Jason Grilli
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Colorado Rockies — No. 49 | |
| Relief pitcher | |
| Born: November 11, 1976 Royal Oak, Michigan |
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| Bats: Right | Throws: Right |
| Major League Baseball debut | |
| May 11, 2000 for the Florida Marlins | |
| Selected MLB statistics (through May 20, 2008) |
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| Win-Loss | 14-13 |
| Earned run average | 4.97 |
| Strikeouts | 166 |
| Teams | |
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Jason Michael Grilli (born November 11, 1976 in Royal Oak, Michigan) is a right-handed pitcher who currently plays for the Colorado Rockies.
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[edit] Pro career
Following his high school career at Baker High School in Baldwinsville, New York, Jason was drafted in the 24th round of the 1994 Major League Baseball draft by the New York Yankees, but chose not to sign. Instead, he opted to played college baseball at Seton Hall University, which he attended from 1995–1997. While at Seton Hall, Grilli once struck out 18 batters in a game to break Charles Nagy's Big East record. After a standout collegiate career, Jason was drafted in the 1st round (4th overall) of the 1997 Major League Baseball draft by the San Francisco Giants. In 1999, Grilli was a key component of a mid-season trade that brought Liván Hernández to the Giants, and sent Grilli and pitcher Nate Bump to the Florida Marlins.
Grilli spent the 2004 season with the Chicago White Sox organization after being selected in the Rule 5 draft. In 2005, he signed a minor league contract with the Detroit Tigers. After helping the AAA affiliate Toledo Mud Hens to a league championship (he clinched the championship game), he joined the parent club for a late-season audition.
Grilli pitched for Team Italy in the 2006 World Baseball Classic. He also had a fine spring training and earned a spot in the Tigers bullpen as a long reliever, allowing for his first extended stint in the majors.
In 2007, Grilli posted career highs in almost every category, including games (57), innings (79⅔), strikeouts (62), wins (5), and holds (11). However, Grilli heard boos at Comerica Park during the season, mostly due to his home ERA of 7.96. He was much more effective away from home, posting a 1.91 ERA in road games. Tigers manager Jim Leyland defended Grilli: "I like Grilli because he's got a resilient arm...There's a lot to be said for that."[1][2]
On April 30, 2008, Grilli was traded to the Colorado Rockies for reliever Zach Simons. This move was made to a roster space for incoming reliever Francisco Cruceta.[3]
[edit] Personal
Jason is the son of former major league pitcher Steve Grilli[4], who pitched for parts of four seasons in the late 1970s, including three with the Detroit Tigers. Jason wears number 49 in honor of his father, and the two still talk after every game Jason makes an appearance in[5].
Jason was nicknamed "Cheese Man" by third base coach Gene Lamont.
Grilli and his wife, Danielle, welcomed their first child in February of 2008. The couple resides in Orlando, Florida during the off-season.[6]
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference
[edit] References
- ^ Morosi, Jon Paul. "Tigers Jason Grilli always ready to pitch in; Leyland likes his resilient arm", Detroit Free Press, February 29. Retrieved on 2008-04-30.
- ^ "Fans want to see Grilli put out fires; Reliever says numbers don't always tell story", Grand Rapids Press, March 15, 2008, p. D6. Retrieved on 2008-04-30.
- ^ "Tigers trade Jason Grilli to Colorado", Detroit Free Press, April 30, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-04-30.
- ^ Steve Grilli Statistics - Baseball-Reference.com
- ^ http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060614&content_id=1504835&vkey=news_det&fext=.jsp&c_id=det
- ^ The Official Site of The Detroit Tigers: News: Notes: Comerica packing them in
