Marquis Grissom facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Marquis Grissom |
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Grissom as a coach for the Washington Nationals in 2009
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| Center fielder | |||
| Born: April 17, 1967 Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| August 22, 1989, for the Montreal Expos | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| July 31, 2005, for the San Francisco Giants | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .272 | ||
| Hits | 2,251 | ||
| Home runs | 227 | ||
| Runs batted in | 967 | ||
| Stolen bases | 429 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Marquis Deon Grissom (born April 17, 1967) is a former professional baseball player from the United States. He was a center fielder in Major League Baseball (MLB). Grissom played for several teams, including the Montreal Expos, Atlanta Braves, Cleveland Indians, Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Dodgers, and San Francisco Giants, from 1989 to 2005.
During his time with the Expos, Grissom led the National League (NL) in stolen bases in both 1991 and 1992. He was also chosen to play in the MLB All-Star Game in 1993 and 1994. A big highlight of his career was winning the 1995 World Series as a member of the Braves. Grissom also earned four Gold Glove Awards in a row from 1993 to 1996, showing off his amazing fielding skills.
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Early Life and Baseball Beginnings
Marquis Grissom was born in Atlanta, Georgia. He was one of sixteen children in his family. He grew up in Red Oak, Georgia, in a house his father built. When he was young, his family could not afford for him to play organized baseball.
An interesting story from his childhood is when he accidentally hit a police officer's Cadillac with a rock. The officer was so impressed by how far Grissom could throw that he offered him a deal: join his youth baseball team, and he wouldn't be charged. This was how Grissom started playing baseball.
High School and College Sports
Grissom went to Lakeshore High School in College Park. He was a talented athlete and received college scholarships for baseball, football, and track and field.
He chose to play baseball at Florida A&M University. He played as both a pitcher and an outfielder for the Rattlers in 1987 and 1988. During this time, he had a very high batting average of .408. In 1988, he led Division I in runs per game and triples per game. He was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference baseball tournament that year. In 2014, he was honored by being inducted into the MEAC Hall of Fame.
Marquis Grissom's MLB Career
Marquis Grissom had a long and successful career in Major League Baseball. He was known for his speed, his ability to hit, and his excellent defense in center field.
Playing for the Montreal Expos
In 1988, the Montreal Expos picked Grissom in the third round of the amateur draft. Even though he was good at both pitching and playing in the outfield, the Expos decided he would focus only on being a position player. He quickly moved up through the minor leagues and made his MLB debut on August 22, 1989.
Over the next few seasons, Grissom became a star player for Montreal. He was often their leadoff hitter and played center fielder. He led the National League in stolen bases in 1991 and 1992. He was also selected for the NL All-Star team in 1993 and 1994. From 1993, he won four Gold Glove awards in a row, showing he was one of the best defensive players. A memorable moment was on July 28, 1991, when he caught the final out of Dennis Martínez's perfect game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Joining the Atlanta Braves
The Expos were a strong team in 1994, but a player strike ended the season early. After the strike, the team had to trade many of their best players for financial reasons. Grissom was traded to the Atlanta Braves on April 6, 1995.
The Braves were a very successful team at that time. In his first season with them, they won the 1995 World Series. Grissom caught the final out of the World Series, securing the championship for the Braves. He was the only player on that Braves team who was born and grew up in Atlanta. The Braves made it back to the World Series the next year but lost to the New York Yankees.
Time with the Cleveland Indians
In March 1997, Grissom was part of a big trade that sent him and David Justice to the Cleveland Indians. The Braves made this trade to save money on player contracts. In return, the Indians sent Kenny Lofton and Alan Embree to Atlanta. This trade worked out well for Cleveland, as they made it all the way to the World Series that year. They lost to the Florida Marlins in seven games.
Grissom played exceptionally well during the postseason. He won the MVP award in the ALCS. He also had a 15-game World Series hitting streak across three World Series, which was the second-longest in history at the time.
Later Career Teams
After the 1997 season, the Indians signed Kenny Lofton again, and Grissom was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers. He played three seasons with the Brewers. In 2001, he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers. He had a strong comeback season in 2002 as a part-time player. On September 16, 2002, in a crucial game against the San Francisco Giants, he made an amazing catch in the 9th inning. He robbed Rich Aurilia of a potential game-tying home run, helping the Dodgers win 7–6.
As a free agent, Grissom then joined the San Francisco Giants in 2003. He had two more good seasons as their starting center fielder. The Giants won their division in 2003 and almost made the playoffs in 2004. Marquis won the 2003 Willie Mac Award for his great spirit and leadership. On April 8, 2004, Grissom hit the first home run ever at San Diego's Petco Park. His performance dipped in 2005, and he was released by the Giants. He signed a minor league contract with the Chicago Cubs in 2006.
Retirement from Playing
On March 28, 2006, Marquis Grissom announced his retirement after a 17-year career in baseball. He said he knew it was time to retire when he spent more time getting ready for games than actually playing them. In 2011, he received some votes for the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Coaching and Personal Life
After retiring as a player, Grissom became a youth baseball coach. He worked with many young players in the Atlanta area. One of these players was Michael Harris II, who later won the 2022 National League Rookie of the Year Award. Harris dedicated his award to Grissom, showing how much Grissom helped him.
Grissom also worked as a professional coach. He was hired as the Washington Nationals first base coach for the 2009 season.
Family and Community Work
As of 2024, Marquis Grissom lives with his wife, Sharron, in Fayetteville and Sandy Springs, Georgia. They have five children: Micah, D'monte, Tiana, Marquis, Jr., and Gabriella. His son, Marquis Jr., is a pitcher in the Washington Nationals organization. During his playing career, Grissom bought houses for his parents and all fourteen of his siblings.
One year after he retired, Grissom started the Marquis Grissom Baseball Association. This is a nonprofit organization that helps young people from less fortunate backgrounds in the Atlanta area play baseball. His younger brother, Antonio, also played baseball in the minor leagues.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball career home run leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career runs scored leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual stolen base leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career stolen bases leaders
