Mike Bruhert

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name=Mike Bruhert

|position=Pitcher

|image=Mike Bruhert.jpg

|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1951|6|24}}

|birth_place=Jamaica, New York, U.S.

|death_date=

|bats=Right

|throws=Right

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate=April 9

|debutyear=1978

|debutteam=New York Mets

|finalleague = MLB

|finaldate=September 29

|finalyear=1978

|finalteam=New York Mets

|stat3label=Strikeouts

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label=Win–loss record

|stat2label=Earned run average

|stat3value=56

|stat1value=4–11

|stat2value=4.78

|teams=

New York Mets ({{mlby|1978}})

}}

Michael Edwin Bruhert (born June 21, 1951) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He is the former son-in-law of former New York Mets manager Gil Hodges.{{cite web|url=http://www.centerfieldmaz.com/2011/06/queens-born-mets-pitcher-fordham.html|title=Queens Born Mets Pitcher & Fordham University Coach: Mike Bruhert (1978)|publisher=Centerfield Maz.com|date=June 22, 2011}}

Bruhert attended Christ the King Regional High School in Middle Village, Queens where he won only one game as a pitcher in four seasons.Lupica, Mike. [https://www.newspapers.com/image/483129925/ "The Long Way From Jamaica to Shea"], ''New York Daily News, New York, New York, volume 59, number 264, April 29, 1978, page 28. {{subscription required}} After high school, he worked scooping ice cream at a local Carvel and played for a local sandlot team. Bruhert found enough success in the Queens-Nassau Summer League{{cite news |last1=Lupica |first1=Mike |title=The Long Way From Jamaica to Shea |author-link=Mike Lupica |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/109674641/the-long-way-from-jamaica-to-shea/ |access-date=17 September 2022 |work=Daily News |date=29 April 1978 |pages=28}} to land a tryout at Shea Stadium, after which he signed with the New York Mets.{{cite news |title=From 1-16 in High School To a Shot in the Majors |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/109674428/from-1-16-in-high-school-to-a-shot-in/ |access-date=17 September 2022 |work=Newsday |date=9 April 1989 |page=25}}

Shortly after joining the Mets, he began dating Gil Hodges' daughter, Irene. The two were engaged by the time Bruhert was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the Rule 5 draft on November 27, {{by|1972}}.[https://www.nytimes.com/1972/11/28/archives/mets-send-agee-to-the-astros-for-pair-yanks-trade-four-to-get-graig.html Durso, Joseph. "Mets Send Agee to the Astros for Pair; Yanks Trade Four to Get Graig Nettles," The New York Times, Tuesday, November 28, 1972.] Retrieved October 24, 2020 Following Spring training {{by|1973}}, he was returned to the Mets.

After seven seasons in the Mets' farm system, in which he went 38–51 with a 3.69 earned run average, Bruhert made his major league debut in the second game of a doubleheader with the Montreal Expos on April 9, {{by|1978}}. He pitched six strong innings, allowing only one earned run (two unearned), however, he took the loss.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197804092.shtml|title=Montreal Expos 5, New York Mets 0|publisher=Baseball-Reference.com|date=April 9, 1978}} He earned his first win in his next start against the St. Louis Cardinals.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN197804180.shtml|title=New York Mets 3, St. Louis Cardinals 2|publisher=Baseball-Reference.com|date=April 18, 1978}} His finest performance was a complete game shutout of the Phillies on September 17, in which he struck out five and allowed just four hits.

For the season, Bruhert went 4–11 with a 4.78 ERA and 56 strikeouts. He was traded to the Texas Rangers in {{by|1979}} along with Bob Myrick for star pitcher Dock Ellis. Bruhert went 9–10 with a 5.58 ERA in the Rangers' farm system, but never reached the majors.

He spent the {{by|1981}} and {{by|1982}} seasons with the New York Yankees' International League affiliate, the Columbus Clippers, going 11–7 with a 3.69 ERA, before retiring. Shortly afterwards, he became pitching coach at Fordham University.

He served in the United States Army Reserve in the early 1970s.