Bruce Ruffin was a left-handed pitcher who played in Major League Baseball for 11 seasons. He was born on December 16, 1963, in Lubbock, Texas, and attended college at the University of Texas at Austin. Ruffin was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the first round of the 1985 MLB draft and made his major league debut in 1986.
Ruffin spent the first five seasons of his career with the Phillies, where he was primarily used as a starting pitcher. He had a solid rookie season in 1986, going 9-4 with a 3.38 ERA in 20 starts. He followed that up with a 10-7 record and a 3.55 ERA in 1987. Ruffin's best season with the Phillies came in 1988 when he went 13-9 with a 3.12 ERA in 32 starts.
In 1991, Ruffin was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers, where he spent two seasons. He struggled in his first season with the Brewers, going 5-12 with a 4.76 ERA in 27 starts. However, he bounced back in 1992, going 11-10 with a 3.80 ERA in 31 starts.
Ruffin then signed as a free agent with the Colorado Rockies in 1993, where he spent three seasons. He was used primarily as a reliever during his time with the Rockies, although he did make some starts. Ruffin had a solid season in 1993, going 8-8 with a 4.03 ERA in 46 appearances (12 starts). He also recorded his first career save that season. Ruffin's best season with the Rockies came in 1995 when he went 4-2 with a 2.97 ERA in 54 appearances.
After his time with the Rockies, Ruffin played for the Cleveland Indians and Seattle Mariners before retiring after the 1997 season. He finished his career with a record of 63-82 and a 4.19 ERA in 321 games (174 starts). Ruffin also recorded 10 saves during his career.
Overall, Bruce Ruffin had a solid career as a left-handed pitcher in the major leagues. While he never became a star player, he was a reliable starter and effective reliever during his time in the league.
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