Longtime Mets catcher Jerry Grote died Sunday at age 81.
The Mets announced the news via a press release containing tributes from several former teammates who praised Grote as a teammate and as a defensive wizard behind the plate.
In the words of former Mets southpaw Jon Matlack, “he was the best catcher I ever threw to. I don’t think I ever shook him off once. I had the pleasure of being his roommate on the road for a few years. It’s a sad day.”
Grote played in parts of 16 Major League seasons from 1963-1981, including a 12-year run with the Mets from 1966-77. He broke into the bigs with the Houston Colt. 45s (now the Astros) in the second and third years of the franchise’s existence, but a bit of a logjam on Houston’s depth chart saw Grote spend all of 1965 in the minors before he was dealt to the Mets.
The deal kicked off Grote’s long run in Queens, and his excellent defense helped him retain either the starting job or at least a timeshare of catching duties for almost the entirety of his Mets stint. Grote hit .252/.316/.326 over his 4844 career plate appearances, with a couple of solidly above-average offensive performances. His 112 wRC+ in 1968 was his personal best and coincided with the first of Grote’s two All-Star selections (he was also named to the NL squad in 1974).
In 1969, Grote and his teammates became New York icons when the “Miracle Mets” won the World Series. After posting losing records in each of their first seven seasons in existence, the Mets suddenly broke out to win 100 games in 1969, then defeated the Braves in the first-ever edition of the NLCS before upsetting the powerhouse Orioles in the Fall Classic. Grote hit .311/.371/.406 over his final 119 plate appearances of the regular season to help New York surge its way into the playoffs, and his defense and management of the young Mets pitching staff was credited as a key factor in the triumph.
“[Grote] was the reason for my success,” said Jerry Koosman. “I have the photo in my home of me jumping into his arms after we won in 1969. I am heartbroken. No one was better behind the plate. He really controlled the game.”
The Mets dealt Grote to the Dodgers in 1977, and he returned to the postseason as the backup catcher on Los Angeles’ pennant-winning teams in both 1977 and 1978. Grote retired following the 1978 campaign before making a brief comeback in 1981 to play in 24 games (22 with the Royals and two with the Dodgers). His post-career endeavors included stints as a minor league manager and as a radio broadcaster.
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