Vern Ruhle Passes Away

Posted by basebal5 on Sunday, January 21, 2007 at 3:46 pm

In a sad moment for the baseball world, the Cincinnati Reds announced this morning that former major leaguer and pitching coach Vern Ruhle died at 11:00 p.m. last night at MD Anderson Hospital in Houston of complications from a donor stem cell transplant for the treatment of multiple myeloma.

Ruhle, 55, is survived by his wife Sue, daughter Rebecca and son Kenny.

Ruhle entered last season as the Reds’ Major League pitching coach, but during routine physical examinations in February he was diagnosed with cancer. He missed the entire season while receiving treatment for multiple myeloma. 

For the 2007 season, Ruhle had been assigned to work as the organization’s pitching rehabilitation coordinator at its minor league complex in Sarasota, Florida.

“The baseball and Cincinnati Reds families mourn the loss of an excellent coach, wonderful husband and loving father,” the club said in a statement. “In his 35 years in professional and collegiate baseball, Vern touched many people inside and outside the game. We are privileged to have been a part of his life. He will be greatly missed.”