Ben Grieve

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Benjamin Grieve (born May 4, 1976 in Arlington, Texas) is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. He batted left-handed and threw right-handed. In his nine-season career, he played with the Oakland Athletics (1997-2000), Tampa Bay Devil Rays (2001-2003), Milwaukee Brewers (2004), and Chicago Cubs (2004-2005).

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. He had two short call-ups during the regular season, and was again activated midway through September following roster expansion.

Grieve won the 1998 American League Rookie of the Year award while playing for the Oakland Athletics. His father, Tom Grieve, is a broadcaster for the Texas Rangers and a former baseball player and general manager for the Rangers. Grieve's baseball career has been plagued by accusations of lack of motivation. Perhaps as a result, his career was very disappointing relative to his natural abilities.^[1][2][3]

[edit] Career summary

Ben Grieve was once a highly regarded young prospect, born from a baseball family. He began his career with the Oakland Athletics. He put together a solid rookie season in 1998, hitting .288, with 18 HR and 89 RBI, earning him the Rookie of the Year. He followed up with a similar, yet more inconsistent, season, hitting .265 with 26 HR and 86 RBI, missing time due to injuries. His next season (2000) would statistically be his best. Grieve belted 27 HR, drove in 107 RBI, and hit .279. Talk spread throughout the league that Grieve could become a superstar. This talk, however, was short-lived. Following the 2000 season, the young Grieve was involved in a 3-team deal that sent him to Tampa Bay.

Grieve's career downfall began with the trade to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He hit just 11 HR and drove in only 72 RBI. The following season (2002), Grieve battled injuries, but did manage to hit 19 HR and drive in 64 RBI in just 136 games. This would be the last of Grieve's productive seasons. Grieve admitted that he was now at a crossroads in his career. He knew that if he played well, he could depart for another team and be a part of an everyday lineup. If he performed poorly, he would be released and would be fighting for a back-up job somewhere.

Grieve's stuggles began in 2003, in 55 games, he hit just .230, with 4 HR, and 17 RBI in 165 at bats.

Grieve signed as a free agent with the Milwaukee Brewers in the offseason, and on August 31 of that season was then traded to the Chicago Cubs. He would serve primarily as a back-up outfielder for both the Cubs and the Brewers that season. In all, Grieve appeared in just 123 games between the two teams, hitting just 8 HR and driving in 35 RBI.

In the 2005 season, Grieve bounced up-and-down between the minors and the Cubs. Playing in just 23 games with the Cubs, he hit 1 home run and had 5 RBIs.

Grieve spent the entire 2006 season in the White Sox minor league organization.

Grieve was never really able to live up to expectations that were made of him. Many believe that when he was traded from the A's to the Devil Rays, he was sent from an organization he had been just a piece of the puzzle of, to a struggling team that relied on him so much to become a superstar and carry, that he folded under the pressure. Others believe he lacks passion for the sport.

His father, former Major Leaguer and Rangers GM and current broadcaster Tom Grieve, once stated in an interview that he believed his son wasn't living up to his capabilities due to the immense pressure that had been put upon him to carry the entire Devil Rays organization, and now it has been difficult for him to bounce back.

Grieve started the 2007 season in the White Sox minor league organization, a member of the AAA Charlotte Knights.

[edit] Awards

• American League Rookie Of The Year (1998)
• Baseball America High School All-American (1994)

[edit] See also

• List of second generation MLB players
• Tampa Bay Devil Rays all-time roster

[edit] External links

• Career statistics and player information from ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube

[edit] References

1. ^ Marc Topkin. Rays: Forget whispers, Grieve all they hoped for, St. Petersburg Times, 3/25/2001.
2. ^ Roger Mills. Grieve uncertain about road he will take, St. Petersburg Times, 3/13/2003.
3. ^ Rick Hurd. No regrets, Contra Costa Times, 3/15/2006.