John Maywood Grubb, Jr. (born August 4, 1948 in

Richmond, Virginia (Thus do we reach the stars) , image_map = , mapsize = 250 px , map_caption = Location within Virginia , pushpin_map = Virginia#USA , pushpin_label = Richmond , pushpin_m ...

) is a former

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (A ...

outfielder An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to cat ...

and

designated hitter The designated hitter (DH) is a baseball player who bats in place of another position player, most commonly the pitcher. The position is authorized by Major League Baseball Rule 5.11. It was adopted by the American League in 1973 and later by t ...

, who also occasionally played at

first base A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...

. He played with the

San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penn ...

(1972–1976),

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central division. Since , they have ...

(1977–1978), Texas Rangers (1978–1982), and the

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...

(1983–1987).

Major League career

Grubb was drafted by the San Diego Padres in 1971 with the 24th pick in the first round. He had been previously drafted by the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...

, and

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The Braves were founded in ...

, but did not sign with them. He made his major league debut on September 10, 1972. In his 1973 rookie season, Grubb put up good numbers and earned himself a starting position in the outfield by hitting .311 with eight

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...

s, 37 RBI, and 52 runs scored. Grubb made the 1974

National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...

All-star team during his sophomore season, and struck out in his only at-bat. Highlights after the 1974 season included a 21-game hitting streak in 1979 while a member of the Texas Rangers. He was nearly dealt along with

Sparky Lyle Albert Walter "Sparky" Lyle (born July 22, 1944) is an American former left-handed relief pitcher who spent sixteen seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1967 through 1982. He was a relief pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, ...

from the Rangers to the

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...

for

Tug McGraw Frank Edwin "Tug" McGraw Jr. (August 30, 1944 – January 5, 2004) was an American professional baseball relief pitcher and long-time Major League Baseball (MLB) player, often remembered for coining the phrase "Ya Gotta Believe", which became th ...

, Bake McBride and Larry Christenson at the 1979

Winter Meetings Representatives of all 30 Major League Baseball teams and their 120 Minor League Baseball affiliates convene for four days each December in the Winter Meetings to discuss league business and conduct off-season trades and transactions. Attendees in ...

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...

, but the proposed transaction was never executed because a deferred money issue in Lyle's contract went unresolved."LeFlore, Rodriguez Swapped by Tigers," ''The New York Times'', Saturday, December 8, 1979.
Retrieved June 7, 2020 Grubb was also a member of the

' 1984 World Series Championship team; the Tigers defeated his former team the San Diego Padres 4 games to 1. In his 16-year career, he posted a .278 batting average with 99 home runs, 475 RBI, and 553 runs scored. In the era since the

came into play (1973), he is the all-time leader among American League players when used as a pinch hitter batting for the #9 hitter in the line-up. He was released by the Detroit Tigers after a disappointing 1987 season, despite having arguably the best season of his career in 1986.

Personal life

Since retiring from professional baseball, Grubb has kept a low profile. He was the former varsity baseball coach at his alma mater, Meadowbrook High School in Richmond. There he coached former San Diego Padres pitcher

Cla Meredith Olise Cla Meredith III (; born June 4, 1983), nicknamed "The Claw," is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He played for the Boston Red Sox, San Diego Padres, and Baltimore Orioles. Collegiate career Meredith attended Virginia Comm ...

. Grubb and his wife are also active members of the

Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination in the United States and Canada. The denomination started with the Restoration Movement during the Second Great Awakening, first existing during the 19th ...

References

External links

Johnny Grubb
at SABR (Baseball BioProject)
Johnny Grubb
at Baseball Almanac {{DEFAULTSORT:Grubb, Johnny 1948 births National League All-Stars Living people San Diego Padres players Cleveland Indians players Texas Rangers players Detroit Tigers players Baseball players from Richmond, Virginia Major League Baseball left fielders Major League Baseball center fielders Major League Baseball right fielders Nashville Sounds players Orlando Juice players Richmond Braves players SCF Manatees baseball players Florida State Seminoles baseball players State College of Florida, Manatee–Sarasota alumni

Major League career

Personal life

See also

References

External links