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Former MSU Bred' Kirk Reuter Retires After 13-Year Major League Baseball Career
3/7/2006 6:00:00 AM | Baseball
Former San Francisco Giant and Murray State Thoroughbred Kirk formally announced his retirement from Major League baseball Monday, ending a 13-year Major League career that earned him the title of winningest left-handed pitcher in Giants' history.
He's also one of the greats to ever put on a
“I had a great time at
"I'm officially done," said Rueter, 35. "I was 99-percent sure, and I made up my mind last week. I'm a full-time husband and a full-time father now."
How he was discovered and how he made his way to
As Reuter describes it, he wasn't heavily recruited out of high school and when he started his final season of American Legion baseball in the summer of 1988, he was still looking for a college to play at when the calendar turned to July.
“My Legion coach Donnie Walker played for
Reagan saw Reuter (pron.: REE-ter) for the first time at a legion game in
”He saw something in me that other people didn't, and I'm glad he did, ” Reuter said.
Rueter was pitching in
"Kirk is an outstanding individual," said Reagan. "He's very focused on the mound and in his life, he was a true joy to coach."
He began his pro career after being selected by the Montreal Expos in the 18th round of the 1991 amateur draft.
Reuter says no matter where his professional career took him, he always carried a piece of Johnny Reagan with him.
"I always ran on and off the field and I got that from coach Reagan,” Reuter said. “You don't see many big league pitchers do that, sometimes I'd get made fun of.”
“I always took that and carried that with me to the big leagues."
Reuter added, "Coach Reagan gave me the opportunity to learn. I didn't know what to expect going to college, and he became my second father, as he has for a bunch of MSU players. He did that with all the players at MSU, that's why all of they all love him and want to see him when they come back."
Rueter was 130-92 (.586) with a career earned-run average of 4.27 and made an immediate impact on his debut into the majors, winning his first 10 professional decisions and sharing the Major League Baseball record for starts without a loss (22) as a hurler for the Montreal Expos.
"Kirk stayed in tip-top condition year-round and was always ready to take the ball," said Reagan. "His defense loved to play behind him not only because he threw strikes, but he worked quickly as well."
In 1996, he was traded to
Rueter went 2-7 last year with a 5.95 ERA after battling nagging injuries, he was designated for assignment on Aug. 14 by the Giants.
He did have some discussions with the St. Louis Cardinals, his boyhood favorite, but when that didn't materialize; he decided to focus more on his family.
"It was a great run," Reuter said. "I love baseball. The Giants have been unbelievably good to me. I'm going to miss the fifth day, but I won't miss the road trips and being away from my family."
Affectionately known as "Woody" because of his resemblance to the character from the movie "Toy Story," Rueter was 13-6 with a 3.45 ERA for the National League West champion Giants in 1997, and then went 16-9 in 1998. In 2002, he went 13-8 with a 3.23 ERA for the 2002 pennant winners, adding a victory over
"That win and going to the World Series were highlights," said Rueter. "I started Game 4 in
"I remember pitching the first game of a two-game sweep that caught the Dodgers in 1997. The atmosphere was electric at
Rueter dismissed his somewhat acrimonious departure from the Giants last year as frustration over a losing season, saying: "Everybody was going crazy...down deep, I knew it was coming close to the end."
The Giants have no hard feelings, either, as the club is planning a day in Rueter's honor this season, and general manager Brian Sabean thanked the pitcher for his contributions toward the club's 1997-2004 success.
"When he went out to pitch, everyone felt it was a win day," he said. "The guys liked playing behind him. His record is evidence that he had more talent than he was given credit for."
[Some information for this story was taken from releases issued by the Associated Press and ESPN.com.]
