1987 Topps Rookies #14 Bruce Ruffin

There was a brief period of time during the summer of '86 when Bruce Ruffin was my favorite Phillie. He had been recalled from AA Reading in June to take Steve Carlton's spot in the rotation, following the release of the future Hall of Famer. Bruce went 9-4 with a 2.46, earning a spot on Topps' All-Star Rookie team. The sky was the limit for this former Texas Longhorn, but control issues hampered Bruce through the remainder of his Phillies' tenure. The Phils traded him to the Milwaukee Brewers in December 1991 for Dale Sveum.

He spent one season with the Milwaukee Brewers before signing on with the Colorado Rockies prior to their inaugural 1993 season. Over the next five years, Bruce saved 60 games for the Rockies, which places him third on the franchise's all-time saves list. He played his last Major League game in June 1997.