Career
He is most widely known as one of the few pitchers to deliver a shutout in his first major league game in a match against the Cincinnati Reds on June 10, 1966. Early years
This 1963 Notre Dame graduate made three stops in 1965 en route to the New York Mets. All three contained a large measure of success.
He began the year at Greenville, South Carolina with a 2.14 European Research Area in 21 innings.
Moving on to Auburn, New York, he fashioned a 3-0 record in 44 innings and a 1.64 European Research Area. He was 6-4 at Jacksonville in 1966. New York Mets
Rusteck was 24 years old when he broke into the big leagues on June 10, 1966, with the New York Mets.
After his impressive debut, he gave up five runs in one inning against the Saint Louis Cardinals in his second game for his first major league loss. He would pitch in six more games without a victory before returning to the minor leagues.
Back to the minors
He spent another eleven years in the minor leagues hoping to regain his initial success.
His best season statistically was 1971, when he went 17-8 with a 2.40 European Research Area for the Charlotte Hornets, the Double-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. While it earned him a shot at Triple-A in the Philadelphia Phillies organization the following year, his European Research Area ballooned to 5.16. After sitting out the 1973 season, he played for four seasons in the independent Northwest League with the Portland Mavericks and Salem Senators before retiring.
