Curtis Granderson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Curtis Granderson |
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Granderson with the New York Yankees in 2011
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| Outfielder | |||
| Born: March 16, 1981 Blue Island, Illinois, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| September 13, 2004, for the Detroit Tigers | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 29, 2019, for the Miami Marlins | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .249 | ||
| Home runs | 344 | ||
| Runs batted in | 937 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Curtis Granderson Jr. (born March 16, 1981), also known as "the Grandyman", is a former American professional baseball player. He was an outfielder in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 16 seasons. He played for seven different teams, including the Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees, and New York Mets.
Granderson played college baseball at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The Tigers chose him in the 2002 MLB draft. He started his MLB career with the Tigers in 2004. He was picked for the MLB All-Star Game three times. In 2011, he won a Silver Slugger Award for his great hitting. He stopped playing baseball after the 2019 season.
Off the field, Granderson is known for helping his community. He does a lot of charity work, especially for kids in cities. He has also traveled the world as an ambassador for MLB. Granderson won the Marvin Miller Man of the Year Award four times. He also received the Roberto Clemente Award in 2016 for his community work.
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Growing Up and High School Baseball
Curtis Granderson grew up in the Chicago suburbs of Blue Island and Lynwood, Illinois. His dad, Curtis Sr., was a dean and gym teacher. His mom, Mary, taught chemistry.
As a kid, Granderson loved the Atlanta Braves. He didn't cheer for the local Chicago Cubs. This was because Cubs games sometimes stopped him from watching his favorite TV show, Saved by the Bell!
He went to Thornton Fractional South High School in Lansing, Illinois. There, he played both baseball and basketball. In high school baseball, he hit for a .369 average. He also hit 11 home runs and had 88 runs batted in (RBI). He was named an All-State player in his senior year. His high school retired his jersey number 14 to honor him. He chose that number because his dad wore it when he played softball.
College Baseball Career
Many college baseball teams wanted Granderson to play for them. He chose the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). One reason was that they let him play basketball too. But he quit basketball after two weeks to focus on baseball.
As a freshman at UIC in 2000, Granderson led his team in home runs and walks. He continued to play well in his sophomore year. After that, he played in a summer league for the Mankato Mashers. He hit .328 in 44 games there.
In his junior year at UIC, Granderson hit an amazing .483. This was the second-best average in the whole country! He earned several All-American awards. He finished college with two degrees: one in business administration and one in business marketing. In 2013, UIC also retired his number 28 jersey.
Starting His Professional Journey
Minor League Baseball
The Detroit Tigers picked Granderson in the third round of the 2002 MLB draft. He started playing for their minor league team, the Oneonta Tigers. He hit .344 in 52 games. Granderson was determined to finish college. He took online classes to get his degree while playing.
He moved up through the Tigers' minor league teams. In 2004, he played for the Erie SeaWolves. He hit .303 with 21 home runs and 93 RBIs. Baseball America magazine named him the Tigers' best minor league player and top prospect that year. Before the 2005 season, they ranked him as the 57th best prospect in all of baseball.
Playing for the Detroit Tigers
First MLB Games (2004–2005)
The Tigers called Granderson up to MLB in September 2004. He played his first MLB game on September 13. He was called up again in July and August 2005. After August, he stayed in the major leagues for good. He hit his first inside-the-park home run on September 15. He also had a five-hit game and a walk-off home run in September.
Becoming a Starter (2006)
Granderson became the Tigers' main center fielder in 2006. He had a great start to his career, playing 151 games without making an error. This was one of the longest error-free streaks to start a career for a position player. He hit two home runs in the 2006 American League Division Series. He also hit one in the American League Championship Series. However, he struggled in the 2006 World Series, hitting only .095 as the Tigers lost.
Amazing 2007 Season
In 2007, Granderson was one of the best outfielders in the American League (AL). He led all AL outfielders in triples with 14 by June. Even though he wasn't on the All-Star Game ballot, he got over 376,000 write-in votes! He was named AL Player of the Week in July.
On August 7, Granderson made history for the Tigers. He became only the second player in team history to have at least 30 doubles, 15 triples, 15 home runs, and 10 stolen bases in one season. The other player was Charlie Gehringer in 1930.
He also joined the exclusive 20–20–20 club on September 7. This means he had at least 20 doubles, 20 triples, and 20 home runs in a season. Only a few players in baseball history have done this. A few days later, he stole his 20th base. This made him one of only three players in MLB history to reach 20 doubles, 20 triples, 20 home runs, and 20 stolen bases in a single season.
Granderson finished 2007 hitting .302 with 23 home runs. He was also successful on 26 out of 27 stolen base attempts. His 23 triples led all of baseball that year. He was the first player since 1949 to hit so many triples in one season.
2008 and First All-Star Game (2009)
Before the 2008 season, the Tigers signed Granderson to a five-year contract. He continued to play well, hitting .280 with 13 triples and 22 home runs. He also became better at not striking out and drawing more walks.
In 2009, Granderson was chosen for his first MLB All-Star Game. In the game, he hit a triple and scored the winning run.
Joining the New York Yankees
2010 Season
After the 2009 season, the Tigers traded Granderson to the New York Yankees. He hit a home run in his very first at-bat as a Yankee on April 4, 2010. Only 11 other players had done that before him. He played 136 games, hitting .247 with 24 home runs. Granderson worked with a hitting coach to improve his swing.
Amazing 2011 Season
His hard work paid off in 2011. Granderson received over 6.6 million votes for the 2011 MLB All-Star Game. In August, he and teammate Mark Teixeira became the first Yankees to hit 30 home runs in 115 games since Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle in 1961. On August 10, Granderson hit two home runs, reaching a career-high 31 homers.
On August 25, Granderson, Robinson Canó, and Russell Martin all hit grand slams in one game. This was the first time a team had three grand slams in a single game! Granderson was named the AL Player of the Month for August. He became the first player in MLB history to have 40 home runs, 10 triples, and 25 stolen bases in one season. He finished fourth in voting for the AL Most Valuable Player Award.
2012 and Injuries (2013)
On May 6, 2012, Curtis got his 1,000th career hit. On August 26, 2012, he hit his 200th career home run. He ended the 2012 season with 43 home runs and 106 RBIs.
In 2013, Granderson faced some tough luck with injuries. In spring training, a pitch broke his right forearm. He returned in May but then broke a knuckle in his left pinkie finger after being hit by another pitch. These injuries limited him to only 61 games that year. He hit 7 home runs and had 15 RBIs. After the season, he became a free agent.
Playing for the New York Mets
Joining the Mets (2014)
On December 6, 2013, Granderson signed a four-year contract with the New York Mets. He returned to Yankee Stadium in May 2014 to play against his old team. The Mets played Granderson as their right fielder. He batted .227 in 2014. He also set a record by not hitting into a double play for 205 games in a row.
World Series Run (2015)
In 2015, Granderson became the Mets' main leadoff hitter. He led the team in many categories, like runs scored, hits, and stolen bases. The Mets won their division and made it to the playoffs.
In the National League Division Series, Granderson had five RBIs in one game. This tied a Mets postseason record. The Mets then swept the Chicago Cubs in the National League Championship Series. This sent them to their first World Series since 2000.
Granderson was one of the Mets' best hitters during their playoff run. In the World Series against the Kansas City Royals, he hit three home runs and had five RBIs. In Game 1, he made an amazing catch in the 11th inning. This catch helped save the game at that moment.
Later Mets Years (2016–2017)
On May 27, 2016, Granderson hit a walk-off home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers. This means his home run won the game in the last inning. By June 2016, he had hit 17 leadoff home runs for the Mets. This was a team record. On September 17, he hit two solo home runs in extra innings to win a game. He was only the eighth player in MLB history to do this.
In the National League Wild Card Game on October 5, Granderson made another incredible catch. This catch saved several runs from scoring in a close game. On June 14, 2017, Granderson hit his 300th career home run. He batted .228 with the Mets in 2017.
Later Career Teams
Los Angeles Dodgers (2017)
On August 18, 2017, the Mets traded Granderson to the Los Angeles Dodgers. He hit his first home run for the Dodgers on August 20. He made history by hitting grand slams for two different teams in the same week. This had never been done before in MLB. The next day, he stole his 150th career base. This made him one of only 36 players with over 300 home runs and 150 or more steals. He batted .161 for the Dodgers. He was left off their World Series roster.
Toronto Blue Jays (2018)
On January 23, 2018, Granderson signed a one-year contract with the Toronto Blue Jays. On April 18, he hit his ninth career grand slam. On April 24, he hit his first walk-off home run since 2016. On June 10, he had a career-high six RBIs in a game. On June 25, he hit two home runs against his former teammate Justin Verlander.
Milwaukee Brewers (2018)
On August 31, 2018, the Blue Jays traded Granderson to the Milwaukee Brewers. He batted .220 for the Brewers. He was part of their playoff team that year.
Miami Marlins (2019)
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On February 5, 2019, Granderson signed a contract with the Miami Marlins. He made the major league team. For the 2019 season, he batted .183. This was a career low for him. He was the sixth-oldest player in the National League that year.
Retirement and What's Next
Curtis Granderson announced he was retiring from baseball on January 31, 2020. As of 2021, he is the president of the Players Alliance. This group of current and former MLB players works to create more chances for Black athletes in baseball. As of 2022, Granderson also works as a baseball analyst for TBS.
Life Outside Baseball
Granderson is a big fan of WWE wrestling. He loves college basketball and cheers for the Kansas Jayhawks.
Off the field, Granderson has been a great ambassador for Major League Baseball around the world. He has traveled to many countries, like England, China, and Japan, to promote baseball. The Commissioner of Baseball, Bud Selig, even wrote him a thank you letter. Granderson has also worked to encourage more African-American players in baseball. When he signed deals with companies like Nike, he asked them to donate money or equipment to his foundation or to inner-city baseball programs instead of paying him directly.
His foundation, Grand Kids Foundation, helps raise money for the education of kids in cities across the country. Granderson also wrote a children's book called All You Can Be: Dream It, Draw It, Become It!. Students from the New York City public school system drew the pictures for the book. In 2010, Granderson helped First Lady Michelle Obama launch her "Let's Move!" program to fight childhood obesity. In 2013, he donated $5 million to help UIC build a new baseball stadium.
Granderson has been involved with the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) since 2006. He has helped with talks about player contracts. He won the Marvin Miller Man of the Year award four times (2009, 2016, 2018, and 2019) for his work off the field. In 2011, other players voted him one of the friendliest players in MLB. During his career, Granderson wore his socks high to honor players from the Negro leagues.
See also
- 20–20–20 club
- List of Major League Baseball annual triples leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career home run leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career runs scored leaders
