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), known as "the Grandyman", is a former professional baseball outfielder. He played for 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). His teams included the Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees, New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays, Milwaukee Brewers, and Miami Marlins.
Granderson played college baseball at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The Tigers picked him in the 2002 MLB draft. He started playing in MLB with the Tigers in 2004. Granderson was chosen for the MLB All-Star Game three times. He also won a Silver Slugger Award in 2011. 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 children in cities. He also traveled around the world to promote baseball 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.
Contents
- Early Life and High School Baseball
- College Baseball Career
- Professional Baseball Journey
- Personal Life and Community Work
- See also
Early Life and High School Baseball
Curtis Granderson grew up in Blue Island, Illinois, and Lynwood, Illinois. These towns are south of Chicago. His father, Curtis Sr., was a dean and physical education teacher. His mother, Mary, taught chemistry.
As a kid, Granderson liked 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. Granderson went to Thornton Fractional South High School in Lansing, Illinois. He played both baseball and basketball there. In high school baseball, he hit well and had 11 home runs. He was named an All-State player in his final year. His high school retired his jersey number 14 in 2011. He chose this number because his dad wore it when he played softball.
College Baseball Career
Many colleges wanted Granderson to play baseball for them. He chose the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). He liked that he could play basketball there too. But he stopped playing basketball after two weeks to focus on baseball.
In his first year at UIC in 2000, Granderson led his team in home runs and walks. In his second year, he continued to play well. After his second year, he played in a summer league for the Mankato Mashers. He hit .328 in 44 games there. The MoonDogs, as they are now called, retired his number 28 in 2023.
In his third year at UIC, Granderson hit an amazing .483. This was the second-best batting 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. UIC retired his number 28 jersey on February 6, 2013.
Professional Baseball Journey
Starting in the Minor Leagues
The Detroit Tigers picked Granderson in the third round of the 2002 MLB draft. He started playing for the Oneonta Tigers, a minor league team. He hit .344 in 52 games. Even though he was playing pro baseball, Granderson wanted to finish college. He took online courses to get his degree.
In 2003 and 2004, he played for other Tigers minor league teams. With the Erie SeaWolves in 2004, he hit .303 with 21 home runs. Baseball America called him the Tigers' best minor league player and top prospect that year. Before the 2005 season, he was ranked the 57th best prospect in baseball. He played for the Toledo Mud Hens in 2005, hitting .290 with 15 home runs.
Playing for the Detroit Tigers
First Years in MLB (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 game with five hits and a walk-off home run in September.
Becoming a Starter (2006)
Granderson became the Tigers' main center fielder in 2006. He had a streak of 151 games without making an error. This was one of the longest errorless streaks to start a career for a position player. He hit two home runs in the 2006 American League Division Series. He hit one more in the 2006 American League Championship Series. However, he struggled in the 2006 World Series, where the Cardinals beat the Tigers.
Amazing 2007 Season
In 2007, Granderson was one of the best outfielders in the American League (AL). He led the AL in triples with 23. He also had many doubles, runs, and home runs. Even though he wasn't on the All-Star ballot, he received many write-in votes. He was named the AL Player of the Week in July.
On August 7, Granderson became only the second Tiger ever to have at least 30 doubles, 15 triples, 15 home runs, and 10 stolen bases in one season. On September 7, he joined the special 20–20–20 club. This means he had at least 20 doubles, 20 triples, and 20 home runs in a season. 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.
He finished the 2007 season hitting .302 with 23 home runs. He was also successful in 26 out of 27 stolen base attempts. His 23 triples were more than what six entire teams managed in 2007.
Consistent Performance (2008–2009)
Before the 2008 season, the Tigers signed Granderson to a five-year contract. He continued to play well in 2008, hitting .280 with 13 triples and 22 home runs. He also got better at not striking out and drawing more walks. In August, he hit six triples, including two in a row in one game.
Granderson was chosen for the 2009 MLB All-Star Game. This was his first time being an All-Star. In the game, he hit a triple and scored the winning run.
Joining the New York Yankees
First Years in New York (2010–2011)
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. This made him the twelfth player to do so. He played 136 games that season, hitting .247 with 24 home runs. He worked with a hitting coach to improve his swing.
His hard work paid off in 2011. Granderson received over 6.6 million votes for the 2011 MLB All-Star Game. In August 2011, he and Mark Teixeira became the first Yankees teammates since 1961 to hit 30 home runs in 115 games. 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 American League 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 the voting for the American League Most Valuable Player Award.
Later Years with Yankees (2012–2013)
On May 6, 2012, Granderson 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 RBI.
The Yankees kept Granderson for the 2013 season. However, he had a tough year with injuries. In spring training, he broke his right forearm. He returned in May but then broke a finger on his left hand. He had surgery for the finger. Granderson was limited to only 61 games in 2013. After the season, he became a free agent.
Playing for the New York Mets
Starting with the Mets (2014–2015)
Granderson signed a four-year contract with the New York Mets on December 6, 2013. 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.
In 2015, he became the team's main leadoff hitter. He led the team in many categories, helping them win the National League East division title. In the National League Division Series, Granderson had five RBI in one game. This tied a Mets postseason record. The Mets beat the Los Angeles Dodgers and then swept the Chicago Cubs in the NLCS. This sent them to their first World Series since 2000.
Granderson was one of the best hitters for the Mets during their 2015 postseason run. He continued to hit well in the World Series against the Kansas City Royals. He had three home runs and five RBI in that series. In Game 1, he made an amazing catch in extra innings that saved runs.
Later Years with Mets (2016–2017)
On May 27, 2016, Granderson hit a walk-off home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers. By June 2016, he had hit 17 leadoff homers for the Mets, which was a team record. On September 17, he hit two solo home runs in one game against the Minnesota Twins. The first tied the game in the 11th inning, and the second won it in the 12th. He became only the eighth player in MLB history to hit multiple home runs in extra innings of the same game.
In the National League Wild Card Game on October 5, Granderson made an incredible catch. This catch saved several runs from scoring in a close game. On June 14, 2017, Granderson hit his 300th career home run in a Mets win. 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. After hitting a grand slam in his last game for the Mets, he hit another for the Dodgers on August 21. This made him the first player in MLB history to hit grand slams for two different teams in the same week. The next day, he stole his 150th career base. This made him one of only 36 players in MLB history with over 300 home runs and 150 or more stolen bases. He batted .161 for the Dodgers. He was left off the 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 RBI 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. Granderson was part of the Brewers team that made the playoffs in 2018.
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. He was the sixth-oldest player in the National League that year.
Retirement and Life After Baseball
Granderson announced he was retiring from baseball on January 31, 2020. As of 2021, he is the president of the Players Alliance. This group helps create more chances for black athletes in professional baseball. As of 2022, Granderson works as a baseball analyst for TBS.
Personal Life and Community Work
Granderson is a big fan of WWE. He loves college basketball, especially the Kansas Jayhawks.
Off the field, Granderson has been an ambassador for Major League Baseball around the world. He has traveled to many countries to promote baseball. The Commissioner of Baseball, Bud Selig, even wrote him a thank you letter for his efforts. Granderson also works to encourage more African-American players in baseball. When he signed deals with companies like Nike and Louisville Slugger, he asked them to donate money or equipment to his foundation or inner-city baseball programs instead of paying him.
His foundation, Grand Kids Foundation, helps raise money for the education of children in cities. Granderson also wrote a children's book called All You Can Be: Dream It, Draw It, Become It!. Students from New York City public schools illustrated the book. In 2010, Granderson helped First Lady Michelle Obama announce "Let's Move!", a program to fight childhood obesity. In 2013, Granderson 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, a poll of 290 players found Granderson to be one of the friendliest players in the Major Leagues. 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
