Bruce Berenyi: 1986 World Champion Mets Forgotten Pitcher (1984-1986)

Bruce Michael Berenyi was born August 21, 1954, in Bryan, Ohio. Bruce's father was a Hungarian emigrant who arrived in America in 1938. He married an Ohio woman named Madeline & they went on to have four children.

Bruce Berenyi attended Northeast Missouri State University and once tied a college record by striking out 21 batters in a game. The six-foot two-inch, right hander was the Cincinnati Reds first round draft pick (third pick overall in the secondary draft) in 1976.

Berenyi would go on to lead the American Association pitchers in strikeouts & ERA.

Big League Career: In July 1980 he got a big league call u when Tom Seaver went on the DL with shoulder problems. Bruce went 2-2 with the Reds posting a rather high 7.81 ERA pitching in six games. 

In the 1981 strike shortened season, although the Reds finished first overall for the season, the MLB post season was broken down to the two top teams of the divisions before & after the strike. The Reds finished second in both half's & did not make the NLDS.

Bruce began the season with a two hit shut out over the Padres in San Diego.  On May 24th, in a loss to the eventual World Champion Dodgers, he threw 15 straight balls, in a game where he walked seven batters over 3.3 innings. That year he had some control issues as he led the league in walks with 77.

The next week he came back to toss a one hitter against a strong Montreal Expo team that also made it to it's only franchise post season. In the first half of the season he went 5-2 before  the strike.

Bruce spent the two months off at his parents' home in Sherwood Ohio. He said he stayed in shape because there weren't too many distractions in a town of just 1400 people. 

On August 24th, in his third start after the strike, he pitched a 2-0 shut out over the Mets at Riverfront Stadium.

Overall on the season, Berenyi was 9-6 with 157 strikeouts (6th in the NL) & a 3.50 ERA. He came in forh in the NL Rookie of the Year voting.

In 1982 the Reds would fall to last place as many of the top players like George Foster, Ray Knight & Ken Griffey all moved on. The Red were in a rebuilding mode with Tom Seaver, Mario Soto & Berenyi becoming the only untouchable players.

Berenyi led the league in losses (18) but pitched better than his record showed with the Reds being last in the NL in scoring. Bruce was best in the league in giving up the fewest HRs, allowing 0.324 HRs per nine innings. Overall, he was 9-18 but posted a solid 3.36 ERA, while striking out 157 batters (9th most in the NL).

In 1983 he once again had a decent ERA (3.86) but had a poor record (9-14). In 186 innings pitched, he allowed 102 walks & gave up 80 earned runs, striking out 151 batters (10th in the NL). He was getting frustrated with the Reds lack of offense & wanted a trade.

In June 1984 he was 3-4 with an ERA of 6.00 when he was traded to the New York Mets for Jay Tibbs & Eddie Williams, two players who never suited up in Mets uniforms. The Mets were now one of the better teams in the league a half game up in first place.

Quotes- Mets Manager Davey Johnson: "He's going to fit in just fine here, I like what I saw from him the first time. He's going to do just fine with us".

Mets Career: 1984- Berenyi although just in his forth year joined the Mets as the senior member of its young pitching staff. 

On June 17th, 1984, he debuted for the Mets, making a start in St. Louis taking a loss to the Cardinals, allowing four runs over seven innings. The loss dropped New York from atop the division to a half game out.

In his next start, his first as a Met at Shea he shut out the Expos for seven innings in a 2-0 combined shut out with Doug Sisk, earning his first Mets victory.

From July7th thru July 14th, Berenyi won three straight starts going 3-0 with a 1.31 ERA, allowing three earned runs in 18 innings. On July 14th in Atlanta, he combined for another shut out, this time with Tom Gorman, as he threw seven scoreless innings beating the Braves 7-0. 

Berenyi then lost three straight decisions giving up four runs each time including a season worst nine run debacle in an 11-0 loss to the Pirates.

Then from mid-August through the end of the season, he was 5-1 with a 2.38 ERA as the Mets fought in the pennant race.. He pitched into the 7th inning four of those times while allowing two runs or less in six of the eight games.

On August 14th he shut out the Dodgers for seven innings, allowing just three hits. On August 31st, he shut out the Padres for seven innings in San Diego earning his tenth win. 

He finished up the 1984 season as the Mets fourth starter behind Dwight Gooden, Ron Darling & Walt Terrell. Berenyi went 9-6 with 134 strike outs 95 walks & a 3.76 ERA. 

1985: On April 12th at Shea Stadium, Berenyi started the third game of the season against his former Reds teammates. He pitched seven shut out innings allowing just one hit earning a 1-0 win over Mario Soto. The only run of the game came on a Gary Carter HR.

 Injuries: On April 23rd, in St. Louis his third start of the 1985 season he had to leave the game after the 2nd inning in pain. Bruce had pitched with shoulder pain throughout his career but now found out he had a torn rotator cuff. In May he had the surgery & was done for the season. 

Quotes- Bruce Berenyi: "It's hard to keep from having second thoughts. Every now & then when you throw your arm might feel funny. But then the next time it doesn't. Right now, I feel great & the doctor says there's no reason I can't be ready for next season".

1986 Championship Season: Berenyi returned to the Mets for Spring Training the start of the 1986 Championship season. He worked cautiously under the guidance of coach Greg Pavlick. In the off season the Mets had acquired Bobby Ojeda from Boston, so Bruce began the season in the bullpen.

On April 29th in Atlanta, he earned his first win since the April of the previous year., as he got the win in relief of Ron Darling in a 10-5 win over the Braves.

In May, he was put back in the rotation. In his first start he gave up two runs over five innings in a no decision Met loss to the Braves. In his next three starts he gave up 12 runs in 10.1 innings. On May 24th Bruce started a game in San Diego, although he allowed four runs the Mets won the game 5-4 giving Berenyi his second victory. 

In June he made four appearances, taking a pair of  losses falling to 2-2 with a 5.89 ERA. In July he made two more relief appearances but he was not the same pitcher he was before surgery. 

There wasn’t much room for him on the strong 1986 staff.

Berenyi agreed to go down to AAA Tidewater, to hopefully work things out. There he went 2-6 getting released after the World Series. 

In 1987 he did sign a deal with the Montreal Expos, but his arm acted up again where he needed a
second surgery forcing him to retire. 

Career Stats: In a seven-year career he was 44-55 with a 4.03 ERA, 607 strikeouts 425 walks in 781 innings pitched in 142 games.

Retirement: After baseball he spent part of the year in a home he had built in Sherwood Ohio & a second residence in North Miami. In Miami he worked on a golf course.

After his playing days, Bruce announced he was gay & had a male partner for many years before his passing..

Family: Berenyi's Uncle was former MLB pitcher Ned Garver who pitched from 1948-1961.

Garver pitched for the St. Louis Browns (1948-1952) the Detroit Tigers (1952-1956) & the Kansas City A's (1957-1961). Although he never played for a big winning team he was recognized as a top pitcher, even earning compliments from Ted Williams & Joe Dimaggio.

He won 20 games for the 1951 St. Louis Browns who only won 52 games all season. In his final win of the year to get to twenty, he helped his own cause by hitting a HR. That year he started the All-Star Game at Chicago's Comiskey Park, for the AL Team. In three innings he allowed just one earned run to the NL squad who won the game 4-3.

Garver was a lifetime 129-157 pitcher with a 3.73 ERA. He passed away at age 91 in 2017 at Bryan, Ohio.