Post by bstros on Apr 19, 2007 22:14:15 GMT -5
Reds, Astros pay tribute to Ruhle
Former pitching coach honored in ceremony
By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com
CINCINNATI -- Vern Ruhle spent most of his life in a bullpen or on a pitcher's mound.
And that's why the Reds' choice of a location to pay tribute to their late pitching coach was both fitting and appropriate. Before Thursday's game against the Astros, Ruhle's No. 58 was unveiled in left-center field above the Cincinnati bullpen. Ruhle's number will remain there for the 2007 season.
Five days shy of his 56th birthday on Jan. 20, 2007, Ruhle died at a Houston hospital of complications from a donor stem cell transplant for the treatment of multiple myeloma.
"He loved the game," Reds manager Jerry Narron said. "He loved being part of it. He loved teaching pitching. He got very close to these guys in a short period of time. He is missed."
Ruhle's widow, Sue, and 40 members of their family were on hand for the dedication. All sported Reds T-shirts with Ruhle's No. 58 on the back. Sue Ruhle also threw a ceremonial first pitch before the game, with Reds ace Aaron Harang catching.
"It is way beyond nice," Sue Ruhle said. "It was difficult to lose Vern, and for the first 2-2 1/2 months, I almost couldn't pull out of it. I was so sad. Then I had to start planning this. I've done nothing but smile. I am happy all the way through. The Reds have been a family, totally, to me. They extended in every way to help make my life easier and better. I love being here. This is terrific."
The Reds purposely timed the ceremony for a series when the Astros were in town. Ruhle, who enjoyed a 13-year Major League pitching career, played for Houston from 1978-84 and was the Astros pitching coach from 1997-2000.
Many from the Astros front office joined Reds personnel at Ruhle's funeral last winter.
"Vern was a wonderful guy," said Astros manager Phil Garner, who also played with Ruhle. "He was such a good-natured guy, he would never say boo to anybody. Over the years, I began to respect Vern a lot for his baseball expertise. He moved into the second part of his baseball career nicely. It's unfortunate that it was cut short."
"He may have struggled getting his message across to some of the guys because he was a lot smarter than a lot of people," Astros pitcher Trever Miller said. "You wouldn't have thought that about him, but once you heard him speak about his philosophies, he was very cerebral. I still use some of the things he taught me when I give pitching lessons to kids. The biggest one he taught me was the four things to put in order when you're starting to ptich: command, movement, deception, velocity. You master all four of those things, in that order, you have a chance out there."
Ruhle joined the Reds organization in 2004 as a pitching coach with rookie level Billings. He was promoted to Minor League pitching coordinator before the 2005 season and became the Reds' pitching coach on Narron's staff on June 21, 2005.
"That guy has been in the game and a lot of players respected him all the way through the Oklahoma days to the big leagues," Reds pitcher Matt Belisle said. "Baseball is a big community and family. To pay tribute to a guy who did it for so long is a wonderful thing."
It was during a routine Spring Training physical last season that Ruhle learned he had cancer. He took a leave of absence and spent much of last summer undergoing treatments at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston or recuperating at his Sarasota, Fla., home.
"It's a constant reminder that [cancer] can get anybody at anytime and don't take anything for granted," Belisle said. "It's a reminder of how fortunate we are to be out here."
Miller spotted members of the Ruhle family in the elevator at the ballpark on Thursday and did something Sue has pleasantly encountered many times since her husband's passing.
"I said, 'He was my coach for two years," Miller said. "I learned a lot from him, he was a quality man. I'm going to miss him, and sorry for your loss.' It's never easy losing someone you love. I'm glad to see they're doing something for him. He deserves it."
"I keep learning more and more about Vern," Sue Ruhle said. "Every week, something special happens, or a story. Somebody will call me and say, 'I bet you never knew ...' We were only married 1 1/2 years. I knew how wonderful he was, but he's been that way for a long time. He's made a lot of lasting friends and wonderful lasting impressions. He really was a uniquely special person."
Mark Sheldon is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
Former pitching coach honored in ceremony
By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com
CINCINNATI -- Vern Ruhle spent most of his life in a bullpen or on a pitcher's mound.
And that's why the Reds' choice of a location to pay tribute to their late pitching coach was both fitting and appropriate. Before Thursday's game against the Astros, Ruhle's No. 58 was unveiled in left-center field above the Cincinnati bullpen. Ruhle's number will remain there for the 2007 season.
Five days shy of his 56th birthday on Jan. 20, 2007, Ruhle died at a Houston hospital of complications from a donor stem cell transplant for the treatment of multiple myeloma.
"He loved the game," Reds manager Jerry Narron said. "He loved being part of it. He loved teaching pitching. He got very close to these guys in a short period of time. He is missed."
Ruhle's widow, Sue, and 40 members of their family were on hand for the dedication. All sported Reds T-shirts with Ruhle's No. 58 on the back. Sue Ruhle also threw a ceremonial first pitch before the game, with Reds ace Aaron Harang catching.
"It is way beyond nice," Sue Ruhle said. "It was difficult to lose Vern, and for the first 2-2 1/2 months, I almost couldn't pull out of it. I was so sad. Then I had to start planning this. I've done nothing but smile. I am happy all the way through. The Reds have been a family, totally, to me. They extended in every way to help make my life easier and better. I love being here. This is terrific."
The Reds purposely timed the ceremony for a series when the Astros were in town. Ruhle, who enjoyed a 13-year Major League pitching career, played for Houston from 1978-84 and was the Astros pitching coach from 1997-2000.
Many from the Astros front office joined Reds personnel at Ruhle's funeral last winter.
"Vern was a wonderful guy," said Astros manager Phil Garner, who also played with Ruhle. "He was such a good-natured guy, he would never say boo to anybody. Over the years, I began to respect Vern a lot for his baseball expertise. He moved into the second part of his baseball career nicely. It's unfortunate that it was cut short."
"He may have struggled getting his message across to some of the guys because he was a lot smarter than a lot of people," Astros pitcher Trever Miller said. "You wouldn't have thought that about him, but once you heard him speak about his philosophies, he was very cerebral. I still use some of the things he taught me when I give pitching lessons to kids. The biggest one he taught me was the four things to put in order when you're starting to ptich: command, movement, deception, velocity. You master all four of those things, in that order, you have a chance out there."
Ruhle joined the Reds organization in 2004 as a pitching coach with rookie level Billings. He was promoted to Minor League pitching coordinator before the 2005 season and became the Reds' pitching coach on Narron's staff on June 21, 2005.
"That guy has been in the game and a lot of players respected him all the way through the Oklahoma days to the big leagues," Reds pitcher Matt Belisle said. "Baseball is a big community and family. To pay tribute to a guy who did it for so long is a wonderful thing."
It was during a routine Spring Training physical last season that Ruhle learned he had cancer. He took a leave of absence and spent much of last summer undergoing treatments at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston or recuperating at his Sarasota, Fla., home.
"It's a constant reminder that [cancer] can get anybody at anytime and don't take anything for granted," Belisle said. "It's a reminder of how fortunate we are to be out here."
Miller spotted members of the Ruhle family in the elevator at the ballpark on Thursday and did something Sue has pleasantly encountered many times since her husband's passing.
"I said, 'He was my coach for two years," Miller said. "I learned a lot from him, he was a quality man. I'm going to miss him, and sorry for your loss.' It's never easy losing someone you love. I'm glad to see they're doing something for him. He deserves it."
"I keep learning more and more about Vern," Sue Ruhle said. "Every week, something special happens, or a story. Somebody will call me and say, 'I bet you never knew ...' We were only married 1 1/2 years. I knew how wonderful he was, but he's been that way for a long time. He's made a lot of lasting friends and wonderful lasting impressions. He really was a uniquely special person."
Mark Sheldon is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.