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Johnny Grubb Wasn't Indestructible But He
By Todd Newville
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Johnny Grubb Wasn't Indestructible But He
By Todd Newville
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Former major league outfielder Johnny Grubb was like Superman in a baseball uniform.
Mild-mannered behind his glasses, Grubb was square-jawed and handsome like Clark Kent. Often, he performed like a super hero on the field. Unfortunately, the baseball diamond for Grubb also proved to be his kryptonite at times.
Despite his frequency on the DL, Grubb still accomplished some impressive feats during his 16 years in the majors. And, he has nothing but fond memories of his big league career.
“I had injuries that would keep me out of the lineup,” said Grubb, who had a total of nine stints on the disabled list. “That was the downside of my career. Things like a separated shoulder, a broken finger, a bruised kidney - it was a number of things that were just freaky.
“I tried to play hard. Sometimes you get hurt doing that. But, I had a good career. I played with a lot of great guys and I have no regrets.”
Grubb (who will be 58 in August) was born and raised in Richmond, Va., where he was a high school phenom at Meadowbrook High School. He then played two years of junior college baseball at Manatee Community College in Bradenton, Fla. Former major leaguers Jody Reed of the Boston Red Sox and Glenn Davis of the Houston Astros, as well as current Minnesota Twins pitcher Joe Mays, were Manatee alums.
The ‘70 FSU baseball team is considered one of the finest in the school’s history with a 49-9 record. The Seminoles finished second to Southern California in the College World Series at Omaha, Neb., losing 2-1 to the Trojans in 15 innings in the championship game. Grubb was named to the College World Series all-tournament team.
Grubb was drafted three times (by the Red Sox, Reds, and Braves) before he finally signed a professional contract with the San Diego Padres, who selected him in the first round with the 24th overall pick of the 1971 secondary phase draft. Loyalty to his junior college coach kept him from signing earlier.
“I went to junior college in Florida and was real close to the coach,” Grubb explained. “I wanted to stay with him rather than sign. Then, I went to Florida State and signed my senior year with San Diego. It was a good time to make that decision because I was married by that time.”
It wasn’t long before Grubb was in the big leagues. Manager Don Zimmer gave him the opportunity to be San Diego’s regular centerfielder in 1973 and Grubb responded. During his rookie season with the Padres, he hit .311 with eight home runs, 52 runs scored, 37 RBI, 22 doubles, and a .373 on-base percentage.
In 1974, Grubb hit .286 with eight homers, 42 RBI, 53 runs scored, 20 doubles, and a .355 on-base percentage. He played in the All-Star Game at Pittsburgh’s Three Rivers Stadium. Grubb flied out to the shortstop in his only at-bat against Oakland’s Catfish Hunter during a 7-2 National League win.
“I played outfield in the late innings,” Grubb remembered. “I popped out against Catfish Hunter straight up to the shortstop. He got me to do what he wanted me to do.”
In 1975, Grubb hit .269 with 38 RBI and a career-high 72 runs scored. He also garnered 36 doubles which ranked seventh in the Senior Circuit and established a then-Padres team record. The mark stood until Terry Kennedy swatted 42 doubles for San Diego in ’82. The club record is now 49 set by Tony Gwynn in 1997.
Grubb’s sweet lefthanded swing was patterned after his Hall of Fame hero Mickey Mantle. Grubb was naturally a righthanded hitter and hit from both sides of the plate as a youngster - like the switch-hitting Mantle.
Mantle, of course, is in the Hall of Fame after hitting 536 lifetime homers. The three-time American League MVP and 1956 Triple Crown winner helped the New York Yankees to 12 American League pennants and seven World Series titles. Grubb soaked it all in on television while growing up.
“When I watched the Yankee games on television, I’d go out and hit rocks and learn how to hit lefthanded like Mickey,” Grubb said. “He was my hero and I liked most of the Yankees. Yogi Berra, Moose Skowron, Bobby Richardson, Tony Kubek - I used to emulate them and they were my favorite team. I looked up to them watching them on television.”
In 1976, Grubb hit .284 with 54 runs scored, 22 doubles, and a .391 on-base percentage. He missed 32 days of the season while on the disabled list - his first time on the DL. On Dec. 8, San Diego traded Grubb (along with catcher Fred Kendall and infielder Hector Torres) to the Cleveland Indians for outfielder George Hendrick.
Grubb ended up hitting .275 for that season after hitting .394 in 21 games for Texas. In ‘79, he hit .273 with 10 home runs and 37 RBI in 102 games. Grubb had a 21-game hitting streak at one point - tied for the longest in the majors that season with Dan Meyer of the Seattle Mariners.
Grubb hit .410 (34-for-83) during his streak, raising his average from .193 on May 13 to .321 on June 9. Dennis Martinez of the Orioles finally stopped Grubb on June 10 in Baltimore as he went 0-for-3. Only Gabe Kapler (28 games in 2000), Michael Young (25 in 2005), Mickey Rivers (24 in 1980) and Jim Sundberg (22 in 1978) have had longer hitting streaks as Rangers.
“It certainly feels good at the plate,” Grubb said of any hitter who’s in a hitting streak. “You see the ball well and your pitch selection is good. You get in the groove. I was getting a lot of playing time. That made a difference.”
Grubb finally got to meet Mantle during his time in a Ranger uniform. It was during an old-timers game at Arlington Stadium, which was not far from Mantle’s home in Dallas.
“They had done their thing on the field with introductions and everything,” Grubb remembered. “Before our game started, he was in our clubhouse getting into street clothes. I walked over and introduced myself to him.
Grubb hit .277, .231, and .279 his next three years in Texas. In 1981, doctors removed a rib to relieve a circulatory problem in his arm. During spring training in 1983, the Rangers dealt Grubb to the Detroit Tigers for pitcher Dave Tobik.
In Detroit, Grubb enjoyed his status as a key reserve and pinch-hitter for a powerhouse Tigers squad which won the World Series in 1984. Whether it was playing in the outfield or serving as the designated hitter, Grubb came through when needed. In ’84, Grubb hit .267 in 86 games for Detroit.
In the American League Championship Series against Kansas City, his 11th-inning double won Game 2 for the Tigers 5-3 as they went on to sweep the Royals in three games. In the World Series, Detroit beat San Diego in five games for the championship.
“I was just thankful to be on a good ball club,” Grubb said. “Darrell Evans and I were the two oldest guys on the team. Both of us talked during the season about how we were glad we finally were on a good club that had a chance to win some games. We started 35-5 and, with the way we played all year and in the postseason, I guess we were meant to win it.”
Relief pitcher Willie Hernandez won both the MVP and Cy Young Award after saving 32 games with a 1.92 ERA. Catcher Lance Parrish, second baseman Lou Whitaker, outfielders Chet Lemon and Larry Herndon, pitchers Dan Petry and Milt Wilcox, and reserves Barbaro Garbey, Tom Brookens, and Ruppert Jones also played vital roles for the Tigers, who were managed by Sparky Anderson.
After hitting .245 in 78 games for Detroit in ’85, Grubb had one of his best years in ‘86 at age 38. He hit .333 with 13 homers and 51 RBI along with a .412 on-base percentage and a career-high .590 slugging percentage in 81 games.
“My best year in terms of stats in my opinion was 1986,” Grubb said. “I had been sent down to Triple A for rehab because I had a shoulder separation in spring training. When I came back, I felt like I did a real good job at the plate. I was probably the most productive I had ever been that year. I had some other good years - like in ’74 - but ’86 was my best.”
Grubb isn’t sour about anything concerning his career. But, he does have a theory on why he might have been so injury prone.
“I think when I was younger, I was thin and didn’t have the body weight,” Grubb said. “I was never hurt but the Padres wanted me to gain some weight. I got up over 200 pounds. I often wonder if that was the reason - that I had more weight on my frame. I was small-boned and maybe that had something to do with it. It‘s just a guess.”
Grubb hit a solid .278 for his career with 99 homers, 475 RBI, 553 runs scored, 207 doubles, 1,153 hits, and a .366 on-base percentage in 1,424 games. He also hit eight career pinch-hit homers to rank among the career leaders in that category.
When reflecting back on his big league days, Grubb seems somewhat overwhelmed trying to recall all the teammates who had a positive influence on him both as people and players.
“There were so many that I have to be careful,” Grubb said. “I don’t want to leave somebody out. If I go through each club, I can think of Dave Roberts with the Padres as a positive influence on me. Andy Thornton and Rick Waits with the Cleveland Indians were real good teammates.
Nolan Ryan (who had seven no-hitters and 5,714 strikeouts) was the toughest pitcher for Grubb to hit. “I didn’t do too well against him,” he said. “I was a lefthanded hitter and he was a righthanded pitcher. I saw the ball well against him. He just made great pitches. He had great stuff anyway.”
Grubb’s biggest thrill in baseball was winning the World Series in ’84 with Detroit. “Without question,” Grubb said. “Being in the All-Star Game was a big thrill, too. Starting out with San Diego was a big thing for me. But, my best memories with the kind of team we had was with Detroit. I have good memories with each team, but getting on a championship team is what it is all about.”
Sponsored by Coors Brewing Company, the team played men at both the amateur and minor league level. They went 6-38 their first year but had a winning record of 23-22 by ’97.
“I was the hitting instructor,” Grubb said. “It was a good idea if the girls had been able to play against one another in a league of their own. Trying to match them up against men was tough. But, not that many women play baseball so they had to have somebody to compete against.
Now, Grubb has returned home. He is in his seventh year as the head coach at Meadowbrook High. He has already produced one major leaguer - Cla Meredith, who pitched in three games with the Red Sox in 2005. Boston just recently traded him to San Diego for catcher Doug Mirabelli. Meredith is now playing for the Portland (Ore.) Beavers, the Padres’ Triple A affiliate.
“I was asked to coach by my old friend and teammate in high school named Howard Lewis,” said Grubb, who has been married to his wife Linda for 39 years. “He was our centerfielder and I was the leftfielder. Later, he taught there and his son played second base. He wondered if I would entertain the idea of coaching and I said I would if he helped.
Patience is a virtue for any coach at the high school level - particularly for someone like Grubb who has major league experience on his resume. Grubb has found that while they may not be as good as major leaguers, high school players have the desire and heart to play like them.
“It takes a lot of time and you question yourself if you’re teaching the right things,” said Grubb, who has two sons (Chris, 38, and Corey, 29) and two granddaughters (Peyton and Alexis.) “You don’t want them to misinterpret what you tell them. You got to be careful with how you say things and the terminology. But, we have good kids. When you have a group that wants to work hard, it makes it worthwhile.”
Grubb thinks he would be an ideal candidate someday to be a major league hitting instructor. “I think I would enjoy that,” Grubb said, “but I’m comfortable where I’m at right now.”
That’s probably just what Grubb’s high school players would like to hear. Besides, Superman never forgot his roots in Smallville.
(Reprinted in its entirety from the December 2006 issue of Baseball Digest.)
Johnny Grubb hit .311 as a rookie outfielder with the Padres in 1973 and played in the All-Star Game in '74.Several trips to the disabled list during his career prevented Grubb from posting the kind of numbers one might expect from such a talented ballplayer. But, the injuries were a testament to his hustle and desire to win. Grubb was an outfielder on the Junior College World Series all-tournament team in 1968. After two years at Manatee, the 6-foot-3, 188-pound Grubb transferred to Florida State University, where he hit .303 his junior year and was named honorable mention All-American by The Sporting News in 1970.
Johnny Grubb (as he appeared on his 1975 Topps baseball card)
Johnny Grubb at Florida State.“Don Zimmer gave me a chance,” Grubb said. “He let me play a lot in spring training. He told me I had a chance to make the starting lineup. I owe it to him that he gave me that chance. I felt fortunate that I played with a team that needed a lefthanded hitter. He was a good guy to play for. He was real competitive. He wanted to win. It worked out for me.” “I was a switch-hitter until about tenth grade in high school,” Grubb said. “My high school coach wanted me to stay lefthanded. All through Little League and Pony League, though, I could hit righthanded and lefthanded.”
Johnny Grubb (as he appeared on his 1976 Topps baseball card)
Johnny Grubb (as he appeared on his 1977 Topps baseball card)In ‘77, Grubb was injured most of the year and appeared in just 34 games. But, he hit .301 in limited duty. The next season, Grubb hit .265 and supplied the Tribe with 14 homers and 61 RBI before being dealt to the Texas Rangers on Aug. 31 for pitcher Bobby Cuellar and minor leaguer Dave Rivera. “I just wanted to talk to him a little and he was just what I thought he’d be like - a real nice down-to-earth guy. It was easy for him to come to those functions in Arlington because he was living in Dallas. So, I got to meet my hero and the guy that I watched on television for so many years.”
Johnny Grubb hit .265 for the Cleveland Indians in 1978 with 14 homers and 61 RBI before being traded to the Texas Rangers in August.
Johnny Grubb (as he appeared on his 1978 Topps baseball card)Kirk Gibson’s two mammoth home runs in Game 5 spurred the Tigers to an 8-4 win. Series MVP shortstop Alan Trammell hit .450 while pitcher Jack Morris won two complete games. The Tigers started the season 35-5 which is still the best 40-game start in major league history. They finished 104-58. “We had a good mix of players,” Grubb said. “Everybody got along. It was a heck of a team with a great manager and coaching staff. The fans were great. Just everything was right about that team.”
Johnny Grubb hit .273 for the Texas Rangers in 1979 and had a 21-game hitting streak - tops in the majors that season. It's the fifth longest streak in Rangers history.
Johnny Grubb (as he appeared on his 1980 Topps baseball card)At any rate, Grubb hit just .202 in 1987 for Detroit and was released after the season. The Tigers won the American League East with a 98-64 record but lost to the upstart Minnesota Twins in the ALCS in five games. Grubb’s final hurrah was hitting a robust .571 (4-for-7) in the playoffs that year. “Later, Frank Tanana and Matt Nokes with the Tigers were great guys and Lance Parrish and Dwight Lowry were, too. Jim Sundberg and Mike Hargrove with the Rangers were really great guys. A lot of my teammates were just good people and players. They were good influences on me.”
Johnny Grubb signs autographs at a Detroit Tigers fantasy camp in Lakeland, Fla.Since his retirement, Grubb has become a coach. His first job was as an assistant to Hall of Fame knuckleball pitcher Phil Niekro, who managed the all-women Colorado Silver Bullets baseball team from 1994-97.
Johnny Grubb (as he appeared on his 1981 Topps baseball card)
Johnny Grubb with the Detroit Tigers.“I enjoyed it. They gave 100-percent effort. There were some pretty good ballplayers. We won a few games. We held our own.” “Getting to know the kids and parents is neat. We have a good group of kids. I didn’t think I would ever get into coaching high school baseball. I had helped with Babe Ruth and American Legion baseball before. But, there’s a lot more to it than what I thought.“
Johnny Grubb (as he appeared on his 1988 Topps baseball card)
