Rick Reuschel

Rickey Eugene Reuschel (RUSH-el, born May 16, 1949) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a right-handed pitcher from 1972 to 1991, winning 214 games with a career 3.37 ERA. His nickname was "Big Daddy" because his speed belied his portly physique. He was known for his deceptive style of pitching, which kept hitters off balance by constantly varying the speeds of his pitches. Reuschel was listed as 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds. Reuschel could run surprisingly well for his size (logging four triples in his batting career) and he was frequently used as a pinch runner on days he was not pitching. He was also a fair—though awkward-looking—hitter, batting well over .200 several times. His older brother Paul Reuschel also pitched for the Cubs from 1975 to 1978, as Rick's teammate. Paul's career ended with the Cleveland Indians in 1979. The Reuschel brothers were Illinois farm boys, with strong physiques and plain-spoken ways. The two are the only siblings to combine on a shutout. On August 21, 1975, Rick started and went 6+1⁄3 innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers, followed by Paul, who pitched the final 2+2⁄3 innings for the Cubs' 7–0 win.