Glendon Rusch

Glendon James Rusch (born November 7, 1974, in Seattle, Washington) is a left-handed Major League Baseball pitcher who plays for the Colorado Rockies organization. He previously played for the Kansas City Royals, New York Mets, Milwaukee Brewers, Chicago Cubs, and San Diego Padres. He took the 2007 season off to recover from injuries.

While Rusch has not enjoyed the success of an ace pitcher, he has been able to contribute in both a starting role and out of the bullpen. He throws a fastball that ranges between 87-92 MPH, an average curveball and an above-average changeup. He has decent command of his pitches and usually fares better against right-handed hitters.

Early Life

Rusch played baseball and basketball in high school at Shorecrest High School in Seattle, Washington, where he pitched a no-hitter his senior year.


Baseball Career

In September of 2006, Rusch was diagnosed with a life-threatening blood clot in his lung and missed the rest of the 2006 season. On January 25, 2007, the Chicago Cubs released the left-hander. He had one year left on his contract. On October 31, 2007, Rusch announced that he was officially a free agent and would attempt a comeback for the 2008 season. He threw a bullpen session for interested teams on November 2 and on December 14, signed a minor league contract with the San Diego Padres.

On March 26, 2008, the Padres purchased his contract and added him to the major league roster. On May 15, Rusch turned down an assignment to Triple-A, and became a free agent.

On May 16, 2008, he signed a minor league contract with the Colorado Rockies. On May 31, the Rockies purchased his contract and added him to the active roster. On January 14, 2009, Rusch signed a one-year, $750,000 minor-league deal. He made the team out of spring training. On May 15, Rusch was designated for assignment.