Gregg Zaun
Encyclopedia
Gregory Owen "Gregg" Zaun (icon; born April 14, 1971) is a former Major League Baseball
catcher
. He is the nephew of former MLB catcher Rick Dempsey
. Zaun was a high school teammate of Mark Loretta
. Zaun and Loretta attended Saint Francis High School
in La Cañada, California
and graduated in 1989.
in the 13th round of the 1989 Major League Baseball Draft
, Zaun reached the majors with the Orioles in June of . Used primarily as a back-up early in his career, he was traded to the Florida Marlins
in . After winning a World Series
with the Marlins in , he moved to the Texas Rangers
prior to the season. He has also played with the Kansas City Royals
, Houston Astros
, and Colorado Rockies
. He signed as a free agent
with the Blue Jays prior to the season. In 2004, the Blue Jays were the first team to make Zaun, at 33, a starting catcher. Valuable in the line-up as a switch-hitter, he set a career high in with 133 games.
as the everyday catcher, making Zaun the backup. Zaun started 2006 on the disabled list
, with Jason Phillips serving as Molina's backup during the first week of the year. Zaun hit a game-winning two-run homer off the Tampa Bay Devil Rays' Jason Childers
in his return on April 8. Molina's struggles against right-handed pitchers caused John Gibbons
to platoon
the two, with Molina generally starting against left-handed
pitchers and Zaun playing against righties. On September 13, 2006, he hit home runs from both sides of the plate in the same game. He was only the 4th Blue Jay in history to do this.
Because the Toronto Blue Jays actively pursued Rod Barajas
of the Texas Rangers as the club's new starting catcher during the 2006 offseason, it was assumed that Zaun would be exploring free agency as signing Barajas would mean Zaun would be maintained as a backup. Meanwhile, negotiations between Zaun and the club deteriorated, as Zaun claimed that the Jays offered "slightly better than back-up money for playing every day". Negotiations with Barajas went as far as an offer conditional on a routine physical, but eventually fell apart for undisclosed reasons. After turning down a reported $6.5 million two-year offer from the Blue Jays a week earlier, Zaun officially accepted a two-year, $7.25 million contract offer to return to the Toronto Blue Jays as their starting catcher on November 28, . The new contract deal also included a 3rd year option, guaranteed based on appearances. The signing came after Zaun was rumored to have been courted by the Boston Red Sox
and New York Yankees
, both in backup roles.
Arguably his most famous play with the Jays was hitting a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the 13th inning off of Tampa Bay Rays closer Troy Percival
, on September 6, 2008 with two outs in the inning, wiping out the Rays
7–4. http://www.thewall.net/view/698/walk-off-grand-slam-greg-zaun-toronto-blue-jays/ Zaun hit only the second walk-off grand slam in Jays history but it was the first that occurred in extra innings, and even more spectacular was that his team was losing at the time, due to an RBI single by Dioner Navarro
to put the Rays up 4–3 before the slam at the top of the 13th.
On January 22, , Zaun signed a one-year deal with the Baltimore Orioles
.
Zaun was claimed off waivers by the Tampa Bay Rays GM Andrew Friedman in exchange for Rhyne Hughes
on August 7, 2009. On August 16 Zaun hit a pinch hit grand slam home run against his old team the Blue Jays in the 8th inning off Brandon League
on a 3-2 fastball. On November 12, 2009 Zaun was granted Free Agency. On December 4, 2009 Zaun signed a 1 year contract with the Milwaukee Brewers for $1.9 million.
After suffering a severe injury, Zaun's 2010 season ended. In his contract with Milwaukee they have the option to pick him up for another season, his option was declined on November 2.
His at-bat music is "Limelight
" by Rush
.
In January, Zaun signed a minor league deal with the San Diego Padres
, with an invitation to spring training.
Zaun retired on March 7, 2011.
following a 20 month investigation into the use of performance enhancing drugs by former Senator George Mitchell
. In the report, Kirk Radomski
claimed he sold Deca-Durabolin
and Winstrol
to Zaun in 2001, after a referral from Jason Grimsley
. Radomski produced a check from Zaun for $500. Mitchell also explained that former Montreal Expos
bullpen catcher Luis Perez claimed to have supplied Zaun with steroids in 2002. Zaun declined to be interviewed for the report
on Rogers Sportsnet
. He has continued to work on Sportsnet's post-season broadcast through 2010.
After his retirement, on March 14, 2011 Zaun signed a two year contract with Rogers Sportsnet to become their studio MLB analyst. He also serves as a part-time analyst on Sportsnet Radio Fan 590 and the Blue Jays Radio Network
.
On May 10–11, 2011 Zaun filled in as the color commentator on the NESN broadcast of a Red Sox series against the Blue Jays when the normal broadcaster, Jerry Remy
was ill.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
. He is the nephew of former MLB catcher Rick Dempsey
Rick Dempsey
John Rikard Dempsey is an American former professional baseball player. He played for 24 seasons as a catcher in Major League Baseball from to , most notably for the Baltimore Orioles...
. Zaun was a high school teammate of Mark Loretta
Mark Loretta
Mark David Loretta is a retired Major League Baseball infielder. Loretta played for the Milwaukee Brewers , Houston Astros , San Diego Padres , Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers...
. Zaun and Loretta attended Saint Francis High School
Saint Francis High School (La Cañada Flintridge)
Saint Francis High School is a Catholic preparatory high school for young men, located in La Cañada Flintridge, California, USA. Founded in 1946 on the lands bought from a golf club, it is owned and directed by the Capuchin Friars of the Western American Province of Our Lady of Angels.Its official...
in La Cañada, California
La Cañada Flintridge, California
La Cañada Flintridge is a small and affluent city in Los Angeles County, California, United States whose population at the 2010 census was 20,246, down from 20,318 at the 2000 census. According to Forbes, as of 2010, La Cañada Flintridge ranks as the 143rd most expensive U.S...
and graduated in 1989.
Professional career
Drafted by the Baltimore OriolesBaltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
in the 13th round of the 1989 Major League Baseball Draft
1989 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1989 Major League Baseball draft.-Supplemental first round selections:-External links:*...
, Zaun reached the majors with the Orioles in June of . Used primarily as a back-up early in his career, he was traded to the Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
in . After winning a World Series
1997 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 18, 1997 at Pro Player Stadium in Miami Gardens, FloridaThe first World Series game in the state of Florida, Game 1 featured a youngster and a veteran facing each other on the mound...
with the Marlins in , he moved to the Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
prior to the season. He has also played with the Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
, Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
, and Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
. He signed as a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
with the Blue Jays prior to the season. In 2004, the Blue Jays were the first team to make Zaun, at 33, a starting catcher. Valuable in the line-up as a switch-hitter, he set a career high in with 133 games.
2006–2011
Prior to the season, the Blue Jays signed Bengie MolinaBengie Molina
Benjamin José "Bengie" Molina , nicknamed "Big Money", is a former Major League Baseball catcher.He is the older brother of major league catchers José Molina and Yadier Molina....
as the everyday catcher, making Zaun the backup. Zaun started 2006 on the disabled list
Disabled list
In Major League Baseball, the disabled list is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players.-General guidelines:...
, with Jason Phillips serving as Molina's backup during the first week of the year. Zaun hit a game-winning two-run homer off the Tampa Bay Devil Rays' Jason Childers
Jason Childers
Jason Lee Childers is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays organization.He is the brother of Matt Childers.-External links:...
in his return on April 8. Molina's struggles against right-handed pitchers caused John Gibbons
John Gibbons
John Michael Gibbons was the manager of the Toronto Blue Jays in Major League Baseball from 2004 to 2008...
to platoon
Platoon system
The platoon system in baseball is a method of designating two players to a single defensive position—usually one right-handed and one left-handed. Typically the right-handed half of the platoon is played on days when the opposing pitcher is left-handed and the left-handed player is played otherwise...
the two, with Molina generally starting against left-handed
Left-handed
Left-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for everyday activities such as writing. In ancient times it was seen as a sign of the devil, and was abhorred in many cultures...
pitchers and Zaun playing against righties. On September 13, 2006, he hit home runs from both sides of the plate in the same game. He was only the 4th Blue Jay in history to do this.
Because the Toronto Blue Jays actively pursued Rod Barajas
Rod Barajas
Rodrigo Richard Barajas is a Mexican American professional baseball catcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball. He came up to the majors with the Arizona Diamondbacks in...
of the Texas Rangers as the club's new starting catcher during the 2006 offseason, it was assumed that Zaun would be exploring free agency as signing Barajas would mean Zaun would be maintained as a backup. Meanwhile, negotiations between Zaun and the club deteriorated, as Zaun claimed that the Jays offered "slightly better than back-up money for playing every day". Negotiations with Barajas went as far as an offer conditional on a routine physical, but eventually fell apart for undisclosed reasons. After turning down a reported $6.5 million two-year offer from the Blue Jays a week earlier, Zaun officially accepted a two-year, $7.25 million contract offer to return to the Toronto Blue Jays as their starting catcher on November 28, . The new contract deal also included a 3rd year option, guaranteed based on appearances. The signing came after Zaun was rumored to have been courted by the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
and New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
, both in backup roles.
Arguably his most famous play with the Jays was hitting a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the 13th inning off of Tampa Bay Rays closer Troy Percival
Troy Percival
Troy Eugene Percival is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher. He gained fame as a closer. During a 14-year baseball career, he pitched from 1995-2009 for four different teams, pitching primarily with the California/Anaheim Angels...
, on September 6, 2008 with two outs in the inning, wiping out the Rays
2008 Tampa Bay Rays season
The Tampa Bay Rays' 2008 season, the 11th season in franchise history, marked the change of the team's name from the "Tampa Bay Devil Rays" to the "Tampa Bay Rays", as revealed on November 8, 2007. The change in name also came with a change in logo and uniforms, with new team colors of Columbia...
7–4. http://www.thewall.net/view/698/walk-off-grand-slam-greg-zaun-toronto-blue-jays/ Zaun hit only the second walk-off grand slam in Jays history but it was the first that occurred in extra innings, and even more spectacular was that his team was losing at the time, due to an RBI single by Dioner Navarro
Dioner Navarro
Dioner Favian Navarro Vivas is a Venezuelan professional baseball catcher, who is a free agent.-New York Yankees:In 2000, Navarro was signed by the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent...
to put the Rays up 4–3 before the slam at the top of the 13th.
On January 22, , Zaun signed a one-year deal with the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
.
Zaun was claimed off waivers by the Tampa Bay Rays GM Andrew Friedman in exchange for Rhyne Hughes
Rhyne Hughes
John Rhyne Hughes is a Major League Baseball first baseman currently a free agent.-Early life:Born in Picayune, Mississippi, Hughes attended Picayune Memorial High School, before matriculating at Pearl River Community College...
on August 7, 2009. On August 16 Zaun hit a pinch hit grand slam home run against his old team the Blue Jays in the 8th inning off Brandon League
Brandon League
Brandon Paul League is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Seattle Mariners. He is married with three children. He resides in Honolulu, and is hapa Yonsei. His maternal great-grandparents were born and raised in Fukuoka prefecture on Kyushu Island in Japan...
on a 3-2 fastball. On November 12, 2009 Zaun was granted Free Agency. On December 4, 2009 Zaun signed a 1 year contract with the Milwaukee Brewers for $1.9 million.
After suffering a severe injury, Zaun's 2010 season ended. In his contract with Milwaukee they have the option to pick him up for another season, his option was declined on November 2.
His at-bat music is "Limelight
Limelight (song)
"Limelight" is a song by the Canadian progressive rock band Rush. It first appeared on the 1981 album Moving Pictures. The song's lyrics were written by Neil Peart with music written by Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson. "Limelight" expresses Peart's discomfort with Rush's success and being in the limelight...
" by Rush
Rush (band)
Rush is a Canadian rock band formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario. The band is composed of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart...
.
In January, Zaun signed a minor league deal with the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
, with an invitation to spring training.
Zaun retired on March 7, 2011.
Mitchell Report
In 2009, Zaun was included in the Mitchell ReportMitchell Report
The Mitchell Report is a document that was created by an American fact-finding committee, led by former US Senator George J. Mitchell, on the state of the Arab-Israeli conflict, during the first stages of the al-Aqsa Intifada...
following a 20 month investigation into the use of performance enhancing drugs by former Senator George Mitchell
George J. Mitchell
George John Mitchell, Jr., is the former U.S. Special Envoy for Middle East Peace under the Obama administration. A Democrat, Mitchell was a United States Senator who served as the Senate Majority Leader from 1989 to 1995...
. In the report, Kirk Radomski
Kirk Radomski
Kirk J. Radomski is a former batboy and clubhouse employee for the New York Mets Major League Baseball team from 1985–1995, who on April 27, 2007 pleaded guilty in United States district court to money laundering and illegal distribution of anabolic steroids, human growth hormone, Clenbuterol,...
claimed he sold Deca-Durabolin
Nandrolone
Nandrolone is an anabolic steroid that may be present naturally in the human body, albeit in minute quantities of less than 0.4 ng/ml. Nandrolone is most commonly sold commercially as its decanoate ester and less commonly as a phenylpropionate ester...
and Winstrol
Stanozolol
Stanozolol, commonly sold under the name Winstrol , Tenabol and Winstrol Depot , was developed by Winthrop Laboratories in 1962...
to Zaun in 2001, after a referral from Jason Grimsley
Jason Grimsley
Jason Alan Grimsley is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He made his debut on September 8, , and pitched for the Philadelphia Phillies, Cleveland Indians, Anaheim Angels, New York Yankees, Kansas City Royals, Baltimore Orioles, and most recently, the Arizona Diamondbacks.-Major league...
. Radomski produced a check from Zaun for $500. Mitchell also explained that former Montreal Expos
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
bullpen catcher Luis Perez claimed to have supplied Zaun with steroids in 2002. Zaun declined to be interviewed for the report
Broadcasting career
Zaun started his broadcasting career after the Blue Jays closed out their 2006 season. Throughout the playoffs, Zaun would offer his thoughts on how the teams and players were doing, and how he thought they could improve. He worked alongside Jamie CampbellJamie Campbell (sportscaster)
Jamie Campbell is a Canadian sportscaster with Rogers Sportsnet. He provided the play-by-play voice on the network's Toronto Blue Jays telecasts from 2005 to 2009.-Youth and education:...
on Rogers Sportsnet
Rogers Sportsnet
Sportsnet was launched on October 9, 1998 as CTV Sportsnet. The name was chosen to match the regional "Fox Sports Net" operations across the United States...
. He has continued to work on Sportsnet's post-season broadcast through 2010.
After his retirement, on March 14, 2011 Zaun signed a two year contract with Rogers Sportsnet to become their studio MLB analyst. He also serves as a part-time analyst on Sportsnet Radio Fan 590 and the Blue Jays Radio Network
Toronto Blue Jays Radio Network
The Blue Jays Radio Network consists of 19 stations in 8 Canadian Provinces. The English language announcers are play-by-play announcers Jerry Howarth and Mike Wilner, joined by colour commentator Alan Ashby. Additionally, CKAC broadcasts some games in French. This brings the total number of...
.
On May 10–11, 2011 Zaun filled in as the color commentator on the NESN broadcast of a Red Sox series against the Blue Jays when the normal broadcaster, Jerry Remy
Jerry Remy
Gerald Peter "Rem Dawg" Remy is a Major League Baseball broadcaster and former Major League Baseball second baseman. Remy grew up in Somerset, Massachusetts.-Playing career:...
was ill.