Your 1981 Red Sox Pt. 13: Bruce Hurst

In this series, I will look at each player who played in 1981, the year I was born. Because, why not?

The 23-year-old southpaw Bruce Hurst was making his second stint with the Red Sox after an ugly 12-game stint in 1980.  His ERA in 1980 was an unsightly 9.10.  He was vastly improved in 1981, but still only pitched in five games.  He started all five of them in the month of September and had a nice 2-0 record with a 4.30 ERA.  Hurst pitched 23 innings and struck out 11 while walking 12.  It was very clear he had a ways to go before he would be a legitimate rotation piece.

It took a couple more years, but eventually Hurst would find his way into the rotation to stay and he became one of the mainstays of the Red Sox starting staff through 1988.  Hurst would finish his Red Sox career with an 88-73 record, a 4.23 ERA and 1,043 strikeouts.  He is one of the best southpaws in Red Sox history.