Former Major League pitcher Jerry Reuss was the keynote speaker at the Claremore Field of Dreams Baseball Banquet last week, and I had the opportunity to sit down and interview him.

The annual banquet is a fundraiser for the Claremore High School, Claremore summer and Rogers State baseball programs.

Reuss played 22 seasons with eight different teams in Major League Baseball; St. Louis Cardinals, Houston Astros, Pittsburgh Pirates, L.A. Dodgers, Chicago White Sox, California Angels, Cincinnati Reds and Milwaukee Brewers. On his way to the big leagues, the left-handed pitcher had a couple stops in Tulsa.

Reuss pitched for the Tulsa Oilers, the Triple-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals at that time, during the 1969 and 1970 seasons.

His manager in Tulsa was Hall of Famer Warren Spahn, another famous lefty, who he credits with giving him advice that lasted throughout his career.

“He was so light years ahead that he had dumbed down his teaching in order to take a lanky 18-to-19-year-old and try to turn him into a pitcher; it was a great experience,” Reuss said about his time in Tulsa. “There would have been something for Warren to offer me during my entire career. I could have learned something from him at each intersection. I enjoyed pitching in Tulsa, I enjoyed the game and I enjoyed working with Warren, but I especially enjoyed it when he told me I was going to the big leagues in 1970.”

Reuss amassed a 20-13 record while in Tulsa. He finished his Major League career with 220 wins, ranking him as the 18th all-time winningest lefty.

In 1980, Reuss had one of the best seasons going 18-6 and leading the majors in shutouts with six. He also threw a no-hitter against the San Francisco Giants that season, striking out only two batters. The no-hitter could have been a perfect game, if not for a throwing error early in the game.

“Actually, it was one play better than a perfect game,” Reuss explained “An error in the first inning by Bill Russell, he one-hopped a throw to [Steve] Garvey, who normally he gets it. No big deal, an error early in the ballgame; it happens. But, as the game progressed, that error became bigger because the aura of the perfect game was no longer there.”

Reuss said, he was just thrilled to complete the game and achieve the no-hitter.

“Russell came up after the ballgame and said, ‘You couldn’t have walked somebody and take the heat off me?’,” Reuss continued. “The reporters asked me ‘Are you disappointed you didn’t get a perfect game?’ and I said man, I just threw a no-hitter, are you kidding me? I’m as excited as I can be. This is a dream”

Reuss’ no-hitter is just one of ten in baseball history in which a pitcher did not walk or hit a batter, but whose perfect game bid was foiled by a fielding error.

He retired after the 1990 season, and following his playing career, Reuss became a baseball broadcaster, working nationally for ESPN from 1991 to 1993, and was also a color commentator for the Angels from 1996-98. He served as a pitching coach with the minor league Iowa Cubs before returning to broadcasting with the Dodgers from 2006-2008, serving as a color commentator alongside Rick Monday.

Reuss has also broadcast for the Las Vegas Stars (1994, 1995, and 1999), the Las Vegas 51’s (2005-2018) and the Las Vegas Aviators (2019-2021).

In 2016, the St. Louis native was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame located in Springfield, Missouri. He was also inducted into the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame in 2019.

Reuss, 72, is now enjoying retirement and traveling with his wife.