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Anthony Keith “Tony ” Gwynn (born May 9, 1960 in Los Angeles, California) is a former Major League Baseball right fielder. One of the best hitters of all-time, Gwynn played for the San Diego Padres (1982-2001). He threw and batted left-handed. A graduate of San Diego State University – where he also played basketball and set a school record for assists, Gwynn broke in with San Diego as a part-time outfielder in 1982, appearing in 54 games and batting .289.

It would be the last time he would hit below .300 in the major leagues. Gwynn’s breakthrough season was in 1984, when he hit .351, won the first of his eight batting titles (tying him with Honus Wagner for the National League record), and made the first of his 15 All-Star appearances.

Nicknamed “Captain Video” because of the extensive collection of videotapes he kept, Gwynn constantly studied his swing to improve his hitting.

Gwynn was also proficient with a glove for most of his career, winning five consecutive Gold Glove Awards (1986-91). Primarily a right fielder, in 1989 Gwynn split time between right and center field. In 1994 Gwynn batted .394; the highest batting average in the National League since Bill Terry hit .401 in 1930 and the highest in the majors since Ted Williams hit .406 in 1941. Had the season not been shortened by a strike, Gwynn might have become the first batter to eclipse the .400 mark in more than 50 years.

Gwynn retired in 2001 with a total of 3,141 hits and a lifetime batting average of .338. He played his entire career with the Padres, a rarity in the 1980s and 1990s, and is considered by many to be the best player to ever wear a Padres jersey. Gwynn becomes eligible for induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007. His jersey number 19 was retired by San Diego in 2004.

After his retirement, Gwynn worked as a color commentator for the ESPN network and head baseball coach at his alma mater, San Diego State. SDSU’s baseball stadium, which was largely funded out of his own pocket, is named after him. Gwynn’s brother, Chris, was an outfielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Kansas City Royals, and San Diego Padres (1987-96) [1].

Gwynn is the father of R&B artist Anisha Nicole and minor league outfielder Anthony Gwynn.

  

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Cesar Dario Gutierrez [goo-te-ER-rez] (January 26, 1943 – January 22, 2005), also nicknamed “Cocoa”, was a shortstop in Major League Baseball who played with the San Francisco Giants (1967, 1969) and Detroit Tigers (1969-71). He was born in Coro, Falcón State, Venezuela.

Contents

1 Career
2 7-for-7 games chronology
3 Note

Career

Nominally a “good field-no hit” shortstop, Gutierrez never represented a danger for any pitcher. He was a career .235 hitter with 26 RBI and no home runs in 223 games.

Gutierrez’s most productive season came in 1970, his only season as a regular, when he posted career-highs in batting average (.243), RBI (22), runs (40), hits (101), doubles (11), triples (6), stolen bases (4) and games played (135). Also in that season, the modest shortstop saved himself from major league anonymity. On June 21st, in the second game of a doubleheader between Detroit and the Cleveland Indians, Gutierrez hit a perfect 7-for-7 including a triple, to set an American League mark (and tie a major league record) for hits in a game without making an out. The Tigers won 9-8 in twelve innings. Gutierrez’s batting average shot up 31 points that day, from .218 to .249.

In 1971 Gutierrez played only 40 games as an infield backup, retiring at the end of the season. Later, he served as a coach and scout with several teams.

Gutierrez died in Maracaibo, Zulia State, Venezuela, four days short of his 62nd birthday.

7-for-7 games chronology

June 10, 1892 in sports: Baltimore Orioles (NL) Hall of Famer Wilbert Robinson set a major league record by going 7-for-7 as his team topped the St. Louis Browns 25-4. Roberts also set a second record in RBI with 11.
June 21, 1970: Tigers shortstop Cesar Gutierrez became the first player to go 7-for-7 in modern era (since 1900).

September 16, 1975: Rennie Stennett, of the Pittsburgh Pirates (NL), top the 7-for-7 mark as Pittsburgh massacred the Cubs 22-0. Pittsburgh also set a major league record for the biggest score in a shutout game in the modern era. This record was matched by Cleveland against the Yankees on August 31, 2004 (AL).

Note

Robinson and Stennett accomplished their feats during the course of a nine-inning game. Gutierrez did it in a 12-inning game. Curiously, Stennett didn’t complete his record game. Pirates manager Danny Murtaugh sent in a pinch runner for him after Stennett’s seventh hit.

  

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Oswaldo Jose Guillen Barrios (born January 20, 1964 in Ocumare del Tuy, Miranda State, Venezuela), well known as Ozzie Guillen [ghee-YEN], was a Chicago White Sox shortstop between 1985 and 1997. He also played for the Baltimore Orioles (1998), Atlanta Braves (1998-99) and Tampa Bay Devil Rays (2000). In 2004, he became the first baseball manager from Venezuela to manage in Major League Baseball. Guillen is a member of the select group of gifted shortstops coming from his homeland, a group that includes Chico Carrasquel, Luis Aparicio, Dave Concepcion and Omar Vizquel. As a player, he was regarded for his passion, speed, hustle, and defensive abilities, but his love for the game still intact.

In 1985, Guillen received both the AL Rookie of the Year and The Sporting News Rookie of the Year awards. Then, he was selected an All-Star in 1988, 1990-91, and won the Gold Glove Award in 1990. He ranks among the White Sox all-time leaders in games played, hits and at-bats.

After serving as third base coach for the 2003 World Champions Florida Marlins, Guillen was hired in the offseason to replace Jerry Manuel as White Sox manager. He received a rousing ovation from the crowd of 37,706 Chicagoans when introduced before his first game as a skipper at Comiskey Park on April 13, 2004. With Guillen, his team finished 83-79.

On May 30, 2005, the White Sox extended Guillen’s contract, making the move while the team had the best record in the majors (33-17). Chicago picked up the 2006 option on his contract, added two more years and included an option for the 2009 season.

  

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Jose Manuel Guillen [ghee-YEN] (born May 17, 1976 in San Cristebal, Dominican Republic) is a Major League Baseball right fielder who plays for the Washington Nationals. Previously, he played with the Pittsburgh Pirates (1997-99), Tampa Bay Devil Rays (1999-2001), Arizona Diamondbacks (2002), Cincinnati Reds (2002-03), Oakland Athletics (2003) and Anaheim Angels (2004). He bats and throws right-handed. A notorious undisciplined hitter, Guillen is prone to long slumps, but will usually make up for them with his hot streaks. As a runner, he has decent speed, but is not much of a bases stealer threat. He is a below-average fielder, but his arm is strong as the best and his range is decent.

In 2004, Guillen hit .294 with 27 home runs and 104 RBI for Anaheim, but he was suspended the last two weeks of the regular season and during the postseason for “inappropriate conduct” following his removal for a pinch runner in a crucial game against the Athletics.

Guillen is a .274 hitter with 110 home runs and 458 RBI in 898 games. On November 19, 2004, he was sent to Washington in the same trade that brought SS Maicer Izturis and OF Juan Rivera to the Angels. The move sends Guillen to his sixth team in the last five seasons.

In 2005, Jose Guillen started to light up. In April, Jose batted .303 with 6 home runs and 14 RBIs. The Nationals were impressed and on April 29, they exercised his option for 2006. The much traveled Jose said “I feel like Washington is my home and hopefully, this is my last stop.” On June 14, 2005, the Washington Nationals played against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. This marked the first time Jose came back to Anaheim ever since he got traded. It seemed as if Jose was still mad at Angels manager, Mike Scioscia. Later that game, Angels pitcher, Brendan Donnelly was found with illegal substances on his glove. Mike Scioscia then came out of the dugout and exchanged some words with Nationals manager Frank Robinson. The benches immediately cleared and Jose also had some words to say as he was being restrained by fellow teammates. In the 8th inning, Jose Guillen hit a two run homer to give the Nationals the lead, which they eventually won. After the game, he was asked about Mike Scioscia and Jose preceded to say “Mike Scioscia to me is like a piece of garbage. I don’t care if I get in trouble. He can go to hell.” Nevertheless, Jose remains as a crutial ball player for the Washington Nationals.

  

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Carlos Alfonso Guillen [ghee-YEN] (born September 30, 1975) is a Major League Baseball shortstop and switch-hitter batter who plays for the Detroit Tigers. He was born in Maracay, Aragua State, Venezuela. Guillen was signed by the Houston Astros as a non-draft amateur free agent in 1992. He was traded to the Seattle Mariners with pitcher Freddy Garcia in the deal that sent Randy Johnson to the Astros. Guillen made his debut in 1998 and was traded to Detroit at the end of the 2003 season.

Coming from a long tradition of Venezuelan shortstops, which has produced the likes of Chico Carrasquel, Luis Aparicio, Dave Concepci0n, Ozzie Guillen and Omar Vizquel, and the young stars Alex Gonzalez and Cesar Izturis as well, Guillen was forced to switch at second and third with incumbent Alex Rodriguez at short. But A-Rod moved to Texas after the 2000 season, allowing Guillen to move back to his natural position. He had a solid campaign in his first full-season with the club.

Guillen enjoyed his first highlight in Game 3 of the 2000 ALDS, when he hit a perfect squeeze play in the bottom of the ninth inning to score Rickey Henderson and complete the Mariners’ sweep of the Chicago White Sox. In September 2001 Guillen was hospitalized after being diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis, but he was ready for the ALCS against the Yankees.

Over the years, the holes in Guillen’s swing have gotten smaller, and some have disappeared altogether. In the field, he has good range with a strong arm and turns the double play reasonably well.

Guillen showed the perfect components that fitted together in a young and restructured 2004 Tigers team. In a career year he led his club in RBI (97), runs (97), doubles (37), triples (10), total bases (283), slugging percentage (.542), OPS (.921), and his .318 batting average was only second to .334 of teammate Ivan Rodriguez. Guillen also got his first All-Star berth, however, he missed the final month of the 2004 season after tearing his ACL while legging out a triple. He healed well during the 2004-05 offseason and was back to his previous form in time for 2005′s opening day, although problems with his left hamstring have kept him out of the lineup on occasion.

Guillen is a career .277 hitter with 49 home runs and 308 RBI in 624 games. Some baseball analysts still believe that he will be a fine player in 2005, just as he was in 2004.

2004 Highlights

All-Star
3rd in AL in triples
6th in AL in batting average
8th in AL in slugging percentage
8th in AL in OPS

  

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Ronald Ames Guidry (“Louisiana Lightning” and “Gator”) (born August 28, 1950 in Lafayette, Louisiana) is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He played fourteen seasons for the New York Yankees between 1975 and 1988. Guidry began his career pitching briefly in the 1975 and 1976 seasons. In 1977, he began as a relief pitcher but was moved into the starting rotation. He helped lead the New York Yankees to a World Series championship. He was 2-0, allowing only 5 earned runs in 20 innings pitched in the 1977 ALCS and 1977 World Series combined.

In 1978, he had, arguably, the greatest season a starting pitcher has ever recorded. On June 17, he struck out a Yankee record 18 batters in a single game against the California Angels. Guidry’s 18 strikeout game ushered in the Yankee Stadium tradition of fans standing and clapping for a strikeout with 2 strikes on the visiting batter. Guidry went 25-3, with 9 shutouts, 248 strikeouts, and a sparkling 1.74 ERA, guaranteeing himself the American League Cy Young Award. Guidry also finished second in American League Most Valuable Player voting to Boston Red Sox slugger Jim Rice. Guidry’s 25th win of the regular season was his most significant, as he was the winning pitcher in the Yankees’ 5-4 win over the Boston Red Sox in the one-game playoff to decide the AL East division winner. The Yankees again won the World Series over the Los Angeles Dodgers. No American League pitcher posted an ERA this low again until Pedro Martinez in 2000.

Over the next seven seasons he amassed a stellar 113-57 win-loss record. Guidry also won the Gold Glove Award five straight times (1982-86). However, arm problems that began in 1981 finally began dramatically affecting his performance. He retired from baseball on July 12, 1989, after shoulder surgery did not improve his performance.

His number 49 was retired on ‘Ron Guidry Day’, August 23, 2003.

  

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Vladimir Alvino Guerrero (born February 9, 1976 in Nizao, Peravia, Dominican Republic) is a Major League Baseball player currently with the Los Angeles Angels. Many feel he is the best all-round player in the Majors because he regularly hits for a high average, hits for power, steals bases, has a reputation of having one of the best outfield arms in baseball and fields his position at a high level. Vladimir was a free agent for the first time after the 2003 season, and he signed with the then-Anaheim Angels, after being courted by several teams. The owner of the Angels, Arte Moreno, is the first Hispanic owner of a Major League ballclub, and Guerrero has cited Moreno’s being Hispanic as one motivating factor for choosing the Angels over other teams.

Contents

1 Early career
2 Best years
3 Accomplishments
4 Teams

Early career

Vladimir was signed by the Montreal Expos as an amateur free agent in 1993 and eventually made his Major League debut on September 19, 1996.

Vlad looks to see if his hit is fair or foul, August 28, 2005.

Vladimir was criticized during his rookie season of 1997 for being too aggressive at the plate. Nonetheless, he put up solid numbers, batting .302 with 11 HRs and 40 RBIs in just 325 at-bats.

Best years

Premature scorn for Vladdy’s free swinging ways changed into admiration in 1998. While he continued to swing at pitches that were clearly balls, he also continued to hit them and, as of 2004, has never struck out 100 times in a single season. Vladimir batted .324 with 38 HRs and 109 RBIs in 1998 and posted similar or slightly improved numbers through the 2002 season. Vladimir also developed a running game, stealing 37 bases in 2001 and 40 in 2002. He narrowly missed entering the 40/40 club that season, hitting 39 homeruns.

Vladimir’s 2003 season was shortened due to injury. In limited at-bats, he hit .330 with 25 HRs and 79 RBIs. Because of the injury, some in the media thought him to be a risky signing, since one never knows how well a player will recover. (E.g., Ken Griffey, Jr. has had a string of injuries since joining the Reds, and has not put up the kind of numbers that he did when with the Mariners. Yet he still commands a high salary.)

In 2004 Guerrero returned to form, hitting .337 with 39 home runs and 126 RBI’s. He was named the American League MVP. Mike Scioscia, the Angel manager, said that Guerrero “really carried us on his back” in the last month, as the Angels barely overtook first place from the faltering Oakland A’s, who finished one game behind in the standings. As one example, he hit six home runs in his last six games of the regular season, leading the Angels to their first Western Division title since 1986. (The Angels won the 2002 World Series as the A.L. Wild Card.)

Accomplishments

American League MVP (2004)
6-time All-Star (1999-2002, 2004-05)
Finished 4th in National League MVP voting (2002)
Finished 6th in National League MVP voting (2000)
Hit 30+ home runs and stole 30+ bases (2001, 2002) (see 30-30 club)
Fell one home run short of being the 4th member of the 40-40 Club (2002)
Hit for the cycle (2003)

Teams

Montreal Expos (1996-2003)
Anaheim Angels (2004)
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2005-)

  

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Pedro Guerrero (born June 29, 1956 in San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic) is a former Major League Baseball player who spent his career (1978-1992) with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the St. Louis Cardinals. While playing at first base more than any other position, he also saw substantial play as a third baseman and in all three outfield positions, amassing 215 home runs and 898 RBI, with a batting average of .300. Guerrero was a co-MVP (along with Ron Cey and Steve Yeager) of the 1981 World Series. He hit .333, hit two home runs, and drove in seven runs in the Series.

Guerrero was acquitted of federal drug charges in 2000; his attorneys had argued that the fact that he was functionally illiterate and had an IQ of 70 made it impossible for him to understand the drug deal in which a friend had involved him .

  

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Edward Adrian (Eddie) Guardado (born October 2, 1970 in Stockton, California) is a closer in Major League Baseball who has played for the Seattle Mariners since 2004. Previously, Guardado played with the Minnesota Twins (1993-2003). He bats right handed and throws left handed. In a 12-season career, Guardado has posted a 38-49 record with a 4.41 ERA and 134 saves in 680 games pitched.

Highlights

Twice All-Star (2002-03)
Led American League in saves (2002)

  

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Mark James Grudzielanek [Gress-uh-Lawn-ick] (born June 30, 1970 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin) is a second baseman in Major League Baseball who plays for the St. Louis Cardinals since 2005. Previously, Grudzielanek played with the Montreal Expos (1995-1998[start]), Los Angeles Dodgers (1998[end]-2002) and Chicago Cubs (2003-04). He bats and throws right handed. In a 10-season career, Grudzielanek has compiled a .287 batting average with 66 home runs and 443 RBI in 1299 games.

Highlights

All-Star (1996)
Led National League in doubles (54, 1997)
Led NL in at-bats (649, 1997)
Finished 6th in the NL in batting average (.326, 1999)
Collected 201 hits in a season (1996)

2005 season

On April 27, Grudzielanek became the third St. Louis player to hit for the cycle at 40-year-old Busch Stadium, which is being demolished after this season. The others were Ray Lankford (1991) and Lou Brock (1975).

  

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Kelly Wayne Gruber (born February 26, 1962 in Houston, Texas) was a Major League Baseball player. He played third base.

Contents

1 Early career
2 Best years
3 Accomplishments
4 Teams

Early career

Kelly was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the 1st round (10th pick) of the 1980 amateur draft but did not see time with the team. On December 5, 1983, the Toronto Blue Jays picked him up in the Rule V draft. Kelly saw his first Major League action shortly after, playing in his first game on April 20, 1984. Over the next three seasons, he split time between the Majors and the minors, eventually earning an every day spot in the Toronto line-up by 1987.

Best years

Kelly had his best season in 1990, hitting .290 with 31 HRs, 118 RBIs and 14 SBs. The numbers remain among the most impressive ever posted by a Blue Jay.

The relationship between Kelly and the team soured over the next few years, however. After the Blue Jays won the World Series in 1992 — thanks in large part to a Game 3, game-tying home in the World Series — Kelly was traded to the California Angels for Luis Sojo and cash. Kelly appeared in interviews to be very bitter about the move, feeling that he deserved better treatment from the team he had been so loyal to.

Kelly’s career was tragically cut short in 1993 due to a bone spur on his spinal cord.

Accomplishments

All-star (1989, 1990)
Gold Glove winner, third base (1990)
4th in American League MVP voting (1990)
First Blue Jay to hit for the cycle (April 16, 1990)
American Superstars multi-sport competition champion in 1991

Teams

Toronto Blue Jays (1984-1992)
California Angels (1993)

  

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Robert Moses “Lefty” Grove (March 6, 1900 – May 22, 1975) was one of the greatest pitchers in Major League Baseball history, and in the opinion of many – including noted baseball historian Bill James – the best pitcher ever. Born in Lonaconing, Maryland, Grove was a sandlot star in the Baltimore area during the 1910s. His performance naturally caught the eye of Jack Dunn, the owner of the minor league Baltimore Orioles, who also discovered Babe Ruth.

Grove joined the Orioles in 1920 and embarked on a epic minor league career which saw him regarded by some as one of the best pitchers in the game before he ever threw a pitch in the majors. Breaking into the team’s pitching rotation at midseason, he posted a 12-2 record. Over the next four seasons, he posted marks of 25-10, 18-8, 27-10 and 27-6, leading the International League in strikeouts every season.

Grove remained in the minor leagues through 1924 because Dunn, who ran an independent operation with no major-league affiliation, refused several offers from the majors to acquire him. Finally, early in 1925, Dunn agreed to sell Grove’s rights to the Philadelphia Athletics for $106,000, the highest amount ever paid for a player at the time.

He battled injuries as a rookie and posted only a 10-13 record despite leading the league in strikeouts, then settled down in 1926 and won the first of a record nine earned run average (ERA) titles with a mark of 2.51. In 1927, he won 20 games for the first time, and a year later he led the league in wins, with 24.

From 1929 to 1931, the Athletics won the pennant and World Series each season, and Grove led the way as the league’s top pitcher. He posted records of 20-6, 28-5 and 31-4 in those years, the last of which was his greatest season. He led the league in wins, ERA (2.06), strikeouts (175), winning percentage, complete games and shutouts. He was chosen as league MVP, making him one of the few pitchers to achieve this.

The Athletics continued to contend for the next two seasons, but finished second to the New York Yankees both years. Following the 1933 season, team owner Connie Mack suffered severe financial problems and was forced to sell Grove to the rival Boston Red Sox.

At the time, the Red Sox were a bad team, and Grove didn’t help much his first year, when an arm injury held him to an 8-8 record. But in 1935, he returned to form with a 20-12 record and a league-leading 2.70 ERA. He won his eighth ERA title a year later, and also led the league in that category and winning percentage in 1938. He didn’t win as many games in Boston, as managers protected his arm as he aged, but he continued to post outstanding records, such as 14-4 in 1938 and 15-4 a year later.

Grove retired in 1941 with a career record of 300-141. His .680 lifetime winning percentage is eighth all-time, but none of the seven men ahead of him won more than 218 games. His lifetime ERA of 3.06, when adjusted for the hitters’ parks he played his entire career in and the era in which he played, is the best of any pitcher in history (except the still-active Pedro Martinez) at 48 percent above average.

Grove was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1947. He died in Norwalk, Ohio and was interred in the Frostburg Memorial Cemetery, in Frostburg, Maryland.

  

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Jerry Grote (born October 6, 1942 in San Antonio, Texas) is a former Major League Baseball catcher who played for the Houston Colt .45s, New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers and Kansas City Royals between 1963 and 1981. Grote was inducted into the New York Mets Hall of Fame in 1992.

  

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Richard Morrow Groat (born November 4, 1930 in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania) is a former shortstop in Major League Baseball who played with the Pittsburgh Pirates (1952, 1955-62), St. Louis Cardinals (1963-65), Philadelphia Phillies (1966-67) and San Francisco Giants (1967). He batted and threw right-handed.

Contents

1 Career
2 Highlights
3 Basketball

Career

In a fourteen-season career, Groat compiled a .286 batting average with 39 home runs and 707 RBI in 1929 games.

Highlights

5-time All-Star (1959-60, 1962-64)
National League MVP (1960)
2nd in NL MVP vote (1963, behind Sandy Koufax)
NL batting champion (.325, 1960)
Led NL in singles (160, 1954)
Led NL in doubles (43, 1963)
4 times hit .300 or higher (1957-58, 1960, 1963)

Basketball

Groat was also a professional basketball player, spending one season as a guard with the Fort Wayne Pistons of the National Basketball Association. In 26 games, he averaged 11.9 points, but his basketball career was cut short by military service; when his enlistment was up, he returned to the Pirates but not to the Pistons.

Groat currently serves as a color analyst for University of Pittsburgh basketball games.

  

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Marquis Deon Grissom “Grip” (born 17 April 1967) is a Major League Baseball player. He was born in Atlanta, Georgia. He began his professional career at the age of 22 and had both speed and power. As a fielder, he won 4 Gold Gloves, 2 with Montreal in 1993 and 1994, and 2 with Atlanta in 1995 and 1996. He led the National League in stolen bases in 1991 and 1992. Grissom was signed by the Montreal Expos in 1988. After spending a year in the minors, Grisson made his major league debut on 22 August 1989. In 1993 and 1994, Grissom was an All-Star for collecting over 300 hits in those two seasons combined. His batting average was also .298 in ’93 and .288 ’94, keeping in mind the strike that year.

In 1995, the Atlanta Braves signed Marquis. He won a World Series championship with the Braves that season. His next stop was Cleveland, where he spent the 1997 with the Indians, enjoying yet another trip to the World Series. This was his only American League stint. The Florida Marlins, though, defeated the Indians in an unexpected matchup.

From 1998-2000, Grissom was a member of the Milwaukee Brewers. He continued hitting well, but his team was unsuccessful in each of the three seasons. He then joined the Los Angeles Dodgers for 2001 and 2002. The San Francisco Giants picked up Grissom in 2003. In 2004, the Giants exercised their contract option for Grissom, bringing him back for another season. However, he was designated for assignment on August 2, 2005. Following the 2005 season, Grissom is eligible for free agency.

  

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Charles John Grimm (August 28, 1898 – November 15, 1983), nicknamed “Jolly Cholly”, was an American first baseman and manager in Major League Baseball best known for his years with the Chicago Cubs; he was also a sometime radio broadcaster, and a popular goodwill ambassador for baseball. He played for the Pittsburgh Pirates early in his career, but was traded to the Cubs in 1925 and worked mostly for the Cubs for the rest of his career. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Grimm was known for being outgoing and chatty, even singing old-fashioned songs while accompanying himself on the banjo.

As a manager for the Cubs, he led the team to National League championships in 1932, 1935 and 1945. He later managed the Milwaukee Braves for their first four years after their move from Boston. Being of German extraction, he was popular in the Beer City, but left the Braves the year before they went to – and won – the World Series in 1957.

He was brought out of retirement to direct the Cubs again in early 1960, but the team got off to a slow start, and owner P.K. Wrigley made the novel move of swapping Grimm with another former manager, Lou Boudreau, who was doing Cubs radiocasts at that time. Grimm had done play-by-play in the past, so he gave it one more go in 1960, before stepping back to the ranks of coaching and then front office duties.

It was in 1961 that Wrigley began his “College of Coaches”, of which Grimm was a part but was never designated “Head Coach”. One of the Cubs’ coaches during that 5-year experiment was baseball’s first black coach, Buck O’Neil. In an apparent negative on his otherwise positive career, it has been alleged that Grimm had a hand in preventing O’Neil from becoming one of those temporary “managers” under the Wrigley system; otherwise the Cubs might have effectively had the first African-American manager in baseball history.

Grimm died in Scottsdale, Arizona at age 85, from cancer.

  

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Burleigh Arland Grimes (August 9, 1893-December 6, 1985) was an American professional baseball player, and the last pitcher officially permitted to throw the spitball. Nicknamed “Ol’ Stubblebeard”, Grimes was born in Emerald, Wisconsin. He made his major league debut on September 10, 1916 for the Pittsburgh Pirates and in 1920, when the spitball was banned, he was named as one of the 17 established pitchers who would be allowed to continue to throw the pitch.

The 26 year old Grimes made the most of this advantage, and over the course of his 19-year career, won 270 games and pitched in four World Series. At the time of his retirement, he was the last of the 17 spitballers left in the league.

He played for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1916 – 1917), the Brooklyn Dodgers (1918-1926), the New York Giants (1927), the Pirates again (1928-1929), the Boston Braves (1930), the St. Louis Cardinals (the rest of 1930 and 1931), the Chicago Cubs (1932 and part of 1933), the Cardinals again (the rest of 1933 and part of 1934), the Pirates again (1934), and the New York Yankees (the last part of 1934).

Burleigh Grimes was elected to the United States Baseball Hall of Fame in 1964.

  

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Clark Calvin Griffith (November 20, 1869 – October 27, 1955), nicknamed “the Old Fox”, was a Major League Baseball pitcher (1891 – 1914), manager (1901 – 1920) and team owner (1920 – 1955). Griffith entered the American Association in 1891, pitching 226 1/3 innings and winning 14 games for the St. Louis Browns and Boston Reds. He began the following season with the Chicago Colts, and in 1894 began a string of six consecutive seasons with 20 or more victories, compiling a 21-14 record and 4.92 ERA. Griffith lowered his ERA over the following years to a low of 1.88 in 1898, the lowest mark in the league.

Griffith won 20 games for his 7th and final time in 1901 as a member of the Chicago White Stockings in the nascent American League; it was also the first year he assumed managerial duties. His success extended beyond his own play as the White Stockings won the AL title with a 83-53 record.

Griffith phased out of playing in the following years while taking the managerial helm of the New York Highlanders (1903 – 1908), Cincinnati Reds (1909 – 1911) and Washington Senators (1912 – 1920). He finished his managerial career with a 1491-1367 record. His 1491 wins ranked 18th all-time as of 2004.

Griffith owned the Washington Senators from 1920 until his death in 1955, during which time he became known for his dislike of night games and also for his faith in young players. He twice entrusted 27-year-old players to manage his teams (Bucky Harris in 1924 and Joe Cronin in 1933). Griffith’s wagers appeared to pay off, as the Senators won the pennant in both years under their new youthful managers. When Griffith died, ownership of the club passed into the hands of his adopted son, Calvin Griffith.

Griffith was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1946.

  

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Alfredo Claudino Griffin (born October 6, 1957 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) was a Major League Baseball player. He played shortstop. Alfredo began his career as a member of the Cleveland Indians, who signed him as an amateur free agent in 1973. On December 5, 1978, before having played a full season in the majors, he was traded along with Phil Lansford (minors) to the Toronto Blue Jays for Victor Cruz. Alfredo made an immediate impact, co-winning the American League Rookie of the Year Award in 1979 with John Castino.

In 1984 he was named to the All-Star team. This was explained by John Feinstein of the Washington Post as: “”Making the All-Star team the hard way: Major league baseball pays the expenses for each player here and for one guest. In most cases, players bring wives or girlfriends. Damaso Garcia, the Toronto Blue Jays’ second baseman, brought his shortstop, Alfredo Griffin. When the Tigers’ Alan Trammell hurt his arm and could not play tonight, Manager Joe Altobelli named Griffin to the team, partly because he’s a fine player, but mostly because he was here.”

Alfredo won the AL Gold Glove Award for a shortstop in 1985.

He is currently a coach for the Anaheim Angels.

Teams

Cleveland Indians (1976-1978)
Toronto Blue Jays (1979-1984, 1992-1993)
Oakland Athletics (1985-1987)
Los Angeles Dodgers (1988-1991)

  

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George Kenneth Griffey, Sr. (born April 10, 1950 in the Pittsburgh surburb of Donora, Pennsylvania) is a former Major League Baseball star. He is the father of Ken Griffey, Jr. Griffey was introduced to Major League Baseball on August 25, 1973. He played for the Cincinnati Reds (1973-81, 1988-90) New York Yankees (1982-86), Atlanta Braves (1986-88) and Seattle Mariners (1990-91).

When his son joined the Mariners in 1989 the Griffeys made history as the first father and son to play major league baseball simultaneously, and when he joined his son there in 1990 they became the first father-and-son teammates.

Griffey was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 2004.

  

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George Kenneth Griffey, Jr. (born November 21, 1969 in the Pittsburgh suburb of Donora, Pennsylvania) is an American Major League Baseball player. He was raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, where his father, Ken Griffey, Sr., played most of his best years with the Cincinnati Reds. The younger Griffey played at Moeller High School, a Catholic school in Cincinnati better known for its football program. As a Major League Baseball player he has compiled superior hitting statistics, and was awarded a Gold Glove Award for defensive excellence in 10 consecutive seasons, from 1990 to 1999, while playing center field for the Seattle Mariners. Griffey, Jr. played on the same team as his father with the Seattle Mariners in 1990 and 1991.

Griffey, Jr.’s career began with the Seattle Mariners in 1989. He won the American League Most Valuable Player award in 1997, hitting .304, with 56 home runs and 147 runs batted in. He signed a long-term contract with the Cincinnati Reds following the 1999 season. He has been injury-prone since joining the Reds. Ken Griffey, Sr. has been one of the team’s coaches. During Griffey Jr.’s tenure with the Seattle Mariners, he established himself over the years as one of baseball’s premier players, with the potential of being considered one of the greatest players ever. He was a multi-dimensional player during a time when more and more players usually excelled at either hitting or fielding, but rarely both. Griffey could hit with high average, batting over .300 for seven of the ten years of the 1990s, and hit with power as well, by hitting 422 home runs during the decade. His abilities in centerfield arguably were paralleled by no one. Griffey often made over the shoulder catches, the kind that Willie Mays immortalized during the 1954 World Series, with a play simply known as the Catch. For these reasons, Ken Griffey, Jr. was one of baseball’s most respected and well liked players during the 1990s, as one could routinely see his picture on cereal boxes and television commercials, and he was a mainstay of the All-Star Game during the decade.

Despite Griffey, Jr.’s fantastic performance, and seemingly bright future in Seattle, he nonetheless became disenchanted with playing for the Mariners. Publicly, he expressed frustration over what he believed was a lack of commitment to winning from the management of the Mariners. Also, there was speculation that Griffey was very unhappy with Seattle’s new Safeco Field, in which it was much more difficult to maintain the level of power he had while playing in the Kingdome. It’s been reported that Griffey, Jr., among other Mariners players, requested the architects of Safeco Field bring the fences closer to home plate. However, much to the players’ chagrin, the architects designed a park with a deep center field. This, combined with Safeco being at sea level, and Seattle’s generally dense, moisture-laden atmosphere, helped create a “pitcher friendly” ball park. In the summer of 1999, it was reported that Ken Griffey, Jr. hit a ball that would likely have been a home run in the Kingdome, but turned into a long fly-out to center in Safeco. Griffey, Jr. then stormed angrily to the Mariner dugout telephone, called the Mariners’ general manager, and demanded to be traded that day. Although Griffey, Jr. has always denied his concern with baseball records, his behavior seemed to indicate in 1999 that he definitely had his ambitions set towards breaking Hank Aaron’s all time home run record.

Griffey, Jr. ultimately got his wish, and started the 2000 season with his father’s former team, the Cincinnati Reds. Initially, the future looked extremely bright for him there-he was given an extremely warm welcome by the fans of Cincinnati, the city in which he had grown up, and Griffey, Jr. was reportedly very pleased to be playing on his father’s former team. On the open market, Griffey, Jr. could have made several million dollars more than the contract offered by the small market and notoriously penurious Reds, thus showing how much he wanted to play for them. However, the 2000 season began what has become the long, steady, and painful decline of Griffey’s Jr’s superstar status. Although his statistics during this season were respectable, they were far below his previous level of play, hitting .271 with 40 home runs, and playing 145 games. From the 2001 season onwards, Griffey, Jr. has been plagued by various injuries, and the last three years have seen season-ending injuries. Many speculate the injuries are a result of a decade of playing on the Kingdome’s artificial turf, which players claim is like playing the game on asphalt. Whatever their causes, injuries have forced Griffey, Jr. to play in only 206 out of 486 games in the last three years. Consequently, he is not nearly the ubiquitous presence he once was on cereal boxes, television commercials, and the All-Star Game.

Ken Griffey Jr’s famous swing, Spring Training 2004.

In 2004, Griffey, Jr. avoided major injury during the first half of the season and on June 20 became the 20th player to reach 500 career home runs. The 500th home run came on Father’s Day in a game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium, with his father Ken Sr. in the stands, a hit that also tied him with his father for career hits with 2,143. However, the injury bug struck again just before the All-Star break; he suffered a partial hamstring tear, knocking him out of the All-Star Game and putting him on the disabled list.

Ken Griffey, Jr. finished the 2004 season on the disabled list after suffering a complete rupture of his right hamstring in San Francisco on August 11. The play in question occurred at SBC Park in a game against the San Francisco Giants. Griffey was starting in right field for the first time in his 16-year Major League career when he raced toward the gap to try to cut off a ball before it got to the wall. He slid as he got to the ball, but in the process hyperextended his right leg. He later came out of the game, complaining of “tightness” in the hamstring exacerbated by chilly conditions in San Francisco. But there was far more to it than anyone realized at the time. Still with the Reds in 2005.

The 2005 season has seen a resurgance of a healthy Junior, currently the front-runner for Comeback Player of the Year. The fluid swing, which depends heavily on excellent lower body strength, has returned to its near-flawless form this year, now that Griffey’s hamstring and calf problems appear behind him. Junior’s home run total this year is the highest its been since his first year with the Reds (2000: 40 HR). With each ball he sends sailing over the outfield fence, Griffey slowly marches up the career home run list, having passed several notable sluggers this year, including Ted Williams, Willie McCovey, Ernie Banks, Eddie Matthews, and Mel Ott. If his health remains in tact, Junior could reach 600 home runs sometime in the 2007 season, at age 37. Had the chronic injuries of the past four seasons not limited his astronomical progess, the discussion would currently be when, not if, Griffey Jr. would surpass Hammerin’ Hank’s record 755 career home runs.

Griffey and his wife Melissa have 3 children: George Kenneth III (“Trey”), daughter Taryn Kennedy, and adopted son Tevin Kendall. When Trey was born, then-Mariners’ G.M. Woody Woodward sent him a player’s contract dated 2012.

  

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Benjamin Grieve (born May 5, 1976 in Arlington, Texas) is a Major League Baseball outfielder. He bats left-handed and throws right-handed. In his nine-season career, he has played with the Oakland Athletics (1997-2000), Tampa Bay Devil Rays (2001-2003), Milwaukee Brewers (2004), and Chicago Cubs (2004,2005).* Grieve won the 1998 American League Rookie of the Year award while playing for the Oakland Athletics. His father, Tom Grieve, is an announcer for the Texas Rangers and a former baseball player. Grieve’s baseball career has been plagued by accusations of lack of motivation. Perhaps as a result, his career has been very disappointing relative to his natural abilities.

*Note: Grieve departed the Chicago Cubs in the 2004-2005 offseason as a free agent, then signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates as a non-roster invitee to spring training. He was then cut from the Pirates, which made him a free agent. Then at the beginning of the 2005 season Grieve was signed by the Chicago Cubs to a minor league contract, which assigned him to the Triple-A Iowa Cubs. Despite two short call-ups, Grieve remains in the Cubs’ minor league system as of August 19, 2005.

Awards

American League Rookie Of The Year(1998)

Baseball America High School All-American (1994)

  

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Robert Anthony “Bobby” Grich (born January 15, 1949 in Muskegon, Michigan) is an American former Major League Baseball second baseman and right-handed batter who played for the Baltimore Orioles (1970-76) and California Angels (1977-86). Grich had a very successful player career with Baltimore and the Angels for over 15 seasons. The main reason that sets him apart from the other second basemen of his generation, was the combination of fielding and hitting. He won four consecutive Gold Glove Awards and made the American League All-Star squad six times.

In 1973, the Orioles traded Davey Johnson to the Braves in order to make room for Grich at second base. He was an excellent fielder, with good range, soft hands, and a good arm, and he was steady turning the double play. In 1973, he set an all-time major league fielding record with a .995 fielding percentage, and 12 seasons later in 1985, he broke the record again (.997).

With the bat, Grich belted 19 homeruns with 82 RBI in 1974. Then, in 1979, he batted .294, adding 30 homers and 101 RBI, but he had his best offensive performance in the strike-shortened 1981 season. Grich tied the lead in homeruns (22, along with Tony Armas and Dwight Evans), led in slugging average (.543), and hit a career-high .304.

Grich had back luck in the post-season with the Orioles. First, losing the ALCS against Oakland (1973-74); later, joining in on the continual Angels failures against his former team (1979) and the Brewers (1982). Grich came closest in his final MLB season (1986), when the Angels blew a 5-2 lead to the Red Sox with two-outs in the ninth inning of Game Five, then lost Games Six and Seven as well. After the final out, Grich announced his retirement .

In 17-years career Grich batted .266, with 224 homeruns, 864 RBI, 1033 runs, 1833 hits, 320 doubles, 47 triples, 104 stolen bases, and a .371 on base percentage in 2008 games.

Highlights

6-time All-Star (1972, 1974, 1976, 1979-80, 1982)
4-time Gold Glove (1973-76)
Twice Top 10 MVP (1974, 1979)
Led league in slugging average (1981)
Led league in homeruns (1981)
First second baseman to lead AL in HRs since Nap Lajoie (1901) and in either league since Rogers Hornsby (1939).
Hit three consecutive homeruns in a game (1974)
Set an AL 2B record with 484 putouts in a season (1974)
The first player elected to the Angels’ Hall of Fame (1996)

Fact

Grich teamed with shortstop Mark Belanger a duo winner of four Gold Gloves, joining a select list of eight shortstop-second baseman combinations have won the honor in the same season while playing together (1973 to 1976)

  

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Michael Lewis Greenwell (born July 18, 1963 in Louisville, Kentucky) is a former left fielder in Major League Baseball who played his entire career with the Boston Red Sox (1985-1996). He batted left-handed and threw right-handed. Greenie finished second in the AL MVP voting in 1988, losing out to Jose Canseco, who pulled off the first 40 home run, 40 stolen base season in baseball history. Greenwell hit .325 with 22 HR and 119 RBI in 1988, setting career highs in all three categories.

Contents

1 Career
2 Highlights
3 Fact
4 From the news

Career

In a 12-season career, Greenwell was a .303 hitter with 130 home runs and 726 RBI in 1269 games. In the postseason, he hit .146 (7-for-48) with one home run and three RBI in 17 games.

Throughout his Red Sox career, Greenwell suffered under the weight of lofty expectations for a Boston left fielder, as since 1940 the position had been occupied by Ted Williams, Carl Yastrzemski and Jim Rice – all MVP winners and regular triple crown candidates. Although his play rarely reached the level of his predecessors, he provided a solid and reliable presence in the team’s lineup for several seasons.

Highlights

Twice All Star (1988-89)
Top 10 American League MVP (2nd, 1988)
Led AL in intentional walks (18, 1988)
Hit for the cycle (September 14, 1988)
Hit an inside-the-park grand slam (September 1, 1990)

Fact

On September 2, 1996 in Seattle, Greenwell got all nine RBI in a Boston 9-8 victory over the Mariners in ten innings.

From the news

Greenwell was the runner-up to Jose Canseco in the 1988 American League MVP voting, and now that Canseco has admitted steroid use, Greenwell feels that award is rightfully his.

In 1988, Greenwell hit .325 with 22 home runs, 119 RBI and 16 stolen bases. Canseco hit .307 with 42 HRs, 124 RBI and 40 steals, becoming baseball’s first 40-40 man. Canseco’s unprecedented season garnered him 392 votes. Greenwell received 242, and third-place finisher Kirby Puckett got 219.

“Every time you renegotiate a contract, if you’re an MVP, you have a different level of bargaining power. But in honesty, I don’t care about the money. I respect what Jose did in the game. I don’t respect that [he used steroids], but I do understand how these guys get caught up in it. There is so much pressure to perform that guys are willing to do anything to stay on top,” Greenwell said. For more about it,

  

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Henry Benjamin “Hank” Greenberg (January 1, 1911 – September 4, 1986), nicknamed “Hammerin’ Hank”, was an American player in Major League Baseball.

Contents

1 Early Life
2 Early Career
3 Records and Baseball style
4 WWII Service
5 Return to Baseball
6 Coaching and Ownership
7 Legacy

Early Life

He was born in New York City to an Orthodox Jewish family and attended James Monroe High School in the Bronx, where he was an outstanding all-around athlete. His preferred sport was baseball, and his preferred position was first base. In 1929, he was recruited by the New York Yankees, who already had a capable first baseman: Lou Gehrig. Greenberg turned them down and attended New York University for a year, after which he signed with the Detroit Tigers.

Early Career

He played minor league baseball for three years, and was named Most Valuable Player in the Texas League.

In 1933, he joined the Tigers and hit .301 while driving in 87 runs.

Starring as a first baseman and outfielder with the Detroit Tigers (1930, 1933-1946), and briefly with the Pittsburgh Pirates (1947), he played only nine full seasons. He missed three full seasons and most of two others to military service during World War II, and missed most of another season with a broken wrist. In seven of the nine years in which he was active, he was one of the dominant players in the game, beginning in 1934, his second major-league season, in which he won his first MVP award and helped the Tigers reach their first World Series in 25 years.

As a fielder, the 6’4″ Greenberg was awkward and unsure of himself early in his career, but he mastered his first-base position through countless hours of practice. When he was asked to move to the outfield in 1940 to make room for Rudy York, he worked tirelessly to master that position as well.

Records and Baseball style

A prodigious home-run hitter, he narrowly missed breaking Babe Ruth’s single-season home-run record in 1938 when he hit 58 home runs. The story goes that several pitchers intentionally walked Greenberg towards the end of the season rather than give a Jewish man a chance to break Babe Ruth’s record. (There is some reason to dispute this as a motive. It is true that the Cleveland Indians did not give Greenberg good pitches to hit during the last week of the season; it is also true that Detroit and Cleveland were battling for third place, which in those days carried with it a share of World Series profits, so Cleveland players had a financial interest in keeping Greenberg from hitting home runs.)

For his own part, Greenberg felt that runs batted in were more important than home runs. He would tell his teammates, “just get on base”, or “just get the runner to third”, and he would do the rest. He batted in 170 runs in 1935 and in 1937 topped that with 183 (a figure bettered only by Hack Wilson in 1930 and Lou Gehrig in 1931).

After moving to the outfield in 1940, Greenberg led the Tigers to a pennant and won his second MVP award, becoming at the time, only the second player ever to win the MVP award at two different positions.

WWII Service

The Detroit draft board initially classified Greenberg as 4F for “flat feet.” Rumors that he had bribed the board and concern that he would be likened to Jack Dempsey, who received negative publicity for failure to serve in World War I, led Greenberg to be rexamined, and he was found fit to serve.

Although drafted in 1940, he was honorably discharged after Congress released men aged 28 years or older from service, being released on December 5, 1941, two days before the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. Greenberg re-enlisted and volunteered for service in the United States Army Air Corps. He graduated from Officer Candidate School and was commissioned as a first lieutenant. He eventually served overseas in the China-Burma-India theater, scouting locations for B-29 bases.

Return to Baseball

Greenberg remained in uniform until the summer of 1945. Without the benefit of spring training, he returned to the Tigers and helped lead them to a come-from-behind American League pennant, clinching it with a grand-slam home run on the final game of the season. In 1946 he returned to peak form.

It is often estimated that Greenberg, had he played in another era uninterrupted by war, would have amassed over 500-600 home runs and 1,800-2,000 RBI. As it is, his totals of 331 home runs and 1,276 RBI are amazing for a 1,394-game career. He also hit for average, batting .313.

In 1947, Greenberg and the Tigers had a lengthy salary dispute. When Greenberg decided to retire rather than play for less, Detroit traded him to the Pittsburgh Pirates. To persuade him not to retire, Pittsburgh made Greenberg the first baseball player to earn over $100,000 in a season (though the exact amount is a matter of some dispute). Team co-owner Bing Crosby recorded a song, “Goodbye, Mr. Ball, Goodbye” with Groucho Marx and Greenberg, to celebrate Greenberg’s arrival. The Pirates also moved in the seats in Forbes Field’s cavernous left field, renaming the section “Greenberg’s Gardens”, to accommodate Greenberg’s pull-hitting style. Greenberg played first base for the Pirates for 1947, and was one of the few opposing players to publicly welcome Jackie Robinson to the majors.

Coaching and Ownership

The following year, Greenberg retired from the field to become the Cleveland Indians’ farm system director and two years later, their general manager. His contributions in finding and developing talent contributed to that team’s successes through the 1950s. He followed Bill Veeck to the Chicago White Sox, as part-owner, then retired from baseball in 1963 to go into investment banking.

He married Coral Gimbel (of the New York department store family) on February 18, 1946, three days after signing a $60,000 contract with the Tigers. Their son, Steven, played five years in the Washington Senators and Texas Rangers organizations.

Awards: American League Most Valuable Player, 1934 and 1940. American League All-Star team, 1937-1940. Elected to the United States Baseball Hall of Fame in 1956.

Greenberg died in Beverly Hills, California and his remains were entombed at Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery in Culver City, California.

Documentary: The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg, 2000.

Autobiography: The Story of My Life, ISBN 1892049236

Legacy

Greenberg was considered a sports icon in the Jewish American community.

Greenberg was not the first Jewish man to play major-league baseball, but by the end of his career he had become by far the best Jewish player ever, and the first major Jewish star. In the 50 years since Greenberg’s retirement, only Sandy Koufax achieved similar success among Jewish players. Greenberg was subject to the most vicious ethnic taunting seen in the sport prior to the arrival of Jackie Robinson in 1947, yet Greenberg nevertheless became a first-rank ballplayer and an icon among Jews in the United States.

  

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Shawn David Green (born November 10, 1972 in Des Plaines, Illinois) is a left-handed power hitter in Major League Baseball. He is noted for his swing and his arm in the outfield. He is also one of the most notable Jewish ball players.

Contents

1 Early career
2 Best years
3 Accomplishments
4 Yearly salaries
5 Teams

Early career

Shawn Green was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 1st round (16th pick) of the 1991 amateur draft and made his Major League debut on September 28, 1993. He spent most of 1993 and 1994 playing in the minors, where he compiled impressive numbers. In 1994, he hit .344 with 13 home runs and 81 RBI with Toronto’s AAA affiliate, the Syracuse Sky Chiefs.

In 1995, his rookie season, Shawn started slowly but picked up the pace later on as he became more comfortable with Major League pitching. He started in 97 games that season, hitting 15 home runs and batting .288. The 1996 and 1997 seasons were very similar in that Shawn faced limited at-bats, wasn’t trusted to hit left-handed pitching, and continued to produce only in sporadic intervals. He was, however, developing in other ways. He proved to be more aggressive on the base paths in 1997 than any previous year and stole 14 bases. He was also developing his upper body strength in hopes of alleviating the skinny kid persona which had followed him from the minors.

Best years

In 1998, for the first time, Shawn was granted an every day spot in the line-up — right-handed pitcher or left — and he delivered by becoming the first Blue Jay to hit 30 or more home runs and steal 30 or more bases in the same season. The season was beyond what even his fiercest apologists over the previous seasons had predicted. Shawn had never hit more than 18 home runs in a season (Major or minor leagues) but was now showing the signs of becoming a true power hitter. He finished the season batting .278 with 35 home runs, 100 RBI and 35 stolen bases.

In 1999, Shawn proved his new-found power swing was no fluke. On April 22 he belt a 449-foot home run into SkyDome’s 5th deck, putting him in prestigious company with the likes of Jose Canseco, Mark McGwire and Joe Carter. By the All-Star break he had hit 25 home runs and knocked in 70 RBI, earning him not only his first All-Star appearance, but also the chance to compete in the Home Run Derby at Fenway Park. Shawn hit two home runs but was eliminated in the first round. He finished the season batting .309 (a career best), with 42 home runs and 123 RBI.

In the off-season, Shawn expressed his desire to sign with a team closer to his California roots as a free agent after the 2000 season. The Blue Jays, strapped with the rising contract demands of Shawn and slugger teammate Carlos Delgado, decided it was best not to leave the decision of which player to pursue until mid-way through the season. On November 8, 1999, Shawn was traded with Jorge Nunez to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Pedro Borbon and Raul Mondesi.

Shawn was quick to sign an extension with Los Angeles, agreeing to a $84-million/6 year deal that included a $4 million signing bonus. With a lot of pressure riding on his now well-paid shoulders, Shawn struggled in 2000, his first season with Los Angeles, but had a career year in 2001, batting .297 with 49 home runs, 125 RBI, and 20 stolen bases. His 49 home runs were a Dodgers season record but placed only fourth in the league, behind Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa and Luis Gonzalez.

Shawn started off slowly in 2002 but quickly turned things around. On May 23, which can aptly be called the turning point of the season, Shawn hit four home runs against the Milwaukee Brewers and had 19 total bases, both Major League records. Shawn went on a tear from there on, finishing with a .285 average, 42 home runs, 114 RBI, and 20 stolen bases.

In 2003, Shawn struggled throughout the whole season. It turns out that he had problems with his shoulder which just limited him to a batting average of .280, with 19 home runs and 85 RBI. As the 2004 season came along, Shawn was determined to do better than the 2003 season. Shawn improved slightly as he batted .266, hit 28 home runs, and collected 86 RBI that led the Dodgers into the 2004 playoffs. In January of 2005 there were trade rumors which would send Shawn to the Arizona Diamondbacks. At first, the trade was in serious jeopardy because Shawn had a no trade clase. He said he would only waive the clause if he got an extension from the Arizona Diamondbacks. Finally, on June 10, 2005, Shawn recieved a extension for 3/$32 million. The next day, Shawn passed his physical and the trade went through. It was a part of a three-team trade which sent Shawn and cash to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for 4 minor leaguers.

Accomplishments

All-Star (1999, 2002)
American League Gold Glove Award (1999)
Finished 5th in National League MVP voting (2002)
Finished 6th in National League MVP voting (2001)
Finished 9th in American League MVP voting (1999)
Member of the 30-30 club (1998)
Holds Dodgers record for most home runs in a season (2001, 49 home runs)
Hit 4 home runs in a game (May 23, 2002)
Holds record for total bases in a game (May 23, 2002, with 19)
Hit a home run into the upper deck of SkyDome (April 22, 1999)

Yearly salaries

1993 Toronto Blue Jays $109,000
1994 Toronto Blue Jays $109,000
1995 Toronto Blue Jays $130,000
1996 Toronto Blue Jays $287,500
1997 Toronto Blue Jays $500,000
1998 Toronto Blue Jays $1,475,000
1999 Toronto Blue Jays $3,125,000
2000 Los Angeles Dodgers $9,416,667
2001 Los Angeles Dodgers $12,166,667
2002 Los Angeles Dodgers $13,416,667
2003 Los Angeles Dodgers $15,666,667
2004 Los Angeles Dodgers $16,666,667
2005 Arizona Diamondbacks $8,500,000

Teams

Toronto Blue Jays (1993-1999)
Los Angeles Dodgers (2000-2004)
Arizona Diamondbacks (2005-)

  

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Elijah Jerry (Pumpsie) Green (born October 27, 1933 in Oakland, California) is a former Major League Baseball backup infielder who played with the Boston Red Sox (1959-62) and New York Mets (1963). He was a switch-hitter who threw right-handed.

Through his career, Green was a modest infielder who had the distinction of being the first black player signed by the Red Sox, the last major-league club to integrate. In his Boston tenure, he was used mostly as a pinch runner or day-off replacement for infielders Pete Runnels and Frank Malzone. He made his debut on July 21, 1959, pinch-running in a 2-1 loss against the White Sox.

Green enjoyed his best season in 1961, posting career highs in batting average (.260), home runs (6), RBI (27), doubles (12), stolen bases (4), at-bats (260) and games played (133). He played his final game with the Mets on September 26, 1963.

In a five-season career, Green was a .246 hitter with 13 home runs and 74 RBI in 344 games.

  

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George Dallas Green (born August 4, 1934 in Newport, Delaware) is a former pitcher, manager and executive in Major League Baseball who is perhaps best known for his involvement with the Philadelphia Phillies. After playing for the Phillies and 3 other teams, he went on to manage the Phillies, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets, leading the Phillies to the first World Series title in franchise history in 1980. After attending the University of Delaware, Green was signed by the Phillies as an amateur free agent. In 1963, Green gave up a home run to Jimmy Piersall.

It was the 100th home run of Piersall’s career, and Piersall decided to celebrate the milestone by running around the bases while facing backwards; Green was not amused. Green also gave up the only grand slam of Pete Rose’s career.

After the Tribune Company bought the Chicago Cubs from the Wrigley Family in 1981, the company hired Green away from the Phillies to be the team’s general manager. His presence was quickly felt in the organization, as his slogan “Building a New Tradition” was a jab at the Cubs’ history of losing. He hired a number of coaches and scouts away from the Phillies, like Lee Elia (Green’s first manager), John Vukovich (who remained on the Cubs’ staff throughout Green’s tenure) and Gordon Goldsberry (the team’s director of player development). Green also made some trades with the Phillies, acquiring players like Keith Moreland, Dan Larson and Dickie Noles. His best trade came during that first offseason when Green sent Ivan DeJesus to the Phillies for shortstop Larry Bowa and a minor league infielder named Ryne Sandberg. Bowa was the Cubs starting shortstop for three seasons, and Sandberg blossomed into a star, being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005.

Green continued to build the Cubs during the 1982 and 1983 seasons. After acquiring left fielder Gary Matthews and center fielder Bobby Dernier from Philadelphia before the 1984 season, Green’s Cubs were contenders. During the 1984 season, Green made a few more moves, most notably acquiring right-handed pitcher Dennis Eckersley from the Boston Red Sox for popular first baseman Bill Buckner in late May, and sending Cubs’ prospects Mel Hall and Joe Carter to the Cleveland Indians for relief pitcher George Frazier, backup catcher Ron Hassey and right-handed pitcher Rick Sutcliffe in mid-June. Sutcliffe went 16-1 with the Cubs that season to lead the Cubs to the National League East title. Green’s first-year manager Jim Frey (who managed the Kansas City Royals against Green in 1980) won NL Manager of the Year, Sutcliffe won the NL Cy Young Award and Sandberg won the NL Most Valuable Player Award. Fittingly, Green captured Executive of the Year honors.

The Cubs struggled with injuries in 1985 and 1986 and finished last in 1987 despite Green’s free-agent acquisition of 1987 NL MVP Andre Dawson. In 1987, Green fired manager Gene Michael over Labor Day weekend, blasted his team for quitting in an interview with Chicago Tribune writer Jerome Holtzman, and then resigned as general manager and president of the Cubs organization in October 1987 as Tribune Co. executives would not let him promote Vukovich to manager.

Green’s impact on the Cubs can be felt to this day. He was the first Cubs executive to clash with the City of Chicago over lights in Wrigley Field. Green was a strong proponent of lights from the start of his tenure, but a city ordinance prohibited the Cubs from installing lights in the residential Lakeview neighborhood, where Wrigley Field was located. As president of the Cubs organization (the Tribune Co. made him president in 1984 after Jim Finks resigned to take a job with the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League), Green threatened to move the Cubs to a domed stadium in northwest suburban Schaumburg. Just weeks after Green’s departure, the Chicago City Council and Mayor Harold Washington (who died a week later) approved a change to the ordinance, allowing the Cubs to install lights in 1988.

Green also rebuilt the Cubs’ farm systerm with Goldsberry, developing stars like Shawon Dunston, Greg Maddux, Rafael Palmeiro, Jamie Moyer and Mark Grace. This helped the Cubs win a division title in 1989.

Green’s playing record includes a 20-22 record, with all his decisions coming with the Phillies. He had a 4.26 ERA with 268 strikeouts in 561 1/3 innings pitched. He had 12 complete games and 2 shutouts in 46 starts. He pitched in 185 games. Green also had 4 career saves.

His managerial record is 454-478 in 932 games, a .487 WP. With the Phillies (1979-81), he was over .500 with a record of 169-130. With the Mets (1993-96), he was slightly under .500 at 229-283. In his short time with the Yankees (1989), he was 56-65.

  

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Daniel Peter Graves (born August 7, 1973, in Saigon, South Vietnam) is a relief pitcher currently playing for the New York Mets franchise in Major League Baseball. Born to an American serviceman father and a Vietnamese mother, he is the first Vietnam-born player in the major leagues.

Biography

Graves’ family moved to the U.S. when he was fourteen months old. He graduated from Brandon High School in Brandon, Florida before being awarded a baseball scholarship to the University of Miami. As a right-handed relief pitcher for the school as a junior, he posted a 0.89 earned run average and led collegiate baseball with a school-record 21 saves.

In 1994, Graves was selected by the Cleveland Indians in the fourth round of the amateur MLB draft. He was traded to the Cincinnati Reds in July 1997.

In his first nine seasons with Cleveland and Cincinnati, Graves compiled a 40-42 record as a pitcher with 406 strikeouts, a 3.89 ERA, and 172 saves in 755.2 innings.

On May 23, 2005, Graves was released by Cincinnati after an admittedly poor start to the season and after making an obscene gesture to a heckler who reportedly yelled racial slurs at him. He subsequently was signed as a free agent by the New York Mets on June 11, 2005. After putting up a 5.89 ERA with the Mets, he was designated for assignment on August 23, 2005.

  

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Archibald Wright “Moonlight” Graham (November 9, 1876 – August 25, 1965) was an American professional baseball player who appeared as an outfielder in a single major league game for the New York Giants on June 29, 1905. His story was popularized by the 1989 film Field of Dreams, starring Kevin Costner, and featuring Burt Lancaster and Frank Whaley as older and younger incarnations of Graham. Graham was born in Fayetteville, North Carolina. He played in the minor leagues for three years before joining the Giants on May 23, 1905. On June 29, the Giants were the visiting team against the Dodgers, then known as the Superbas. For the bottom of the eighth inning, Graham was sent in to play right field, replacing George Browne. In the top of the ninth inning, Graham was on deck (scheduled to be the next batter) when the Giants made their third out.

He played the bottom of the ninth in right field but never came to bat, and that game turned out to be his only appearance in a major-league game.

After playing in the minor leagues through the 1907 season, Graham completed his medical degree from the University of Maryland in 1908. He obtained his license the following year and began practicing medicine in Chisholm, Minnesota.

“Doc” Graham, as he became known after his career as a ballplayer, served the people of Chisholm for fifty years. From 1915 to 1959, Graham was the doctor for the Chisholm schools.

Graham died at age 88 in Chisholm in 1965. He is buried in Rochester, Minnesota.

His brother, Frank Porter Graham, was president of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and was later a U. S. Senator.

In 1975, author W. P. Kinsella happened to notice Graham’s entry in the Baseball Encyclopedia. He made note of this unusual career, and then incorporated Graham as a character in his 1982 novel Shoeless Joe, on which the Field of Dreams movie was based.

The Graham Scholarship Fund, established in Graham’s honor, provides financial assistance to two Chisholm High School graduating seniors each year. The award is given to one boy and one girl, and is $500.00 to each recipient.

  

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Anthony Joseph (Tony) Graffanino (born June 6, 1972 in Amityville, New York) is a backup infielder in Major League Baseball who plays for the Boston Red Sox. Previously, Graffanino played with the Atlanta Braves (1996-98), Tampa Bay Devil Rays (1999-2000), Chicago White Sox (2000-03) and Kansas City Royals (2004-05). He bats and throws right-handed. In a nine-season career, Graffanino is a .259 hitter with 35 home runs and 175 RBI in 649 games.

Graffanino is primarily a contact hitter (just 318 strikeouts in 1721 big-league at-bats before this season) who is able to get on base (career .330 OBP) – and his speed is above average, with 41 stolen bases in 59 attempts. He excels as a situational hitter, being capable of hitting behind the runner and dropping down a bunt. As a fielder, he has the hability to play every infield position and left field. He has an above-average arm, which helps him in the LF and on the left side of the infield.

After spending three years with the Braves, 2 1/2 seasons with Tampa Bay and another 3 1/2 with the White Sox, Graffanino played only second base for Kansas City in 2004, but he has moved around more in 2005. Obtained by the Boston Red Sox after the All-Star Game, he will share second base with Alex Cora to replace injured Mark Bellhorn.

At the time of the deal, Graffanino was batting .298 with three homers and 18 RBI playing part-time for the Royals. With his versatility, though, he never has to worry about finding a roster spot. From 1996 through this season, he’s been with five organizations.

Fact

Graduated in 1990 from East Islip (N.Y.) High School, where he played baseball all four years, Graffanino has been very active in the community during his career. in 2002, he coordinated and led baseball clinics for boys and girls from Mercy Home at U.S. Cellular Field and signed autographs at the James R. Thompson Center to promote the need for organ donors.

  

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Mark Grace (born June 28, 1964 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina) was a professional Major League Baseball player for 16 seasons with the Chicago Cubs and Arizona Diamondbacks. His defensive position was first base, he batted left handed and wore jersey number 17. After playing baseball for San Diego State University, Grace was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 1985. He spent three years playing in the Cubs farm system before making his major league debut May 2, 1988.

Mark Grace was never a flashy power hitter, and was often overlooked on Cubs teams that included Sammy Sosa, Andre Dawson and Ryne Sandberg. However, Grace was a consistent, steady hitter, compiling almost 2,500 hits and more than 500 doubles during his 16-year career. He also had a career on-base percentage of .383 and collected four Gold Glove Awards. He holds the distinction of collecting the most base hits (1,754) and doubles (364) in the decade of the 1990s.

In 2000, Mark Grace and the Chicago Cubs management had a falling out and the Cubs decided not to renew his contract. While he was a fan favorite, he and star right fielder Sosa feuded, and some in the front office resented Grace’s pack-a-day smoking habit and his hijinks while enjoying Chicago’s nightlife. Young pubcrawlers in Chicago still reference the phrase “slumpbuster,” a phrase coined by Grace. Grace befriended young pitchers Kyle Farnsworth and Kerry Wood in the late 1990s, and some observers believe Grace’s tutelage has helped feed Farnsworth’s affinity for the nightlife.

However, the Diamondbacks proceeded to sign him, where he played for three more seasons, including helping the Diamondbacks to a World Series victory in 2001.

On September 26, 2003, Mark Grace announced his retirement from baseball. He continues his involvement in the game as a television color commentator for the Diamondbacks, broadcasting games with partner Thom Brennaman. Mark has stated a desire to coach a major league team in the future. He was considered for the Diamondbacks’ managerial position following the 2004 season, but the Diamondbacks hired Bob Melvin instead.

Mark Grace resides in Paradise Valley, Arizona with wife Tanya and sons Jackson Gene and Preston Torre.

  

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Richard Michael “Goose” Gossage (born July 5, 1951 in Colorado Springs, Colorado) is a former relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played 21 seasons for nine different teams before retiring in 1994. He now works in broadcasting. During his career, Gossage earned 310 saves and recorded 1502 strikeouts. He also made nine All-Star appearances. The Yankees of the late 1970′s and early 1980′s arguably pioneered the set-up/closer configuration which is used by most of the better teams today.

The most effective pairing was Ron Davis and Gossage, with Davis typically entering the game in the 7th or 8th innings and Gossage closing. During one stretch, with that pairing, the Yankees won 77 of 79 games in which they led after 6 innings, and they had several other runs that were almost as remarkable.

  

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Leon Allen Goslin (October 16, 1900 – May 15, 1971), better known as Goose Goslin, was a Major League Baseball player known for his powerful left-handed swing and dependable clutch hitting. He played from 1921 until 1938. Goslin broke into the Majors with the Washington Senators in 1921 and played his first full season in 1923, batting .300 with 9 home runs and 99 RBI.

He established himself as one of the league’s premier run producers the following season, batting .344 and driving in 129 runs. He led the Senators to their first World Series championship that season; he contributed 3 home runs and 7 RBI in the series.

Goslin continued his productivity consistently throughout his career, driving in 100 or more runs 11 times and hitting .300 or higher 11 times, while playing for the Senators (1921 – 1930, 1933, 1938), St. Louis Browns (1930 – 1932) and Detroit Tigers (1934 – 1937). He won his second and final World Series with the Tigers in 1935 and finished his career with a .316 average, 248 home runs, 1609 RBI (24th overall) and 175 stolen bases.

Goslin was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1968.

  

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Thomas Gordon (born November 18, 1967 in Sebring, Florida), nicknamed “Flash”, is a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher who plays for the New York Yankees. Previously, he played with the Kansas City Royals (1988-95), Boston Red Sox (1996-99), Chicago Cubs (2001-02), Houston Astros (2002) and Chicago White Sox (2003).

He signed with the Yankees before the 2004 season. Gordon started his career as a Royal, and was signed away by Boston where he was converted from a starter to a closer. In 1998, Gordon set the club’s single-season saves record (46) and was named to his first All-Star Team. His success continued in 1999 setting a major league record with his 54th consecutive save in June, but a nagging elbow injury limited him to just 21 appearances, which required Tommy John surgery that forced him to spend 2000 on the disabled list.

After stops in Houston and both sides of Chicago, Gordon landed in New York. He has been an invaluable adittion to the Yankees bullpen, serving as a set-up for closer Mariano Rivera, or as a middle reliever in tough situations. Basically, Gordon is a 95-MPH fastball thrower and his success is tied to when and how often he uses his excellent curve.

Gordon has compiled a career 122-111 record with 1733 strikeouts, a 3.99 ERA, 114 saves, and 1896.2 innings in 671 games (203 as a starter).

Highlights

Twice All-Star (1998, 2004)
Rolaids Relief Man of the Year Award (1998)
Led AL in saves (1998)
Led AL in games finished (69, 1998)
Set a MLB record with 54 consecutive saves (1998-99)

Trivia

Gordon is also known by his unique signal after striking out a batter; he’s pointing towards God and showing his appreciation
He was referenced as the object of infatuation for the young protagonist of the 1999 Stephen King novel The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon.

  

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Joseph Lowell Gordon (February 18, 1915 – April 14, 1978) was an American second baseman in Major League Baseball. From the late 1930s through the 1940s, Gordon starred in the American League for the New York Yankees (1938-43, 1946) and Cleveland Indians (1947-50).

He batted and threw right-handed. A native of Los Angeles, California, Gordon earned MVP honors in 1942, as he made the All-Star team eleven times (1938-43, 1946-50).

Gordon was a career .268 hitter with 253 home runs and 975 RBI in 1566 games.

After his playing days ended, Gordon became a manager. In the middle of the 1960 season, he was involved in what is believed to be the only trade between managers, when the Cleveland Indians traded him to the Detroit Tigers for their skipper Jimmy Dykes.

He died at age 63 in Sacramento, California.

  

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William Dale Goodman was born on March 22, 1926 & died on October 1, 1984, was an infielder and left-handed batter who played Major League Baseball with the Boston Red Sox (1947-57), Baltimore Orioles (1957), Chicago White Sox (1958-61) and Houston Colt .45′s (1962). Born in Concord, North Carolina, Goodman was an extremely versatile player capable of playing at almost every position.

In 1950 he led the American League in batting average with a .354 mark (one of five times he hit over .300), and was runner-up behind Phil Rizzuto in voting for the MVP Award. He also hit .290 or better 11 straight years (1948-58).

In his career, Goodman batted exactly .300, with 19 home runs, 591 RBI, 807 runs, 1691 hits, 299 doubles, 44 triples, 37 stolen bases, and 669 walks for a .376 on base percentage.

A twice All-Star, Billy Goodman died in Sarasota, Florida, at age of 58. He was inducted to the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame in November 2004.

  

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Dwight Eugene Gooden (born November 16, 1964 in Tampa, Florida), a.k.a. Doc Gooden or Dr. K, an American baseball player, was one of the most feared pitchers in the National League in the middle and late 1980s.

Career

A native of Tampa, Florida, Gooden was drafted in the first round in 1982 and made his major-league debut on April 7, 1984 with the New York Mets at the age of 19 and quickly developed a reputation with his 97 MPH fastball and sweeping curveball. He was dubbed “Dr. K,” (by analogy with basketball’s “Dr. J”, Julius Erving), which soon became shortened to “Doc”.

That season, Gooden won 17 games while losing 9, led the league in strikeouts, struck out all three batters he faced in the All-Star Game, and won Rookie of The Year honors that fall. He was even more dominating in 1985, winning 24 games while losing only four and leading the league in wins, strikeouts, ERA, complete games, and innings pitched. He became one of only 12 African-American pitchers to win 20 games and became the youngest-ever recipient of the Cy Young Award. He then compiled a 17-6 record in helping the Mets to a World Championship in 1986.

Rumors of substance abuse surrounded Gooden early in his career, and he tested positive for cocaine during spring training in 1987. He entered a rehabilitation center on April 1, 1987 to avoid being suspended and didn’t make his first start of the season until June 5.

After a shoulder injury in 1989 and another injury in 1991, his career declined significantly. Gooden was charged along with two other teammates with rape in 1991, and the charges were dropped the following year. In 1994 at age 29, he had a 3-4 record with a 6.31 ERA when he tested positive for cocaine use and was suspended for 60 days. He tested positive again while serving the suspension, and was suspended for the entire 1995 season. The day after receiving the second suspension, Gooden’s wife, Monica, found him in his bedroom with a loaded gun to his head.

Gooden signed with the New York Yankees in 1996 as a free agent, reuniting him with former Mets teammate Darryl Strawberry, whose rapid rise followed by drug and legal problems paralleled Gooden’s. After starting the season poorly and nearly getting released, Gooden pitched a no-hitter against the Seattle Mariners on May 14 of that year and ended the season with an 11-7 record–his first winning record since 1991–but never regained his early form. It would be the last time he would win more than 9 games in a single season.

He pitched for three teams from 1998 to 2000 and was unconditionally released twice before signing a minor-league contract with the Yankees and returning to the Yankees at the end of the 2000 season.

Gooden retired in 2001 after he was cut by the Yankees in spring training, ending his career with a record of 194-112. More than half of those wins came before age 25. He took a job in the Yankees’ front office. Gooden’s nephew, Gary Sheffield, was recently signed to play for the Yankees prior to the 2004 season. Dwight acted as the go between man during the negotiations.

Legal troubles

Gooden’s legal problems did not end with his career. On February 20, 2002, Gooden was arrested in his native Tampa and charged with driving while intoxicated, having an open container in his vehicle, and driving with a suspended license. He was arrested again in January 2003 for driving with a suspended license.

On March 12, 2005, Gooden was arrested in Tampa, Florida for punching his girlfriend after she threw a telephone at his head. He was released two days later on a misdemeanor battery charge.

Troubles continued to mount for the former star when, on August 23, 2005, he drove away from a traffic stop in Tampa, after being pulled over for driving eratically. He gave the officer his driver’s license, twice refused to leave his car, then drove away. The officer remarked in his report that Gooden’s eyes were glassy and bloodshot, his speech was slurred, and a “strong” odor of alcohol was present on him. Three days after the traffic stop, Gooden turned himself in to police [1]. He may be sent to a maximum security rehabilitation facility when a bed becomes available. Coincidentally, his oldest son is currently in prison on a drug-related conviction.

Some have speculated that Gooden’s continued legal problems keep happening because he was bailed out so frequently when he was younger and thus didn’t have to face much in the way of consequences for his illegalities.

In 1999, Gooden released an autobiography titled Heat, in which he discussed his struggles with alcohol and cocaine abuse.

  

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Wiklenman Vicente “Wiki” Gonzalez (born May 17, 1974, Aragua State, Venezuela) is a Major League Baseball catcher who plays for the Seattle Mariners. Before Wiki joined the Mariners in 2005, he played with the San Diego Padres (1999-2003).

He bats and throws right-handed. In a five-season career, Gonzalez has compiled a .238 batting average with 17 home runs and 99 RBI in 269 games.

There is also a baseball-related wiki named after Wiki Gonzalez . It uses the MediaWiki software and its contents are licensed under the GFDL.

  

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Luis Emilio Gonzalez (born September 3, 1967), better known as Luis E. Gonzalez (affectionately called Gonzo by many of his fans), is a baseball player for the Arizona Diamondbacks and plays left field. A Cuban-American, Gonzalez is one of the most popular players of Diamondbacks organization. He is a native of Tampa, Florida, but he and his family (which includes wife Christine and triplets Megan, Jacob and Alyssa) are residents of Scottsdale, Arizona.

Gonzalez graduated from Jefferson High School in Tampa in 1985, attending the University of South Alabama. He earned Baseball America’s All-Freshman Second Team honors while there. He was drafted by the Houston Astros in the fourth round of the 1988 amateur draft.

Gonzalez broke in as a Major League Baseball player with the Astros in 1990, playing 12 games as a September call-up. He became the Astros primary left fielder in 1991 and played for the team until 1995, when he and Scott Servais were traded in mid-season to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for catcher Rick Wilkins. He came back to Houston in 1997 as a free agent, but was not re-signed and so played for the Detroit Tigers in 1998. He finally became a Diamondback when he was traded by Detroit to Arizona in December 1998 in exchange for Karim Garcia.

During 1990 to 1998, Gonzalez was a good but not distinguished player, and in short not yet putting up the kind of batting numbers expected of a star outfielder. His best year during that period was 1993, when his batting average was .300, with 162 hits, including 34 doubles and 15 home runs.

It was in Arizona that Gonzalez became a star. He helped the Diamondbacks into title contention immediately, hitting a career-best .336 in 1999 and helping them win the National League’s western division that season before the team fell to the New York Mets in a divisional playoff series. In 2000, the Diamondbacks came in second place in their division.

In 2001, Gonzalez astonished many when he hit 57 home runs, his personal best for one season and almost twice as many as he hit in any other season. The total is the second most in National League history for a left-handed batter (behind Barry Bonds’s record 73). Gonzalez also won the Home Run Derby that year. The Diamondbacks also reached the World Series that year. Gonzalez stroked the series-winning, hit in a tied Game Seven with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning against the New York Yankees and feared closer Mariano Rivera, that scored Jay Bell.

On May 22, 2004, Gonzalez got his 2,000th career hit in a game against the Florida Marlins.

Gonzalez is frequently called “the nicest man in baseball.”

  

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Luis Alberto Gonzalez (born June 26, 1979 in Maracay, Venezuela) is a Major League Baseball second baseman and right-handed batter who plays for the Colorado Rockies of the National League. Gonzalez made his debut in the 2004 season.

On April 6, facing Randy Johnson and the Arizona Diamondbacks in the season opener for both teams, Gonzalez hit 2-for-5, including one home run and two RBI, and the Rockies top the Diamondbacks, 5-2. He finished his rookie season with a .292 batting average, 12 home runs, and 40 RBI in 102 games.

  

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Juan Alberto Gonzalez Vazquez (born October 20, 1969 in Arecibo, Puerto Rico), better known as Juan Gonzalez, and nicknamed “Juan Gone” or “Igor”, is a Major League Baseball right fielder. Gonzalez bats and throws right-handed. He was one of the premier run producers during the 1990s, averaging 117 runs batted in per season between 1991 and 1999.

Contents

1 Early career
2 Best years
3 Decline
4 Accomplishments
5 Private life

Early career

“Juan Gone” was signed by the Texas Rangers as an amateur free agent in 1986 and made his Major League debut on September 1, 1989 as a September call-up. Prior to making it to the major leagues, he played for the Caguas Creoles, a Puerto Rican professional baseball team based in Caguas.

Best years

Gonzalez’ first full season was 1991. It was his first of many 100-plus RBI seasons, proving himself a capable middle of the line-up run producer. He improved his batting average and home run totals over the next few seasons, leading the league in homers in 1992 (43) and 1993 (46).

On the strength of Gonzalez’ steady production at the plate, Texas finished first the AL West division in 1996, 1998 and 1999, although they were eliminated in all three seasons by the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series. Between 1996-98, Gonzalez averaged 45 home runs and 144 RBI, the most productive period in his career. He won the American League MVP award in 1996 and 1998.

Fearing they would be unable to meet Gonzalez’ rising salary demands, Texas elected to trade him in the postseason, eventually settling on a deal with the Detroit Tigers. On November 2, 1999, he was traded with Danny Patterson and Gregg Zaun to Detroit for Frank Catalanotto, Francisco Cordero, Bill Haselman, Gabe Kapler, Justin Thompson and Alan Webb.

The following season was a disaster for Gonzalez and the Tigers as a team. 2000 was the opening year for Detroit’s new ballpark, Comerica Park, and the team’s management had counted on strong seasons from the team’s new players to draw interest from fans. But, hampered by injuries and unable to adjust to Comerica’s unfavourable dimensions, Gonzalez had one of the poorest seasons of his career. Detroit had gambled on the one-year remaining on his contract hoping to spark fan interest and lost. however, this move turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Tiger fans, for it ultimately lead to the firing of General Manager Randy Smith in early 2002.

Gonzalez resurrected his career in 2001 with the Cleveland Indians, where he was asked to fill the void left behind as a result of Manny Ramirez’ free agency departure to the Boston Red Sox. Gonzalez batted a career-best .325 with 35 home runs and 140 RBI, leading the Indians to the postseason.

On January 8, 2002, Gonzalez signed with the Texas Rangers. On January 6, 2004, he signed a one-year, $4.5 million contract with the Kansas City Royals.

In 2004, Gonzalez was sidelined with a lower back injury on May 22. He missed the rest of the season.

Decline

Despite being a great player in the 90s, by 2002, Gonzalez began to seriously decline. He signed a contract with the Texas Rangers, but sustained an injury which kept him out for much of the season. He was also injured in 2003. His 2004 season was another wash, as he played only about a month and a half while with the Kansas City Royals. The 2005 season was an embarassment to him, as he lasted only a 3 pitch at-bat for the Cleveland Indians before reinjuring himself in June.

Accomplishments

3-time All-Star (1993, 1998, 2001)
American League MVP (1996, 1998)
3-time Top 10 MVP (9th, 1997; 4th, 1993; 5th, 2001)
His 429 career home runs ranks 31st on the all-time list

Private life

Gonzalez was married to Puerto Rican volleyball legend Elaine Lopez, sister of Javy, during the early 1990s. This marriage broke when a local newspaper released a cover photo of singer Olga Tanon kissing Gonzalez during a concert in San Juan. A scandal followed, with Gonzalez divorcing Elaine Lopez and marrying Tanon, who said she had no idea Gonzalez was married with Lopez when she gave him the infamous kiss. Gonzalez and Tanon had a daughter together, and, later on, divorced. Gabriela Gonzalez Tanon, Juan’s daughter, later became one of only fifty people in the world (and the first Puerto Rican) ever to have been diagnosed with Sebastian’s syndrome.

  

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Alexander Scott Gonzalez (born April 8, 1973 in Miami, Florida) is a third baseman for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He joined the league in 1993, spending 8 years with the Toronto Blue Jays before signing with the Chicago Cubs. After brief stints with the Montreal Expos and San Diego Padres, Alex signed with Tampa Bay as a third baseman, making the switch from shortstop.

He is not to be confused with Alex Gonzalez, who is also a major league shortstop, currently with the Florida Marlins.

He has a reputation for strong defensive play; however, in the 8th inning of Game 6 of the 2003 NLCS, he dropped a routine double-play ball that would have ended the inning with the score 3-1 in favor of the Cubs. Seven Marlins runs ensued and the Cubs lost the game and ultimately the series.

  

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Alexander Gonzalez (born February 15, 1977 in Cagua, Aragua State, Venezuela) is a Major League Baseball shortstop who plays for the Florida Marlins (since 1998). Gonzalez bats and throws right-handed. He is not to be confused with former Toronto and current Tampa Bay player Alex S. Gonzalez, who is also a major league shortstop. Gonzalez’ speed and range enabled him to make acrobatic plays, quickly drawing comparisons to Venezuelan shortstops like Chico Carrasquel, Luis Aparicio, Dave Concepcion and Omar Vizquel. His defensive tools were so masterful that by 1999 he established himself as an All-Star.

At the batters box Gonzalez does some things pretty well. A free swinger, he concentrate on putting ball into play. Gonzalez is a good bunter and has enough speed to turn singles in doubles with his hustle, and he also can show surprising power when a pitch is in his batting zone.

Gonzalez played an important role in the 2003 World Series against the New York Yankees. After going 1-for-13 in the post-season, he hit a 500-feet walk-off home run in the 12th inning of the Game 4 to gave the Marlins a 4-3 victory and 2-2 tie in the series. The extra-inning only happened because Florida’s closer Ugueth Urbina blew a 3-1 lead in the ninth. In Game 5, Gonzalez hit a two-outs game-tying double and scored later in a new Marlins victory. Gonzalez added an extra run in the sixth and final game, when he slid around catcher Jorge Posada, eluding him and brushing the plate with his left hand. Florida run out of odds with a 2-0 victory and won the World Championship.

In 2004, Gonzalez posted career-high numbers in home runs (23), RBI (79), games played (159) and turns at bat (561).

In an eight-season career, Gonzalez is a .244 hitter with 79 home runs and 350 RBI in 808 games. In the post-season, he hit .161 (10-for-62) with one home run and six RBI in 17 games.

  

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Mike Mitchell Goliat (November 5, 1925 – January 14, 2004) was a second baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the Philadelphia Phillies (1949-51) and St. Louis Browns (1951-52). He batted and threw right handed. A native of Yatesboro, Pennsylvania, Goliat was a member of the famous Phillies Whiz Kids team which won the 1950 National League pennant. In that season, Goliat batted .234, with 13 home runs, 64 runs batted in, 49 runs scored, 113 hits, 13 doubles and 6 triples in 145 games played; it was his only season as a regular starting player. In the World Series loss to the New York Yankees, he hit .214 with one RBI in 14 at-bats.

Goliat finished his major league career with a batting average of .225, 20 HRs and 99 RBI. Later, he played in the minor leagues for Toronto, and was the International League MVP in 1956. Goliat was also a player-coach for four seasons in which his team won the league pennant.

Mike Goliat died in Seven Hills, Ohio at 78 years of age.

  

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Gary Glover (December 3, 1976 in Cleveland, Ohio) is a pitcher who currently plays in the Milwaukee Brewers organization. He has a career Major League earned run average of 4.92 over 6 seasons, including time spent with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, the Chicago White Sox, and the Toronto Blue Jays, who selected Glover in the 15th round of the 1994 amateur draft.

  

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William J. “Kid” Gleason (October 26, 1866 – January 2, 1933) was an American professional athlete and Major League baseball player and manager. Gleason is best known for his involvement as a betrayed manager in the 1919 Chicago White Sox, the team made infamous by the Black Sox scandal, Gleason’s players conspired to intentionally lose the World Series. The scandal resulted in lifetime bans from baseball for eight White Sox players. Gleason, however, had no knowledge of the conspiracy, and although he felt betrayed and disappointed by his 1919 team, he continued to manage the White Sox until 1923.

Gleason was born in Camden, New Jersey. He acquired the nickname “Kid” early in life, not only because of his short stature but also because of his his energetic, youthful nature. Gleason debuted as a pitcher with the Philadelphia Phillies on April 20, 1888. He enjoyed several successful seasons, especially 1891 (38 wins), before becoming a second baseman. Gleason achieved a .261 career batting average before retiring after the 1912 season. He began his career as a manager with the White Sox on December 31, 1918.

After leaving the White Sox in 1923, Kid Gleason would go on to coach under Manager Connie Mack with the Philadelphia Athletics until his death, of a heart ailment, in 1933, at the age of 68, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

  

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Thomas Michael Glavine (born March 25, 1966 in Concord, Massachusetts) is a Major League Baseball player. During the 1990s Tom, a left-hander, was one of the winningest pitchers in the National League. He is a five-time 20-game winner and two-time Cy Young Award winner. He is also known as an excellent fielder and decent hitter as far as pitchers go.

Early Career

Tom Glavine excelled in several sports during high school, including ice hockey and baseball, and was drafted by both the Los Angeles Kings in the 1984 NHL amateur draft (in the 4th round-five rounds ahead of future NHL star Luc Robitaille), and the Atlanta Braves Major League Baseball organization in the 2nd round of the 1984 amateur baseball draft. Tom elected to play baseball and made his Major League debut on August 17, 1987.

Tom enjoyed good times and bad times during his first several years in the majors, compiling a 33-43 record from 1987 to 1990, including a 17-loss performance in 1988.

Best Years

Tom’s fortunes turned around in 1991 when he won 20 games and posted a 2.55 ERA. It was his first of three consecutive 20 wins or more seasons and his first season to earn the National League Cy Young Award. Tom’s season also led a dramatic reversal in the Braves’ competitive fortunes as they won the National League East Division and went to the World Series, only to lose to the Minnesota Twins.

Atlanta, long thought of as a perrenial cellar dweller, was lifted in the 1990s into one of the most successful franchises in the game on the strength of its stellar pitching staff and solid hitting. The trio of Glavine, John Smoltz and Greg Maddux, acquired in 1993, is considered by some to the best trio of pitchers ever assembled on one team. Between them, they won seven Cy Young Awards during the period of 1991 to 1998. Tom won his second Cy Young Award in 1998.

In 2003, much to the chagrin of many Braves fans, Tom left Atlanta to play for the rival New York Mets, signing a three-year $35-million deal. For the first time since 1988, Tom failed to win 10 games, also posting his first losing record in that span, 9-14. In 2004, he stumbled again with his 2nd straight losing record, going 11-14. The slump has continued, as he has gone 1-3 with a 5.67 ERA for the month of April, 2005. Tom’s slump was initially blamed not on a decline in his skills but on the New York Mets own general decline as a team since the 2002 season, resulting in poor run support that frequently robbed him of an otherwise easy win. However, as evidenced by his very high ERA to start the 2005 season as well as improved offensive support by the Mets, that is not the cause so far this season. While his pre-2003 performance is more than enough to make him a virtual lock for the Baseball Hall of Fame; he was considered to be a shoo-in to eventually achieve 300 career wins as recently as 2002; now that is considered fairly unlikely unless he either has another 20-win season soon or pitches well into his forties.

Accomplishments

9-time All-Star (1991-93, 1996-98, 2000, 2002, 2004)
Twice National League Cy Young Award winner (1991, 1998)
Finished 10th in National League MVP voting (1992)
Finished 2nd in National League Cy Young award voting (1992, 2000)
Finished 3rd in National League Cy Young award voting (1993, 1995)
World Series MVP Award (1995)
5-time led National League in wins (1991-93, 1998, 2000)

Teams

Atlanta Braves (1987-2002)
New York Mets (2003-)

  

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John Wesley Glasscock (July 22, 1859, Wheeling, West Virginia – February 24, 1947, Wheeling) was a baseball player for the Cleveland Blues (1879-1884), Cincinnati Outlaw Reds (1884), St. Louis Maroons (1885-1886), Indianapolis Hoosiers (1887-1889), New York Giants (1890-1891), St. Louis Browns (1892-1893), Pittsburgh Pirates (1893-1894), Louisville Colonels (1895), and the Washington Senators (1895).

Pebbly Jack played shortstop bare-handed. He hit for the cycle on August 8, 1889.

  

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James William Gilliam (October 17, 1928 – October 8, 1978) was an African-American Major League Baseball player. Born in Nashville, Tennessee, he was nicknamed “Junior” during his time playing Negro League Baseball with the Baltimore Elite Giants where he was voted an All-Star three straight years between 1948 and 1950. In 1951 he was signed as an amateur free agent by the Brooklyn Dodgers and sent to play in Canada for their International League farm team, the Montreal Royals. Gilliam made his debut with the Dodgers in 1953 and earned National League Rookie of the Year honors as well as The Sporting News Rookie of the Year Award. Gilliam went on to star with the team in Brooklyn, New York as well as after their 1958 move to Los Angeles, California. Gilliam retired in 1966 after fourteen seasons in the major leagues, all with the Dodgers.

Junior Gilliam coached in Los Angeles until his unexpected passing from a brain hemorrhage in 1978. He is interred in the Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood, California.

Gilliam’s uniform number 19 was retired by the Dodgers.