Hal Griggs (baseball)
Encyclopedia
Harold Lloyd Griggs was an American
professional baseball
player, a right-handed pitcher
who appeared in three full seasons and part of another between and for the Washington Senators
of Major League Baseball
. A native of Shannon, Georgia
, Griggs stood 6 feet (1.8 m) tall, weighed 170 pounds (77.1 kg) and batted right-handed.
Griggs was a workhorse as a minor league
pitcher, logging over 200 innings pitched for his first six seasons (1950–1955) in professional baseball, including stints with Washington's Charlotte Hornets
and Chattanooga Lookouts
minor league affiliates. In the Majors, he was a starting pitcher
in 45 of his 105 total appearances. Pitching for second-division
and cellar-dwelling Washington teams, he compiled a poor .188 winning percentage, winning six games and losing 26, and surrendering 372 hits
in 347 innings pitched. He also walked
more batters than he struck out
, 209 to 172.
According to a 1993 Sports Illustrated
article, Griggs was married on a Hickory, North Carolina
, pitching mound before a minor league game in 1952. Asked why, he said: "I couldn't hit, so there was no sense getting married at home plate."
Griggs enjoyed the night life of a Major League player, telling a Washington teammate, "I'm only going to be here once on this earth, and I'm really going to live it up."
Griggs pitched professionally into the 1963 season before retiring from the game, and died at age 76 in Tucson, Arizona
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional baseball
Professional baseball
Baseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world. In these leagues, and associated farm teams, players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system....
player, a right-handed pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
who appeared in three full seasons and part of another between and for the Washington Senators
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
of Major League Baseball
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...
. A native of Shannon, Georgia
Shannon, Georgia
Shannon is a census-designated place in Floyd County, Georgia, United States. It is part of the 'Rome, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area'. The population was 1,682 at the 2000 census.-Demographics:...
, Griggs stood 6 feet (1.8 m) tall, weighed 170 pounds (77.1 kg) and batted right-handed.
Griggs was a workhorse as a minor league
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
pitcher, logging over 200 innings pitched for his first six seasons (1950–1955) in professional baseball, including stints with Washington's Charlotte Hornets
Charlotte Hornets (baseball)
The Charlotte Hornets was the name of an American minor league baseball franchise based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The club was originally founded in 1901, and lasted in some form until 1973, capturing 11 league titles during its history...
and Chattanooga Lookouts
Chattanooga Lookouts
The Chattanooga Lookouts are a minor league baseball team based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA. They are named for nearby Lookout Mountain. The team, which plays in the Southern League, has been a Double-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers major-league club since the 2009 season. The Lookouts...
minor league affiliates. In the Majors, he was a starting pitcher
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
in 45 of his 105 total appearances. Pitching for second-division
First division (baseball)
First division is a term that has had various meanings, at various times, in the sport of baseball, but originally referred to the rankings within a league...
and cellar-dwelling Washington teams, he compiled a poor .188 winning percentage, winning six games and losing 26, and surrendering 372 hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
in 347 innings pitched. He also walked
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
more batters than he struck out
Strike Out
Strike Out, , North American Harness racing championStrike Out was born in 1969 at Castleton Farm in Lexington, Kentucky, and is by Bret Hanover out of the mare Golden Miss....
, 209 to 172.
According to a 1993 Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
article, Griggs was married on a Hickory, North Carolina
Hickory, North Carolina
Hickory is a city in Catawba County, North Carolina. Hickory has the 162nd largest urban area in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 341,851, making it the 4th largest metropolitan area in North Carolina. The city's population was 37,222...
, pitching mound before a minor league game in 1952. Asked why, he said: "I couldn't hit, so there was no sense getting married at home plate."
Griggs enjoyed the night life of a Major League player, telling a Washington teammate, "I'm only going to be here once on this earth, and I'm really going to live it up."
Griggs pitched professionally into the 1963 season before retiring from the game, and died at age 76 in Tucson, Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
.