Jerry Grote facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jerry Grote |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
Grote with the New York Mets in 1972
|
|||
| Catcher | |||
| Born: October 6, 1942 San Antonio, Texas, U.S. |
|||
| Died: April 7, 2024 (aged 81) Austin, Texas, U.S. |
|||
|
|||
| debut | |||
| September 21, 1963, for the Houston Colt .45s | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| October 3, 1981, for the Los Angeles Dodgers | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .252 | ||
| Home runs | 39 | ||
| Runs batted in | 404 | ||
| Teams | |||
|
|||
| Career highlights and awards | |||
|
|||
Jerry Grote (born October 6, 1942 – died April 7, 2024) was a famous American professional baseball player. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) for many years. He played for teams like the New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers.
Jerry Grote played for the Houston Colt .45s from 1963 to 1964. He then joined the New York Mets from 1966 to 1977. With the Mets, he was chosen for the All-Star Game twice. He was also a key player on the team known as the "Miracle Mets". This team won the 1969 World Series in a big upset against the Baltimore Orioles. He finished his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Kansas City Royals. Many people thought Grote was one of the best defensive catchers of his time.
Contents
Growing Up and Playing Baseball
Jerry Grote was born on October 6, 1942, in San Antonio, Texas. He grew up there. When he was ten years old, his family experienced a very strong tornado. His parents and two sisters were safe, but sadly, his grandmother passed away in the storm.
Grote went to Douglas MacArthur High School. He played baseball there as a pitcher, catcher, and third baseman. As a high school pitcher, he even threw a no-hitter and a one-hitter! After high school, Grote attended Trinity University in 1962. He played college baseball for the Trinity Tigers. He was a top player for his college team, leading them in batting average (.413), home runs (five), and runs batted in (19).
His Professional Baseball Journey
Starting with the Houston Colt .45s
After just one year at Trinity University, Jerry Grote signed with the Houston Colt .45s in 1962. He started playing for their minor league team, the San Antonio Bullets.
At 20 years old, he made his first appearance in Major League Baseball on September 21, 1963. He came into the game as a defensive replacement. In his only turn at bat, he hit a sacrifice fly to score a run. He played in three games that season. In 1964, Grote shared the catching duties with another player, John Bateman. Neither of them hit for a very high average that year.
In 1965, Houston's team changed its name to the Houston Astros. Grote spent that whole season playing for their Triple-A team, the Oklahoma City 89ers. He batted .265 with eleven home runs. At the end of the season, he was traded to the New York Mets.
Becoming a New York Mets Star
Jerry Grote became the main catcher for the New York Mets in 1966. Even though his batting average was not super high, he was great at working with the Mets' young pitchers. His strong defensive skills helped the team improve. Grote became known for being very competitive. He had a unique habit of rolling the baseball far away from the pitcher's mound after an inning ended with a strikeout. This made the other team's pitcher walk further to get the ball.
In 1968, Grote was hitting very well by mid-season. He was chosen to be the starting catcher in the 1968 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. He was only the second Mets player ever to start in an All-Star game. He finished that year with a .282 batting average.
The 1969 season was amazing for the Mets. The Chicago Cubs were in first place for most of the season. But the Mets started playing incredibly well. By September, the Mets caught up and took the lead. Grote helped the team win by guiding their pitchers and driving in runs. He caught all 21 innings of a doubleheader that helped the Mets get into first place.
Grote finished the 1969 season with a .252 batting average and career-highs in home runs (six) and RBIs (40). But his defense was even more important. He had a fantastic fielding percentage of .991. He also caught 56.3% of runners trying to steal bases, which was one of the best in the league. He was praised for guiding the Mets' young pitchers, who were among the best in the league.
The Mets then swept the Atlanta Braves in the playoffs. They were considered huge underdogs in the 1969 World Series against the Baltimore Orioles. After losing the first game, the Mets won the next four games to become world champions! Grote caught every inning in the postseason. He also helped the team offensively with a single in Game Two that led to the winning run. In Game Four, his double led to another winning run. With Grote calling the pitches, the Mets' pitchers kept the Orioles' hitters to a very low batting average during the series.
Grote continued to be a top defensive catcher in 1970 and 1971. In 1972, he played in fewer games because of injuries. In May 1973, Grote broke a bone in his arm and was out for two months. When he returned, the Mets started winning again. They went from last place to winning their division! They then beat the strong Cincinnati Reds in the playoffs. In the 1973 World Series, the Mets played the Oakland Athletics in a close series that went to the final game, but the Mets lost. Just like in 1969, Grote caught every inning of every postseason game in 1973. He once said that the 1973 season felt more like a "miracle" than 1969.
In 1974, Grote was having another great season and was chosen for his second All-Star selection. Injuries continued to affect him, but he bounced back in 1975. He had a career-high .295 batting average and led all National League catchers with a .995 fielding percentage. In one memorable game in 1975, Grote hit a game-winning two-run home run as a pinch hitter.
Playing for the Dodgers and Royals
In August 1977, the Mets traded Grote to the Los Angeles Dodgers. He played part-time as a backup catcher for the Dodgers. He appeared in two World Series with the Dodgers against the New York Yankees. He retired from baseball after the 1978 season.
In 1981, the Kansas City Royals needed catchers, so they convinced Grote to come out of retirement. On June 3, at 38 years old, Grote had an amazing game. He got three hits, including a grand slam, a double, and even a stolen base! He drove in a team-record seven runs in that game. He played 22 games for the Royals before signing with the Dodgers again for one more game. Grote retired for good after the 1981 season.
Career Highlights and Skills
In his 16-year Major League Baseball career, Jerry Grote played in 1,421 games. He had 1,092 hits and a career batting average of .252. He hit 39 home runs and had 404 RBIs. He finished his career with a .991 fielding percentage, which was one of the best for catchers at the time.
On April 22, 1970, Grote set a Major League record by making 20 putouts in a game. This happened when Tom Seaver struck out 19 batters against the San Diego Padres. Grote is the Mets' all-time leader in games played as a catcher (1,176). He also caught 116 shutouts in his career, which ranks him 15th all-time among catchers.
Grote was known for calling pitches for some of the best pitchers of his time, including Tom Seaver, Jerry Koosman, Tug McGraw, and Nolan Ryan. He also had a strong and accurate arm for throwing out baserunners. Even Lou Brock, a Hall of Famer known for stealing bases, found Grote to be one of the toughest catchers to steal against. Another Hall of Fame catcher, Johnny Bench, once said that if he and Grote were on the same team, Bench would be playing third base because Grote was such a great catcher.
Life After Baseball and Awards
After his playing career, Jerry Grote tried a business selling meat.
In 1985, Grote worked as a manager for two minor league teams, the Lakeland Tigers and the Birmingham Barons. In 1989, he played for the St. Lucie Legends in a league for older professional players.
Jerry Grote received many honors for his baseball career:
- He was inducted into the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame in 1991.
- He was inducted into the New York Mets Hall of Fame in 1992.
- In 1998, he was inducted into the San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame.
- On October 8, 2011, Grote was inducted into the Trinity University Athletic Hall of Fame.
Grote also appeared on television. He was a Mystery Guest on the game show What's My Line?. He and some of his 1969 Mets teammates appeared on an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond in 1999. In 2010 and 2011, Grote was a radio commentator for the Round Rock Express baseball team.
Family and Later Life
Jerry Grote had three children with his first wife, Sharon: Sandy, Jeff, and Jennifer. He later married Cheryl on November 16, 1997. They lived in Belton, Texas.
Jerry Grote passed away on April 7, 2024, at the age of 81.
Images for kids
-
Grote with the New York Mets in 1972
See also
In Spanish: Gerald Grote para niños
