Bobby Grich
Born: 1/15/1949 in Muskegon, MI, USA
MLB Debut: 1970-06-29 | Final Game: 1986-10-02
Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'2" | Weight: 180 lbs
Full name: Robert Anthony Grich
Biography
Bobby Grich was a prominent Major League Baseball player whose career spanned from 1970 to 1986. Known for his exceptional defensive skills and powerful bat, Grich played primarily as a second baseman and was instrumental in shaping the game during the late 20th century. Over his 16-year career, he participated in 2008 games, accumulating 1,833 hits, 224 home runs, and 864 RBIs, while maintaining a batting average of .266. Grich was also a threat on the basepaths, stealing 104 bases throughout his tenure.
A six-time All-Star, Grich was recognized not only for his offensive contributions but also for his elite fielding abilities, which earned him a reputation as one of the top second basemen of his era. He played a key role in the success of the teams he represented, including the Baltimore Orioles and the California Angels, contributing to their competitive edge in the league. His career unfolded during a transformative period in baseball, characterized by a shift towards greater athleticism and power hitting, and he remains a significant figure in the history of the game. Grich's legacy is marked by his all-around prowess and his impact on the position of second baseman in Major League Baseball.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 6890 | 1033 | 1833 | 320 | 47 | 224 | 864 | 104 | 1087 | 1278 | 0.266 | 0.371 | 0.424 | 0.794 | 20662.4 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | BAL | AL | 30 | 95 | 11 | 20 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 9 | 21 | 0.211 | -334.7 |
| 1971 | BAL | AL | 7 | 30 | 7 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 0.300 | 0.0 |
| 1972 | BAL | AL | 133 | 460 | 66 | 128 | 21 | 3 | 12 | 50 | 13 | 53 | 96 | 0.278 | 1487.1 |
| 1973 | BAL | AL | 162 | 581 | 82 | 146 | 29 | 7 | 12 | 50 | 17 | 107 | 91 | 0.251 | 1353.7 |
| 1974 | BAL | AL | 160 | 582 | 92 | 153 | 29 | 6 | 19 | 82 | 17 | 90 | 117 | 0.263 | 2216.9 |
| 1975 | BAL | AL | 150 | 524 | 81 | 136 | 26 | 4 | 13 | 57 | 14 | 107 | 88 | 0.260 | 1730.3 |
| 1976 | BAL | AL | 144 | 518 | 93 | 138 | 31 | 4 | 13 | 54 | 14 | 86 | 99 | 0.266 | 1875.2 |
| 1977 | LAA | AL | 52 | 181 | 24 | 44 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 23 | 6 | 37 | 40 | 0.243 | 253.7 |
| 1978 | LAA | AL | 144 | 487 | 68 | 122 | 16 | 2 | 6 | 42 | 4 | 75 | 83 | 0.251 | 122.2 |
| 1979 | LAA | AL | 153 | 534 | 78 | 157 | 30 | 5 | 30 | 101 | 1 | 59 | 84 | 0.294 | 2596.6 |
| 1980 | LAA | AL | 150 | 498 | 60 | 135 | 22 | 2 | 14 | 62 | 3 | 84 | 108 | 0.271 | 1325.0 |
| 1981 | LAA | AL | 100 | 352 | 56 | 107 | 14 | 2 | 22 | 61 | 2 | 40 | 71 | 0.304 | 2157.8 |
| 1982 | LAA | AL | 145 | 506 | 74 | 132 | 28 | 5 | 19 | 65 | 3 | 82 | 109 | 0.261 | 1753.4 |
| 1983 | LAA | AL | 120 | 387 | 65 | 113 | 17 | 0 | 16 | 62 | 2 | 76 | 62 | 0.292 | 2088.0 |
| 1984 | LAA | AL | 116 | 363 | 60 | 93 | 15 | 1 | 18 | 58 | 2 | 57 | 70 | 0.256 | 1097.3 |
| 1985 | LAA | AL | 144 | 479 | 74 | 116 | 17 | 3 | 13 | 53 | 3 | 81 | 77 | 0.242 | 482.1 |
| 1986 | LAA | AL | 98 | 313 | 42 | 84 | 18 | 0 | 9 | 30 | 1 | 39 | 54 | 0.268 | 457.7 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 | 88 | 5 | 16 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 5 | 22 | 0.182 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | ALCS | CAL | 6 | 24 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 0.208 |
| 1982 | ALCS | CAL | 5 | 15 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 0.200 |
| 1979 | ALCS | CAL | 4 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0.154 |
| 1974 | ALCS | BAL | 4 | 16 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0.250 |
| 1973 | ALCS | BAL | 5 | 20 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 0.100 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 71 | 43 | 417 | 37 | 3 | 48 |
| 2B | 1765 | 1718 | 4217 | 5381 | 156 | 1302 |
| 3B | 49 | 24 | 19 | 46 | 2 | 3 |
| SS | 159 | 141 | 229 | 427 | 28 | 75 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | BAL | 2B | 9 | 8 | 28 | 31 | 0 | 5 |
| 1970 | BAL | 3B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1970 | BAL | SS | 20 | 16 | 28 | 47 | 7 | 4 |
| 1971 | BAL | 2B | 2 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 2 |
| 1971 | BAL | SS | 5 | 5 | 6 | 24 | 0 | 2 |
| 1972 | BAL | 1B | 16 | 10 | 97 | 9 | 0 | 8 |
| 1972 | BAL | 2B | 45 | 43 | 95 | 113 | 3 | 27 |
| 1972 | BAL | 3B | 8 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1972 | BAL | SS | 81 | 68 | 106 | 215 | 17 | 46 |
| 1973 | BAL | 2B | 162 | 162 | 431 | 509 | 5 | 130 |
| 1974 | BAL | 2B | 160 | 160 | 484 | 453 | 20 | 132 |
| 1975 | BAL | 2B | 150 | 147 | 423 | 484 | 21 | 122 |
| 1976 | BAL | 2B | 140 | 139 | 389 | 400 | 12 | 91 |
| 1976 | BAL | 3B | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1977 | CAL | SS | 52 | 52 | 88 | 141 | 4 | 23 |
| 1978 | CAL | 2B | 144 | 141 | 325 | 419 | 13 | 77 |
| 1979 | CAL | 2B | 153 | 151 | 340 | 438 | 13 | 111 |
| 1980 | CAL | 1B | 3 | 3 | 27 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 1980 | CAL | 2B | 146 | 141 | 326 | 463 | 9 | 101 |
| 1981 | CAL | 2B | 100 | 100 | 230 | 349 | 10 | 85 |
| 1982 | CAL | 2B | 142 | 142 | 338 | 450 | 11 | 112 |
| 1983 | CAL | 2B | 118 | 116 | 270 | 415 | 22 | 94 |
| 1983 | CAL | SS | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1984 | CAL | 1B | 25 | 10 | 120 | 10 | 3 | 18 |
| 1984 | CAL | 2B | 91 | 85 | 182 | 249 | 8 | 65 |
| 1984 | CAL | 3B | 21 | 11 | 9 | 23 | 1 | 1 |
| 1985 | CAL | 1B | 16 | 11 | 98 | 9 | 0 | 14 |
| 1985 | CAL | 2B | 116 | 109 | 224 | 380 | 2 | 99 |
| 1985 | CAL | 3B | 15 | 11 | 9 | 19 | 1 | 2 |
| 1986 | CAL | 1B | 11 | 9 | 75 | 8 | 0 | 5 |
| 1986 | CAL | 2B | 87 | 72 | 127 | 221 | 7 | 49 |
| 1986 | CAL | 3B | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 72 |
| Second Base | 1768 |
| Third Base | 47 |
| Shortstop | 156 |
| Designated Hitter | 9 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Player of the Week | Week of 1984-09-14 |
| 1981 | Silver Slugger | 2B |
| 1981 | TSN All-Star | 2B |
| 1979 | TSN All-Star | 2B |
| 1976 | Gold Glove | 2B |
| 1976 | TSN All-Star | 2B |
| 1975 | Gold Glove | 2B |
| 1974 | Gold Glove | 2B |
| 1973 | Gold Glove | 2B |
Salary History
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | CAL | AL | $500,000 |
| 1985 | CAL | AL | $700,000 |
| Total Career Earnings | $1,200,000 | ||
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 14th | 19.0 | 392 | 0 |
| 1979 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 8th | 58.0 | 392 | 0 |
| 1974 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 9th | 49.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1973 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 19th | 9.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1972 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 14th | 16.0 | 336 | 0 |