Grant Balfour facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Grant Balfour |
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Balfour with the Tampa Bay Rays
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| Relief pitcher | |||
| Born: 30 December 1977 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
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| debut | |||
| July 22, 2001, for the Minnesota Twins | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| April 18, 2015, for the Tampa Bay Rays | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 30–23 | ||
| Earned run average | 3.49 | ||
| Strikeouts | 571 | ||
| Saves | 84 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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 Baseball Hall of Fame |
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| Induction | 2015 | ||
Grant Robert Balfour (born 30 December 1977) is a former Australian professional baseball player. He was a relief pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for teams like the Minnesota Twins, Milwaukee Brewers, Tampa Bay Rays, and Oakland Athletics.
Grant is known for his strong pitching. He holds the record for most consecutive saves for the Oakland Athletics with 44. He is also one of the top Australian MLB pitchers for saves and strikeouts.
Contents
Early Life and School
Grant Balfour grew up in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. He went to Kings Langley Public School when he was younger. Later, he attended William Clarke College for his high school years.
Grant Balfour's Baseball Journey
Playing for the Minnesota Twins
Grant Balfour started his big league career with the Minnesota Twins. He made his first appearance in MLB in 2001. He played for the Twins until the 2004 season.
Time with the Cincinnati Reds
After taking a year off due to an injury in 2005, Grant played for the Cincinnati Reds organization in 2006. He worked hard to get back to the top level of baseball.
Joining the Milwaukee Brewers
On July 18, 2007, Grant returned to Major League Baseball. He pitched for the Milwaukee Brewers. In his first game back, he struck out the first batter he faced.
Pitching for the Tampa Bay Rays
Soon after, the Brewers traded Grant to the Tampa Bay Rays. He finished the 2007 season with the Rays. He signed a new contract to stay with them for another year.
In 2008, Grant worked hard to earn a spot in the Rays' bullpen. He was sent to a minor league team but was called back up in May. He earned his first save with the Rays on May 31.
Grant had a fantastic 2008 season. He helped the Rays win their first division title. They also won the American League pennant, making it to the World Series.
In 2009, Grant decided not to play for Australia in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. This was because the Rays asked him to focus on his team. He signed another contract with the Rays in December 2009.
Grant was known for being very intense on the mound. He would sometimes shout to motivate himself. In a 2008 playoff game, he had a misunderstanding with an opposing player, Orlando Cabrera. They exchanged words, but it was quickly cleared up as a simple mix-up.
Becoming an Oakland Athletics Closer
In 2011, Grant Balfour signed a two-year contract with the Oakland Athletics. In 2012, he became the team's main closer. A closer is a pitcher who finishes the game and tries to protect a lead.
Grant had a strong 2012 season, earning 24 saves. The Athletics decided to keep him for another year. In 2013, he set a new record for the Athletics. He earned his 41st consecutive save, which was the most in team history.
He was also chosen to be an All-Star in 2013. This is a big honor for a baseball player. Grant pitched well in the playoffs that year. During one playoff game, there was a brief argument between the teams. Grant later said it was a misunderstanding.
Returning to the Tampa Bay Rays
In 2014, Grant signed a new contract to return to the Tampa Bay Rays. He started the season as their closer. However, he later moved to a different role in the bullpen.
He was released by the Rays in April 2015. But he soon signed a new minor league deal to stay with the team. He played for their Triple-A team, the Durham Bulls. Grant decided to retire from baseball on April 29, 2016.
Life Outside Baseball
Grant Balfour's father, David, was also involved in sports. He was a rugby player and later worked as a general manager for the Sydney Blue Sox baseball team. David passed away in 2015.
In February 2015, Grant Balfour was honored. He was inducted into the Baseball Australia Hall of Fame. This means he is recognized as one of the best baseball players from Australia.
See also
- Baseball Australia Diamond Awards
- List of Major League Baseball players from Australia
