Jerry went on to win 18 games, including a shutout against the Giants on October 1 to keep the Dodgers 1 game back of the Braves with 2 games left in the season. He won half his games against teams above .500 and posted a decent 3.45 ERA against them too.

One quirk to his season that you don’t see too often, is that he was credited for a win on back to back days. That happened in Wrigley Field on Aug 17 and 18th. He pitched the final 4 innings for the win on the 17th, then earned a win the next afternoon by pitching the first 5 innings.

He was very important to the team from that August 17th game onward, going 8-2 on the strength of a 2.45 ERA. The rest of the staff was just 13-19 in that same span.

Nowadays, Jerry Reuss is a broadcaster for the Dodgers and last week he actually left a comment at Night Owl’s baseball card blog! That surprised night Owl, and surprised all of us who read his thoughts on baseball cards.

So, I got in touch with Jerry and ask him a few questions. I’ve tried this before with a couple other players who have a website and way to contact them, but they never responded. Jerry Reuss was different though, and here’s how it went—

Devon: I always wonder if former players do much baseball reading online after their career has finished. It became very obvious to some of us recently that you read some baseball card blogs, but do you spend a lot of your time reading baseball stuff online?

Jerry: I found the baseball card blogs through a daily Google alert. I usually check out every alert. All of the blogs provide some perspective of what baseball fans are thinking. Sometimes, the thoughts are profound. Other times, I think some people need to get a life! I have a number of baseball sites that I read daily. Remember, my occupation is broadcasting. And I enjoy researching and preparing for games.

Devon: You were born and raised in St Louis, and then you started your major league career playing for the St Louis with the likes of Bob Gibson, Lou Brock, Steve Carlton, Vada Pinson, and Joe Torre. How would you describe the excitement of that time in your life?

Jerry: I was 19 when I was in spring training in 1969. I knew the names of the players and coaches because I followed their careers through the radio broadcasts and baseball cards. The first time I walked into the clubhouse, it was like my card collection coming alive.

Devon: In the ’81 playoffs, you beat Nolan Ryan with a complete game shutout in a series deciding game for your 1st career post-season victory. Later you held the Yankees to 1 run in a complete game victory in game 5 of the World Series, putting the Dodgers 1 win away from winning it all. What was it like to beat the famous Yankees in the World Series? That must’ve made you feel like you were playing out your childhood dreams?

Jerry: When I became interested in baseball, it seemed the Yankees were in the World Series every year. The National League had different winners. The Brooklyn Dodgers were the first team other than the Cardinals to catch my attention. Little did I know that 25 years later, I would meet the “Boys Of Summer” and become friends with them for many years. That’s why I enjoy the Fantasy Camps so much.

Devon: Friday, June 11, 1982, you threw a brilliant game against the Reds in Los Angeles, where you K’d 7 & only allowed ONE baserunner (a leadoff double). It was the 2nd time in your career you’d come so close to a perfect game. Do you recall anything from that game?

Jerry: Eddie Milner doubled to lead off the game @ Dodger Stadium on a hanging curve. A ground out, a sacrifice fly and another out produced the run. After that, the outs came pretty easily. It wasn’t until I did the post-game show that I realized what happened.

Devon: Did you watch the ’82 World Series or were you too disappointed that the Dodgers didn’t make the playoffs to defend their crown? Did you root for the Cardinals in that series?

Jerry: I don’t remember so I guess I didn’t pay too much attention to it.

Devon: What’s the funniest thing that happened to you during your career?

Jerry: Too many. Eventually, I’ll write a book and tell it like I remember it.

Devon: Are there any highlights of your career that you wish people would ask about, but they don’t?

Jerry: Actually, I don’t spend a whole lot of time reminiscing. When I worked on the photos that I posted on Flickr and on my website (jerryreuss.com thanks for the plug!), it brought back some memories but mostly it was looking at the past from the eyes of photo restoration.

He made the team coming out of spring training, but only about a month later, the Dodgers released him outright for no apparent reason. I mean, his stats at the start of the year don’t look like a guy who you’d just throw away without trying to get anything for him.

Then he was looking for a team for another month, before the Angels decided to take a chance on him.

The first month he pitched for the Angels, he posted a fine 2.37 ERA in 19 innings of relief.

By that time, it was July, and he spent that month posting a 6.09 ERA in 34 IP.

In August he was better, but not quite enough. He managed to keep his ERA down to 4.15.

He had 24 days off at that point (no, he wasn’t sent to AAA).

Pitching the last couple weeks of September, he posted a 2.25 ERA.

But of course, it doesn’t end there. The Angels, in all their insanity, decided to put Dave on the post-season roster. They probably did this because he had post-season experience the previous season as a member of the World Champion Dodgers. Now, anybody paying attention will note that he just had a good streak and now it’s another month. What do you think happened?

Yep. You guessed it. He comes in to relieve Tommy John in game 4 of the ALCS and gives up 3 runs in 3 2/3 IP. John got the loss for that game but Goltz didn’t keep it close. If he had, then the Angels would’ve gone into the 9th inning down just 1 run. It might not have made any difference, but it’s also possible the Angels could’ve played some inspired ball and snuck out a win that would’ve put them in the World Series.

Thus is the streaky story of Dave Goltz in 1982. The next year would be his final season. Sad ending for this former 20-game winner.

When I was little, I imagined this photo was from the day he threw his 8th shutout, setting the rookie record for shutouts in a season, but if you notice the ivy on the outfield wall then you know this photo could only have been taken in one place—Wrigley Field. Valenzuela only started 1 game in Chicago that year, and Fernandomania was put on hold that day, June 6, 1981, less than 2 weeks before the strike put the season on hold. He gave up 7 earned runs and was pulled after 3 1/3 innings.

The Cubs were hitting him hard and had a 4-1 lead by the time Fernando took the mound in the bottom of the 4th, hoping to get a grip on the game and win this thing anyway. Then there was a leadoff triple by Jerry Morales to leftfield. After that, it just got worse— walk, RBI single, flyball (1 out), RBI single, 2 run HR by a pinch hitter, and a walk. At that point, Fernando was done for the day. It was the 2nd start in 10 days that he allowed 7 runs to score and not make it out of the 4th inning.

In fact, he was fading fast just before the mid-season strike that year. After his 8-0 start, he finished the first half of the season going 1-4 with a 6.16 ERA in 6 starts. Makes me wonder how his rookie campaign would’ve been without 2 months off in the middle of it.

Either way, Fernando came back for the 2nd half and added 3 more shutouts to the 5 he threw in the first month of the season, to set the rookie record for shutouts. That year, he was great more often than not. A very valuable part of a Dodgers championship season.

The back of the card says the modern record had previously been made in 1913, but that sounds insane to point out. I mean, who would say that, knowing that it was the deadball era? Shutouts were much easier in 1913, so it really doesn’t compare very well.