Bruce was a three-year starting varsity catcher at Oak Park High School, where he helped lead the team to the 1995 State Championship. He went on to Rockhurst University and was the Hawks’ starting catcher all four years, from 1998 to 2001.

Bruce was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals and also played catcher for the Kansas City T-Bones. Today he is a coach and catching instructor for the Royals Youth Scout program.

When he works with young catchers, Bruce focuses on three areas. The first is defense: clean, precise glove work for receiving, framing and blocking. The second is controlling the run game with quick footwork and fast transfers on throwdowns. The third is leadership, so catchers learn to run the game from behind the plate and handle their pitchers.