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 on April 17, 1967, is a former American professional baseball player. He was a talented center fielder in Major League Baseball (MLB). Grissom played for several famous teams, including the Montreal Expos, Atlanta Braves, Cleveland Indians, Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Dodgers, and San Francisco Giants. His career lasted from 1989 to 2005.
During his time with the Montreal Expos, Marquis was known for his speed. He led the National League 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 with the Atlanta Braves. Grissom also won four Gold Glove Awards in a row from 1993 to 1996, showing how great he was at fielding.
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Early Life and Amateur Baseball Career
Marquis Grissom was born in Atlanta, Georgia. He was one of sixteen children, and fifteen of them survived infancy. His family lived in Red Oak, Georgia, in a house his father built. His father worked at a Ford car plant.
When Marquis was young, his family could not afford for him to play organized baseball. One day, when he was about 8 or 10 years old, he accidentally hit a police officer's car with a rock. The officer was so impressed by how far Marquis threw the rock that he offered him a deal: if Marquis joined his youth baseball team, he wouldn't be charged. Marquis agreed and started his baseball journey.
Grissom went to Lakeshore High School in College Park. He was very athletic 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 an amazing batting average of .408. In 1988, he scored more runs and hit more triples than any other player in Division I. He was even named the Most Outstanding Player in a big college baseball tournament that year. In 2014, he was honored by being inducted into the MEAC Hall of Fame.
Marquis Grissom's MLB Career
Montreal Expos: Rising Star
In 1988, the Montreal Expos picked Marquis Grissom in the baseball draft. Even though he was good at both pitching and playing outfield, the Expos decided he would focus only on being an outfielder. He quickly moved up through the minor league teams. He made his first appearance in the major leagues on August 22, 1989.
Over the next few years, Grissom became a star player for Montreal. He was their leadoff hitter and played center fielder. He was incredibly fast, leading 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 to 1996, he won four Gold Glove Awards in a row, showing he was one of the best fielders in baseball.
A memorable moment for Grissom happened on July 28, 1991. He caught the final out of a perfect game pitched by his teammate, Dennis Martínez.
Atlanta Braves: World Series Champion
The Montreal Expos were a strong team, but a player strike ended the 1994 season early. After the strike, the team had to trade many of their best players because of money problems. Marquis Grissom was traded to the Atlanta Braves on April 6, 1995.
Joining the Braves was a great move for Grissom. The Braves were starting a period of winning many games. In his first season with Atlanta, they won the 1995 World Series. Marquis Grissom, who was actually born and raised in Atlanta, caught the final out of the World Series, making his hometown team champions. The Braves made it to the World Series again the next year but lost to the New York Yankees.
Cleveland Indians: ALCS MVP
In March 1997, Grissom was part of a big trade that sent him to the Cleveland Indians. This trade worked out well for Cleveland. The team made it all the way to the World Series that year, but they lost in seven games.
Grissom played exceptionally well during the playoffs for the Indians. He was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the ALCS. He also had an impressive 15-game World Series hitting streak across three different World Series, which is the second-longest streak ever.
Later Career and Retirement
After his time with the Indians, Grissom played for the Milwaukee Brewers for three seasons. Then, 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, he made an amazing catch in a crucial game against the San Francisco Giants. He robbed a potential game-tying home run in the 9th inning, helping the Dodgers win.
After that, the San Francisco Giants signed Grissom. He had two more good seasons as their starting center fielder. The Giants also did well, winning their division in 2003. In 2003, Marquis won the Willie Mac Award for his great spirit and leadership. On April 8, 2004, Grissom hit the very first home run ever at San Diego's Petco Park. His performance dropped in 2005, and he was released by the Giants.
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.
Coaching and Personal Life
Coaching Career
After retiring from playing, Marquis Grissom became a youth baseball coach. He helped many young players in the Atlanta area, including a family friend named Michael Harris II. When Michael Harris II won the National League Rookie of the Year Award in 2022, he dedicated it to Grissom.
Grissom also worked as a professional coach. He was hired as the Washington Nationals first base coach for the 2009 season.
Personal Life
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 also a baseball player and is a pitcher in the Washington Nationals organization.
During his playing career, Grissom was very generous. He bought houses for his parents and all fourteen of his brothers and sisters.
One year after he retired, Grissom started the Marquis Grissom Baseball Association. This is a non-profit organization that helps young people in the Atlanta area who might not have the money to play baseball.
Marquis's younger brother, Antonio, also played baseball in the minor leagues for the Expos and Philadelphia Phillies.
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
