Mudcat Grant facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mudcat Grant |
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Grant with the Cleveland Indians in 1960
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: August 13, 1935 Lacoochee, Florida |
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| Died: June 11, 2021 (aged 85) Los Angeles, California |
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| debut | |||
| April 17, 1958, for the Cleveland Indians | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 29, 1971, for the Oakland Athletics | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 145–119 | ||
| Earned run average | 3.63 | ||
| Strikeouts | 1,267 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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James Timothy "Mudcat" Grant Jr. (born August 13, 1935 – died June 11, 2021) was an American baseball pitcher. He played for 14 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Grant played for seven different teams from 1958 to 1971. He was chosen for the All-Star team two times.
In 1965, Mudcat Grant made history. He became the first black pitcher to win 20 games in a season in the American League. He was also the first black pitcher to win a World Series game for an American League team. During the 1965 World Series, he won two full games by himself. He even hit a three-run home run in Game 6! Because of his amazing year, he was named the American League Pitcher of the Year.
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Early Life and Baseball Dreams
Mudcat Grant was born in Lacoochee, Florida, on August 13, 1935. He was one of seven children in his family. His father passed away when Mudcat was only two years old.
He went to Moore Academy in Dade City. There, he played football, basketball, and baseball. Grant earned a scholarship to play both football and baseball at Florida A&M University. However, he left college during his second year. He needed to help his family because they were having money problems. The Cleveland Indians signed him as a free agent before the 1954 season. This started his professional baseball journey.
Playing in the Big Leagues
Mudcat Grant spent four years playing in the minor leagues. This was from 1954 to 1957. He also played baseball in other countries during the winter. He played in Colombia in 1956 and in Cuba in 1957.
Starting His MLB Career
Grant made his first MLB appearance on April 17, 1958. He was 22 years old. In his very first game, he pitched a complete game and won against the Kansas City Athletics. A complete game means the pitcher plays the entire game without anyone else pitching.
His best season with the Cleveland Indians was in 1961. That year, he won 15 games and lost 9. His earned run average (ERA) was 3.86. A lower ERA means a pitcher gives up fewer runs.
Joining the Minnesota Twins
In June 1964, Grant was traded to the Minnesota Twins. He finished that season with 11 wins and 9 losses for the Twins.
The year 1965 was the best of his career. He won 21 games and lost only 7 for the Twins. He helped lead his team to the 1965 World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. In 1965, Grant even had his own TV show in Minneapolis. It was called The Jim Grant Show, where he sang and danced.
World Series Heroics
Mudcat Grant finished 6th in the voting for the American League MVP award in 1965. He led the league in wins and shutouts (6). A shutout is when a pitcher doesn't let the other team score any runs. He also pitched 14 complete games that year.
His home run in Game 6 of the 1965 World Series was very special. It was only the second time an American League pitcher had hit a home run in a World Series game.
Later Career and Retirement
Grant's last year as a full-time starting pitcher was in 1966. For the next five seasons, he mostly played as a relief pitcher. He played for five different teams during this time.
On April 8, 1969, Grant was the starting pitcher for the Montreal Expos in their very first game ever. He played his final major league game on September 29, 1971. He was 36 years old.
Over his 14-season MLB career, Mudcat Grant had a record of 145 wins and 119 losses. He played in 571 games and started 293 of them. He completed 89 games and had 18 shutouts. His career ERA was 3.63. As a batter, he hit 6 home runs in his career. His home run in the 1965 World Series was one of them.
Life After Baseball
After he stopped playing baseball, Mudcat Grant stayed involved with the sport. He worked as a publicity director for a professional softball league. Later, he became a broadcaster and executive for the Cleveland Indians. He also worked as a broadcaster for the Oakland Athletics.
Promoting Black History in Baseball
In his later years, Grant focused on sharing the history of black players in baseball. He especially wanted to honor black pitchers who won 20 games in a season. He called these pitchers the "15 Black Aces". He even wrote a book about them called The Black Aces, Baseball's Only African-American Twenty-Game Winners.
The book was featured at the Baseball Hall of Fame. In 2007, President George W. Bush honored Grant and other "Black Aces" at the White House.
Awards and Recognition
On April 14, 2008, Grant threw out the first pitch at a game in Cleveland. This was to celebrate 50 years since his MLB debut. He was also given the key to the city of Cleveland. In 2012, he was inducted into the Baseball Reliquary's Shrine of the Eternals. He received an honorary degree from Whittier College in 2016.
Mudcat Grant passed away on June 11, 2021, at the age of 85.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball annual wins leaders
