John Grabow
Encyclopedia
John William Grabow, nicknamed "Grabes" (born November 4, 1978, in Arcadia, California
), is a Major League Baseball
left-handed
reliever.
Through 2009, he held opposing batters to a .218 batting average
and a .293 slugging percentage when there were runners in scoring position
. Also, from 2004–08, no lefty reliever in the National League made more appearances than Grabow. His 340 outings in that span ranked fourth in the majors.
. He graduated from San Gabriel High School
in California in 1997, where he pitched and was a 3-year letterman in baseball and named all-CIF (California Interscholastic Federation
), as well as the league's MVP as a senior. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 3rd round of the 1997 amateur draft.
after being hit on the ear by a foul ball
. He was sitting in the dugout and had just told somebody else, 'Heads up,' because the guy who was pitching "was throwing, like, 100 mph and it was a little, slappy leadoff hitter. Sure enough, the next pitch, he hit one into the dugout."
In 1999 Grabow led the Hickory Crawdads
(A) in victories, starts, and innings pitched, and ranked third in the South Atlantic League
in strikeouts with 164, in 156 innings.
Grabow matched the Altoona Curve
record for career wins, with 24. Until 2003, he had pitched only 10 times in relief as a pro. That season Altoona manager Dale Sveum
and pitching coach Jeff Andrews
asked Grabow to make the switch, suggesting it might be a good career move. "I didn't know if it was a step backwards," Grabow said. But Grabow was then promoted to Class AAA Nashville in July, and pitched exclusively as a relief pitcher there before joining the Pirates for the final weeks of the year.
After spending several seasons in the lower levels of the minor leagues, Grabow steadily moved up through the organization's ranks and was ranked the Pirates' 9th-best prospect by Baseball America
in 2001.
Through 2003, he averaged 7.6 strikeouts per 9 innings in the minor leagues, striking out 9.5 batters per 9 innings at the AAA level.
Toward the end of the 2003 season, Grabow was called up by the Pittsburgh Pirates after 6 years in the minors. It was the most memorable moment of his life. He led the majors in strikeouts per nine innings, with a 16.20 average.
As a rookie reliever for the Pirates in 2004, Grabow appeared in 68 games. He established a Pittsburgh rookie record for appearances by a left-hander. Used both in short stints and long ones, Grabow said: "That stuff where there are guys in certain roles, yeah, there are some guys who have roles set, but I don't think I'm one of them. I just pitch when they tell me to. Whether it's one or two innings, or to one batter, it doesn't matter to me."
On the light side, for his rookie hazing he had to wear a Tweety Bird backpack during batting practice and carrying all the snacks to the bullpen, go through an airport wearing a cheerleader outfit that was two sizes too small, and serve drinks on the plane.
In February 2005 Grabow signed a contract pursuant to which he would make $327,000 in the majors, but $240,000 if he pitched at Class AAA Indianapolis. He was a workhorse in the Pittsburgh bullpen in 2005 as Pittsburgh's main left-handed set-up man, appearing in 63 games in his second full major league season. He held opposing batters to a .186 batting average and a .186 slugging percentage when there were runners in scoring position. He stranded a major-league best 89.7% of his inherited runners, allowing just 4 of 39 inherited runners to score.
In 2006, he appeared in 72 games. He held opposing batters to a .217 batting average when there were runners in scoring position. Grabow stranded an NL-best 82.5% of the runners he inherited.
In February 2007, Grabow and the Pirates avoided arbitration
, and agreed to a 1-year contract for $832,500. Grabow was also in a position to make $10,00 to $70,000 in incentive bonuses if he finished 20–35 games, but was not able to cash in as he only finished 14 games. He was also in a position to make an additional $10,000 to $45,000 in incentive bonuses if he made 75–85 appearances, but again was not able to cash in as he made only 63 appearances.
Grabow suffered a left elbow injury in spring training
in 2007, and started the season on the disabled list
. He was activated in mid-April, and began a rehab stint with the Indianapolis Indians
. Grabow had a 2.25 ERA in 4 appearances for Indianapolis, and was recalled in late April.
Grabow was 3–2 with the Pirates, with a 4.53 ERA. He had held batters to a .215 batting average and a .231 slugging percentage with runners in scoring position, while leading the team by only allowing 5.3% of batters he faced to get extra base hits.
Shortly after the 2007 season ended, Grabow initially planned to have minor surgery to remove bone chips in his left elbow. The procedure would not have caused him to miss any part of the 2008 season, including spring training. But in late September, in the wake of a cortisone
shot, he reconsidered. "I've been symptom-free for the past few weeks," Grabow said. "I want to see what my options are. I don't think I'll really need to have surgery. Maybe I can manage it, and pitch through it." He had his left elbow examined by Los Angeles Angels orthopedist Lewis Yocum, who suggested that rest would be an effective alternative to arthroscopic surgery. Grabow then decided against surgery, and instead followed a program of rest and rehabilitation, extending his period of rest from three to eight weeks, and concentrating his workouts more on strengthening his legs and shoulders.
Grabow earned $1.135 million in 2008. He also had the potential to earn an additional $75,000 based on appearances.
On September 26, Pirates catcher Ryan Doumit
attempted to throw out Willie Harris
trying to steal 2nd base, but instead plunked Grabow; see video.
In 2008 he had the third-lowest ERA of all NL left-handed relievers (2.84), and stranded all but 8 of his 33 inherited runners (76%). Batters hit only .215 against him (and only .146 with runners in scoring position), and he struck out a team-best 19.3% of all batters he faced, while leading the team by only allowing 5.6% of batters he faced to get extra base hits. He also pitched in a career-high 74 games, 4 shy of the club record for a lefty (Scott Sauerbeck
, 2002).
According to WXRL, a statistical metric developed by Baseball Prospectus
to measure the effectiveness of relief pitchers, which takes into account the difficulty of the situations in which they pitch, Grabow ranked fifth in the NL behind the Philadelphia Phillies' Brad Lidge
, Chicago Cubs' Carlos Marmol
, Colorado Rockies' Brian Fuentes
, and San Francisco Giants' Brian Wilson.
Grabow edged Minnesota’s Craig Breslow
for the 2008 Barney Pelty
Award for Jewish Pitcher of the Year.
Grabow agreed to a one-year deal for $2.3 million, with an additional $75,000 possible in incentives, in early January. Going into the 2009 season Grabow had the longest tenure of any player in the organization. Despite Grabow being eligible to become a free agent
at the end of the season, the Pirates did not engage in contract talks beyond 2008, suggesting that Pittsburgh might shop him as the trade deadline approached if the team was out of contention.
Grabow accepted an invitation to play for Team USA in 2009 in the second World Baseball Classic
. He was the first member of the Pirates to represent the US in the WBC. "It's just a thrill, a real honor," he said. "When I got the call, I couldn't believe it. Hopefully, I can help them win some games." He tied for the WBC lead in games pitched (with six), and had a 2.08 ERA, helping Team USA reach the semi-finals.
On July 20 Grabow became the all-time appearances leader at PNC Park
with his 189th, and was tied for ninth all-time on the Pirates' appearance list (385) with Rip Sewell
.
In July 2009 the New York Yankees, Minnesota Twins, Florida Marlins, and Los Angeles Dodgers had all expressed interest in trading for Grabow. Asked about the possibility of the Pirates trading him, Grabow, failing to stifle a grin, responded "I'm untouchable, dude. No way they're trading me." On July 30, Grabow was traded to the Chicago Cubs along with fellow left-handed pitcher Tom Gorzelanny
for right-handed pitchers Kevin Hart
and Jose Ascanio
and minor league third baseman Josh Harrison
.
Grabow began his Cubs career with 16 consecutive scoreless appearances (over 13.0 innings), and stranded his first 11 inherited runners.
He pitched 30 games for the Cubs, ending the season with a career-high 75 games pitched. His 72.1 innings pitched tied for third-most among left-handed relievers, and his career-high 23 holds ranked ninth among NL pitchers. He held left-handed batters to a .222 batting average and one home run over 81 at bats. Grabow stranded 176 of 236 inherited runners through 2009, and his 74.6% success rate ranked fifth-best among active left-handed pitchers (minimum 200 inherited runners). His 149 relief appearances since the start of the 2008 season were third-most among left-handed pitchers, behind only Pedro Feliciano
(174) and Dennys Reyes
(150).
On November 20, 2009, he signed a two-year extension with the Cubs worth $7.5 million. General Manager Jim Hendry
said: "It was really imperative we re-sign Grabow, because he's not only our kind of guy and very successful, but has some experience and some savvy to him and can pitch seventh, eighth, ninth, matchups, righties, lefties. It doesn't matter." Grabow said he had no preference as to how he was used: "If it's the sixth inning or if it's the ninth inning, it doesn't matter. Your job is to go in there and get guys out."
that runs inside on left-handed hitters, a sharp, hard, late-breaking slider
, "one of the best changeup
s in the game," "the bottom falling out of it," which confounds right-handers, and is equally adept at getting both right and left-handed batters out.
Grabow holds runners well and has a good pickoff
move. He also fields his position soundly, and is quick off the mound.
Jew from Beirut
. Much of the family moved to Israel
, while others settled in Brooklyn
or California
.
There were 13 Jewish players in the majors in 2008, including Kevin Youkilis
, Ryan Braun
, Jason Marquis
, and Ian Kinsler
. Grabow was one of three Jewish ballplayers on the Team USA 2009 World Baseball Classic
team, joining Braun and Youkilis. He was recognized in January 2009 with the Barney Pelty
Award as the Jewish pitcher of the year. His 448 career games pitched through 2010 placed him 3rd on the all-time list for Jewish major league pitchers, three games behind Ken Holtzman
.
Grabow married in November 2008.
Arcadia, California
Arcadia is an affluent city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, and located approximately northeast of downtown Los Angeles in the San Gabriel Valley and at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains....
), is a 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...
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...
reliever.
Through 2009, he held opposing batters to a .218 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
and a .293 slugging percentage when there were runners in scoring position
Scoring position
In the sport of baseball, a baserunner is said to be in scoring position when he is on second or third base. The distinction between being on first base and second or third base is that a runner on first can usually only score if the batter hits an extra base hit, while a runner on second or third...
. Also, from 2004–08, no lefty reliever in the National League made more appearances than Grabow. His 340 outings in that span ranked fourth in the majors.
Early life
Grabow grew up a Giants and Dodgers fan, playing first base and emulating Will ClarkWill Clark
William Nuschler Clark, Jr. is a former first baseman in Major League Baseball best known for his years with the San Francisco Giants from to .Will was known by the nickname of "Will the Thrill"...
. He graduated from San Gabriel High School
San Gabriel High School
San Gabriel High School is a secondary school in the Alhambra Unified School District. The school is located at 801 S Ramona St, San Gabriel, CA 91776....
in California in 1997, where he pitched and was a 3-year letterman in baseball and named all-CIF (California Interscholastic Federation
California Interscholastic Federation
The California Interscholastic Federation is the governing body for high school sports in the state of California. It mirrors similar governing bodies in other states; however, it differs from some of the others in that it covers most high schools in the state of California, both public and...
), as well as the league's MVP as a senior. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 3rd round of the 1997 amateur draft.
Minor leagues
In 1998, Grabow suffered his most unusual injury when he went on the disabled listDisabled 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:...
after being hit on the ear by a foul ball
Foul ball
In baseball, a foul ball is a batted ball that:* Settles on foul territory between home and first base or between home and third base, or* Bounds past first or third base on or over foul territory, or...
. He was sitting in the dugout and had just told somebody else, 'Heads up,' because the guy who was pitching "was throwing, like, 100 mph and it was a little, slappy leadoff hitter. Sure enough, the next pitch, he hit one into the dugout."
In 1999 Grabow led the Hickory Crawdads
Hickory Crawdads
The Hickory Crawdads are a Minor League Baseball team in Hickory, North Carolina, USA. They are a Class A team in the South Atlantic League, and have been a farm team of the Texas Rangers since 2009. Previously, they were a Class A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Crawdads play home games...
(A) in victories, starts, and innings pitched, and ranked third in the South Atlantic League
South Atlantic League
The South Atlantic League is a minor league baseball league based chiefly in the Southeastern United States, with the exception of three teams in the Mid-Atlantic States...
in strikeouts with 164, in 156 innings.
Grabow matched the Altoona Curve
Altoona Curve
The Altoona Curve are a minor league baseball team based in Altoona, Pennsylvania, named after nearby Horseshoe Curve . The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates major-league club...
record for career wins, with 24. Until 2003, he had pitched only 10 times in relief as a pro. That season Altoona manager Dale Sveum
Dale Sveum
Dale Curtis Sveum is a former Major League Baseball player and the current manager of the Chicago Cubs.-Playing career:A talented athlete, Sveum was an All-State and All-American quarterback while attending Pinole Valley High School, in addition to being a fine baseball player...
and pitching coach Jeff Andrews
Jeff Andrews
Jeffrey J. Andrews is an American former professional baseball player and current coach. He was the pitching coach for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2008, having been fired after one season at the position. Andrews spent each of the last 22 years as a minor league pitching coach/coordinator, the last...
asked Grabow to make the switch, suggesting it might be a good career move. "I didn't know if it was a step backwards," Grabow said. But Grabow was then promoted to Class AAA Nashville in July, and pitched exclusively as a relief pitcher there before joining the Pirates for the final weeks of the year.
After spending several seasons in the lower levels of the minor leagues, Grabow steadily moved up through the organization's ranks and was ranked the Pirates' 9th-best prospect by Baseball America
Baseball America
Baseball America is a magazine which covers baseball at every level, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in high school, college, Japan, and the minor leagues. It is currently published in the form of a bi-weekly newspaper, five annual reference book titles, a weekly podcast, and a...
in 2001.
Through 2003, he averaged 7.6 strikeouts per 9 innings in the minor leagues, striking out 9.5 batters per 9 innings at the AAA level.
2003–04
Toward the end of the 2003 season, Grabow was called up by the Pittsburgh Pirates after 6 years in the minors. It was the most memorable moment of his life. He led the majors in strikeouts per nine innings, with a 16.20 average.
As a rookie reliever for the Pirates in 2004, Grabow appeared in 68 games. He established a Pittsburgh rookie record for appearances by a left-hander. Used both in short stints and long ones, Grabow said: "That stuff where there are guys in certain roles, yeah, there are some guys who have roles set, but I don't think I'm one of them. I just pitch when they tell me to. Whether it's one or two innings, or to one batter, it doesn't matter to me."
On the light side, for his rookie hazing he had to wear a Tweety Bird backpack during batting practice and carrying all the snacks to the bullpen, go through an airport wearing a cheerleader outfit that was two sizes too small, and serve drinks on the plane.
2005
In February 2005 Grabow signed a contract pursuant to which he would make $327,000 in the majors, but $240,000 if he pitched at Class AAA Indianapolis. He was a workhorse in the Pittsburgh bullpen in 2005 as Pittsburgh's main left-handed set-up man, appearing in 63 games in his second full major league season. He held opposing batters to a .186 batting average and a .186 slugging percentage when there were runners in scoring position. He stranded a major-league best 89.7% of his inherited runners, allowing just 4 of 39 inherited runners to score.
2006
In 2006, he appeared in 72 games. He held opposing batters to a .217 batting average when there were runners in scoring position. Grabow stranded an NL-best 82.5% of the runners he inherited.
2007
In February 2007, Grabow and the Pirates avoided arbitration
Arbitration
Arbitration, a form of alternative dispute resolution , is a legal technique for the resolution of disputes outside the courts, where the parties to a dispute refer it to one or more persons , by whose decision they agree to be bound...
, and agreed to a 1-year contract for $832,500. Grabow was also in a position to make $10,00 to $70,000 in incentive bonuses if he finished 20–35 games, but was not able to cash in as he only finished 14 games. He was also in a position to make an additional $10,000 to $45,000 in incentive bonuses if he made 75–85 appearances, but again was not able to cash in as he made only 63 appearances.
Grabow suffered a left elbow injury in spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
in 2007, and started the season 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:...
. He was activated in mid-April, and began a rehab stint with the Indianapolis Indians
Indianapolis Indians
The Indianapolis Indians are a minor league baseball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. The team, which plays in the International League, is the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates major-league club. The Indians play at Victory Field, located in downtown Indianapolis...
. Grabow had a 2.25 ERA in 4 appearances for Indianapolis, and was recalled in late April.
Grabow was 3–2 with the Pirates, with a 4.53 ERA. He had held batters to a .215 batting average and a .231 slugging percentage with runners in scoring position, while leading the team by only allowing 5.3% of batters he faced to get extra base hits.
Shortly after the 2007 season ended, Grabow initially planned to have minor surgery to remove bone chips in his left elbow. The procedure would not have caused him to miss any part of the 2008 season, including spring training. But in late September, in the wake of a cortisone
Cortisone
Cortisone is a steroid hormone. It is one of the main hormones released by the adrenal gland in response to stress. In chemical structure, it is a corticosteroid closely related to corticosterone. It is used to treat a variety of ailments and can be administered intravenously, orally,...
shot, he reconsidered. "I've been symptom-free for the past few weeks," Grabow said. "I want to see what my options are. I don't think I'll really need to have surgery. Maybe I can manage it, and pitch through it." He had his left elbow examined by Los Angeles Angels orthopedist Lewis Yocum, who suggested that rest would be an effective alternative to arthroscopic surgery. Grabow then decided against surgery, and instead followed a program of rest and rehabilitation, extending his period of rest from three to eight weeks, and concentrating his workouts more on strengthening his legs and shoulders.
2008
Grabow earned $1.135 million in 2008. He also had the potential to earn an additional $75,000 based on appearances.
On September 26, Pirates catcher Ryan Doumit
Ryan Doumit
Ryan Matthew Doumit is an American professional baseball catcher for the Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball. He played the first seven years of his career for the Pittsburgh Pirates.-Professional career:...
attempted to throw out Willie Harris
Willie Harris
William Charles Harris is a Major League Baseball outfielder and infielder. Harris is known for his quick feet and base-stealing abilities, with currently 94 career stolen bases. Harris was formerly a member of the Baltimore Orioles , Chicago White Sox , Boston Red Sox , Atlanta Braves , and...
trying to steal 2nd base, but instead plunked Grabow; see video.
In 2008 he had the third-lowest ERA of all NL left-handed relievers (2.84), and stranded all but 8 of his 33 inherited runners (76%). Batters hit only .215 against him (and only .146 with runners in scoring position), and he struck out a team-best 19.3% of all batters he faced, while leading the team by only allowing 5.6% of batters he faced to get extra base hits. He also pitched in a career-high 74 games, 4 shy of the club record for a lefty (Scott Sauerbeck
Scott Sauerbeck
Scott William Sauerbeck is a retired left-handed Major League Baseball relief pitcher.-High school career:...
, 2002).
According to WXRL, a statistical metric developed by Baseball Prospectus
Baseball Prospectus
Baseball Prospectus is an organization that publishes a website, BaseballProspectus.com, devoted to the sabermetric analysis of baseball. BP has a staff of regular columnists and provides advanced statistics as well player and team performance projections on the site...
to measure the effectiveness of relief pitchers, which takes into account the difficulty of the situations in which they pitch, Grabow ranked fifth in the NL behind the Philadelphia Phillies' Brad Lidge
Brad Lidge
Bradley Thomas "Brad" Lidge is a reliever who is currently a free agent. Nicknamed "Lights Out", he is the all-time leader in strikeouts per nine innings among pitchers with at least 200 appearances in their career...
, Chicago Cubs' Carlos Marmol
Carlos Marmol
Carlos Agustín Mármol is a relief pitcher for the Chicago Cubs.-Minor league career:Mármol started his career as a catcher/outfielder...
, Colorado Rockies' Brian Fuentes
Brian Fuentes
Brian Christopher Fuentes is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher who currently plays for the Oakland Athletics. Previously, he played for the Seattle Mariners, the Colorado Rockies, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and the Minnesota Twins...
, and San Francisco Giants' Brian Wilson.
Grabow edged Minnesota’s Craig Breslow
Craig Breslow
Craig Andrew Breslow is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Oakland Athletics. He throws left-handed, and is considered a lefty specialist....
for the 2008 Barney Pelty
Barney Pelty
Barney Pelty , was a major league baseball pitcher known as "the Yiddish Curver" because he was one of the first Jewish baseball players in the American League. His career ERA is 2.63, 60th-best of all pitchers in major league baseball...
Award for Jewish Pitcher of the Year.
2009
Grabow agreed to a one-year deal for $2.3 million, with an additional $75,000 possible in incentives, in early January. Going into the 2009 season Grabow had the longest tenure of any player in the organization. Despite Grabow being eligible to become 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....
at the end of the season, the Pirates did not engage in contract talks beyond 2008, suggesting that Pittsburgh might shop him as the trade deadline approached if the team was out of contention.
Grabow accepted an invitation to play for Team USA in 2009 in the second World Baseball Classic
World Baseball Classic
The World Baseball Classic is an international baseball tournament sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation and created by Major League Baseball , the Major League Baseball Players Association , and other professional baseball leagues and their players associations around the world...
. He was the first member of the Pirates to represent the US in the WBC. "It's just a thrill, a real honor," he said. "When I got the call, I couldn't believe it. Hopefully, I can help them win some games." He tied for the WBC lead in games pitched (with six), and had a 2.08 ERA, helping Team USA reach the semi-finals.
On July 20 Grabow became the all-time appearances leader at PNC Park
PNC Park
PNC Park is a baseball park located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is the fifth home of the Pittsburgh Pirates, the city's Major League Baseball franchise. It opened during the 2001 Major League Baseball season, after the controlled implosion of the Pirates' previous home, Three Rivers Stadium...
with his 189th, and was tied for ninth all-time on the Pirates' appearance list (385) with Rip Sewell
Rip Sewell
Truett Banks "Rip" Sewell was a right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played 13 years in the major leagues with the Detroit Tigers and Pittsburgh Pirates...
.
In July 2009 the New York Yankees, Minnesota Twins, Florida Marlins, and Los Angeles Dodgers had all expressed interest in trading for Grabow. Asked about the possibility of the Pirates trading him, Grabow, failing to stifle a grin, responded "I'm untouchable, dude. No way they're trading me." On July 30, Grabow was traded to the Chicago Cubs along with fellow left-handed pitcher Tom Gorzelanny
Tom Gorzelanny
Thomas Stephen Gorzelanny is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Washington Nationals.-Personal life:Tom grew up in Chicago, IL, graduating from Marist High School in 2000...
for right-handed pitchers Kevin Hart
Kevin Hart (baseball)
Kevin Richard Hart is a professional baseball pitcher who is currently playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates.-Career:...
and Jose Ascanio
Jose Ascanio
José Eleazar Ascanio is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball.-Baseball career:...
and minor league third baseman Josh Harrison
Josh Harrison
Joshua I. Harrison aka "J-Hay" or "J-Hay da Man" is an American professional baseball second baseman for the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball...
.
2009
Grabow began his Cubs career with 16 consecutive scoreless appearances (over 13.0 innings), and stranded his first 11 inherited runners.
He pitched 30 games for the Cubs, ending the season with a career-high 75 games pitched. His 72.1 innings pitched tied for third-most among left-handed relievers, and his career-high 23 holds ranked ninth among NL pitchers. He held left-handed batters to a .222 batting average and one home run over 81 at bats. Grabow stranded 176 of 236 inherited runners through 2009, and his 74.6% success rate ranked fifth-best among active left-handed pitchers (minimum 200 inherited runners). His 149 relief appearances since the start of the 2008 season were third-most among left-handed pitchers, behind only Pedro Feliciano
Pedro Feliciano
Pedro Juan Feliciano Molina is a Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher for the New York Yankees.-Early career:...
(174) and Dennys Reyes
Dennys Reyes
Dennys Reyes is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He has played for ten teams since his major league career began in . Reyes throws left-handed and is considered a lefty specialist. He stands 6'3" and weighs 250 pounds. His nickname is "The Big Sweat."...
(150).
On November 20, 2009, he signed a two-year extension with the Cubs worth $7.5 million. General Manager Jim Hendry
Jim Hendry
Jim Hendry is da greatest white guitar player there ever was. both herman li and thomas dookul and brandon co-oper agree...
said: "It was really imperative we re-sign Grabow, because he's not only our kind of guy and very successful, but has some experience and some savvy to him and can pitch seventh, eighth, ninth, matchups, righties, lefties. It doesn't matter." Grabow said he had no preference as to how he was used: "If it's the sixth inning or if it's the ninth inning, it doesn't matter. Your job is to go in there and get guys out."
Team USA
In the summer of 2003 he made six appearances with Team USA in the Olympic qualifying team trials.Pitching style
Grabow has a 94 mph fastballFastball
The fastball is the most common type of pitch in baseball. Some "power pitchers," such as Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, have thrown it at speeds of 95–106 mph and up to 108.1 mph , relying purely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit...
that runs inside on left-handed hitters, a sharp, hard, late-breaking slider
Slider
In baseball, a slider is a pitch that breaks laterally and down, with a speed between that of a curveball and that of a fastball....
, "one of the best changeup
Changeup
A changeup is a type of pitch in baseball. Other names include change-of-pace, Bugs Bunny change-up, the dreaded equalizer, and simply change. The changeup is sometimes called an off-speed pitch, although that term can also be used simply to mean any pitch that is slower than a fastball...
s in the game," "the bottom falling out of it," which confounds right-handers, and is equally adept at getting both right and left-handed batters out.
Grabow holds runners well and has a good pickoff
Pickoff
In baseball, a pickoff is an act by a pitcher or a catcher, throwing a live ball to a fielder so that the fielder can tag out a baserunner who is either leading off or about to begin stealing the next base....
move. He also fields his position soundly, and is quick off the mound.
Personal
Grabow is Jewish, and his mother is Jewish. His maternal grandmother was a LebaneseLebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
Jew from Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
. Much of the family moved to Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, while others settled in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
or California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
There were 13 Jewish players in the majors in 2008, including Kevin Youkilis
Kevin Youkilis
Kevin Edmund Youkilis , also known as "Youk" , is an American professional baseball player with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball...
, Ryan Braun
Ryan Braun
Ryan Joseph Braun is an American right-handed Major League Baseball left fielder for the Milwaukee Brewers. A perennial standout, he was ranked No...
, Jason Marquis
Jason Marquis
Jason Scott Marquis is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He previously pitched for the Atlanta Braves, St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, Colorado Rockies, Washington Nationals and Arizona Diamondbacks....
, and Ian Kinsler
Ian Kinsler
Ian Michael Kinsler is a Major League Baseball All-Star second baseman for the Texas Rangers.Despite having been drafted in only the 17th round out of college, Kinsler has risen to become a two-time All Star, and a member of the Sporting News 2009 list of the 50 greatest current players in baseball...
. Grabow was one of three Jewish ballplayers on the Team USA 2009 World Baseball Classic
World Baseball Classic
The World Baseball Classic is an international baseball tournament sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation and created by Major League Baseball , the Major League Baseball Players Association , and other professional baseball leagues and their players associations around the world...
team, joining Braun and Youkilis. He was recognized in January 2009 with the Barney Pelty
Barney Pelty
Barney Pelty , was a major league baseball pitcher known as "the Yiddish Curver" because he was one of the first Jewish baseball players in the American League. His career ERA is 2.63, 60th-best of all pitchers in major league baseball...
Award as the Jewish pitcher of the year. His 448 career games pitched through 2010 placed him 3rd on the all-time list for Jewish major league pitchers, three games behind Ken Holtzman
Ken Holtzman
Kenneth Dale Holtzman is a left-handed former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played most of his career for the Chicago Cubs and Oakland Athletics...
.
Grabow married in November 2008.
See also
- List of select Jewish Major League Baseball players
External links
- BR Bullpen profile
- "Pittsburgh's Newest Jewish Star Athlete: John Grabow," 9/04
- "Batting Around with John Grabow: Questions and answers with Bucs lefty middle reliever," MLB.com, 5/25/06
- "Warming up for the Jewish Boys of Summer," 3/5/08
- "Five Questions: Pitcher John Grabow," Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, March 1, 2009