0 26 8 19 23 2.12 4.45 (+52%) 549.5
1996 COL NL 7 5 71 0 0 0 24 69.7 55 31 29 74 4.00 4.61 (+13%) 2441.4
1997 COL NL 0 2 23 0 0 0 7 22.0 18 13 18 31 5.32 4.39 (-21%) -71.2

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
469 295 13 24 4 0 0 7 0 23 143 0.081 0.148 0.095 0.243 -1722.8

Career AVG .081 vs. league average .261 across their career seasons — 68.9% below league average.

Career OBP .148 vs. league average .329 across their career seasons — 55.1% below league average.

Career SLG .095 vs. league average .400 across their career seasons — 76.3% below league average.

Career OPS 0.243 vs. league average 0.729 across their career seasons — 66.7% 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
1986 PHI NL 21 55 2 4 1 0 0 2 0 0 32 0.073 .257 (-72%) .325 (-78%) .395 (-77%) .720 (-77%) -701.5
1987 PHI NL 35 73 3 4 1 0 0 3 0 2 39 0.055 .262 (-79%) .331 (-76%) .415 (-84%) .746 (-80%) -1021.3
1988 PHI NL 55 33 3 4 0 0 0 0 0 3 15 0.121 — — — — 0.0
1989 PHI NL 24 34 1 6 1 0 0 1 0 6 15 0.176 — — — — 0.0
1990 PHI NL 32 44 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 9 0.068 — — — — 0.0
1991 PHI NL 31 24 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 18 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1992 ATL AL 25 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1993 COL NL 59 25 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 3 10 0.080 — — — — 0.0
1994 COL NL 56 4 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 2 0.250 — — — — 0.0
1995 COL NL 37 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1996 COL NL 71 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1997 COL NL 23 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1995 NLDS1 COL 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Playoff Career Pitching

W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
0 0 4 0 0 3.3 3 1 2 2 2.70

Playoff Pitching by Year

Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1995 NLDS1 COL 0 0 4 0 0 3.3 3 1 2 2 2.70

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 469 152 58 199 12 11

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1986 PHI P 21 21 8 20 1 0
1987 PHI P 35 35 7 32 2 3
1988 PHI P 55 15 11 25 2 2
1989 PHI P 24 23 3 34 4 0
1990 PHI P 32 25 5 23 0 2
1991 PHI P 31 15 8 15 2 1
1992 ML4 P 25 6 4 5 0 0
1993 COL P 59 12 7 16 1 3
1994 COL P 56 0 2 10 0 0
1995 COL P 37 0 0 8 0 0
1996 COL P 71 0 2 9 0 0
1997 COL P 23 0 1 2 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 469

Salary History

Year Team League Salary
1996 COL NL $1,000,000
1995 COL NL $1,000,000
1994 COL NL $800,000
1993 COL NL $550,000
1992 ML4 AL $525,000
1990 PHI NL $350,000
1989 PHI NL $175,000
1988 PHI NL $140,000
1987 PHI NL $100,000
1986 PHI NL $60,000
Total Career Earnings $4,700,000

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
University of Texas at Austin Austin TX 1983, 1984, 1985

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1986 Rookie of the Year NL 7th 1.0 120 0