Mark Grace
From Wiklifield
| Mark Grace |  Mark Grace waits for his turn at the plate. |
|---|---|
| First baseman | |
| Born: June 28, 1964 Winston-Salem, North Carolina | |
| Batted: Left | Threw: Left |
| MLB debut | |
| May 2, 1988 for the Chicago Cubs | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 28, 2003 for the Arizona Diamondbacks | |
| Teams | |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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Mark Grace, a career .303 hitter, anchored the Cubs lineup for 13 seasons, gaining selection to three All-Star teams, and winning four gold gloves for his slick-fielding at first base.
Contents |
[edit] Early Life
Grace was born June 28, 1964 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, to Gene and Sharon. The family moved often, and of its stops was St. Louis, Missouri, where Grace followed the St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Keith Hernandez to who analysts would often compare him later in his career. Grace had an outstanding baseball career at Tustin High School in Tustin, California, but was overlooked in talent-rich Southern California.
[edit] Junior College
Following his senior year of high school, Grace chose to attend Saddleback Junior College in Mission Viejo, California in 1983. In his first season for the Guachos, Grace hit just .265, but demonstrated a keen eye at the plate with just 8 strikeouts in 132 at-bats, and a .358 on base percentage. The following season Grace improved to .314/.385/.538, driving in 47 runs in just 46 games. His performance attracted attention from Major League scouts, and he was drafted in the 15th round (316th overall) of the January 1984 draft by the Minnesota Twins. He chose not to sign, however, and instead transferred to college for his junior year.
[edit] College
Grace transferred to San Diego State for his junior year. That season he hit .395 with had a .465 on-base percentage and led the team in most offensive categories. For his efforts he was named honorable mention All-Western Athletic Conference (Southern Division) and received team awards for Best Defensive Player, Best Hitter, and Most Valuable Player. He was drafted in the 24th round (622nd overall) by the Chicago Cubs in the June 1985 amateur draft. He would sign on August 29, 1985. Following the end of the college season, Grace spent the summer playing for the semi-professional North Pole Nicks of the Alaska Baseball League. The Alaska League is part of the National Baseball Congress, an association of 15 amateur and semi-professional leagues that participate in a championship tournament every summer, culminating in the NBC World Series in Wichita. In 1985, Grace led the Nicks all the way to the finals, with a .363/.439/.552 line. Grace was named the NBC's graduate of the year in 1995 and was inducted into the NBC Hall of Fame in 2004, joining the likes of Bob Boone, Joe Carter, Ron Guidry, Satchel Paige, Allie Reynolds, Tom Seaver, Don Sutton, Dave Winfield, Ozzie Smith, Roger Clemens, Mark McGwire, John Olerud, Barry Bonds, Rafael Palmeiro, Tony Gwynn, Kirk Gibson, Will Clark, and Robin Ventura.
[edit] 1986
Grace began his professional career in 1986 with the Peoria Chiefs of the Midwest League, the Cubs' Single-A affiliate. He won the league batting title by hitting .342, tied for the league lead in hits (159), and slugged 15 home runs on his way to being named team Most Valuable Player and a mid- and post-season All-Star.
[edit] 1987
In 1987, Grace was promoted to the Pittsfield Cubs, the team's Double-A affiliate. He put up a line of .333/.394/.545 on way to being named an All-Star and the league's Most Valuable Player. He also hit 17 home runs and had 101 RBI - the latter a club record.
[edit] 1988
Grace began the 1988 season at Triple-A Iowa, but played only 21 games there before being called up to the Major League team on May 2. He made his Major League debut the same day going 2-5 at the plate with his first Major League hit, a single, coming in the 4th inning off Padres starter Jimmy Jones. He hit .330 for the month of May, and a few weeks after his debut, Leon Durham was traded, cementing Grace as the first baseman of the future. He finished the season with a .296 average and a .371 on-base-percentage (both good for 6th in the National League), with 7 HR, 57 RBI, 65 runs scored, and 23 doubles. For his efforts he came in second in the National League Rookie of the Year balloting to Chris Sabo of the Cincinnati Reds. Sabo accumulated 11 first place votes and 79 points overall to Grace's 7 and 61. Grace, however, was named the Sporting News Rookie of the Year.
[edit] 1989
In 1989, Grace put up a .314/.405/.457 line as the Cubs stormed to the Eastern Division title, going 94-69. Grace led the team in doubles and RBI, and even swiped 14 bases on route to finishing 14th in the MVP voting with 9 points. Most remarkable for Grace was the 1989 post-season, just the Cubs second since 1945. In the National League Championship Series against the San Francisco Giants, Grace was 11-17, with 3 doubles, a triple, a home run, 3 runs, 8 RBIs, 4 BBs, and a stolen base. Grace's dramatic performance, while etched in the memory of Cubs' fans, was overshadowed by Will Clark, who was 13-20 with 8 extra-base hits in the Giants four games to one victory.
[edit] 1990
Grace hit a solid .309/.372/.413 with 82 RBI and a career-high 15 stolen bases in 1990, but the Cubs finished a disappointing fourth in the division. In 1990, Grace also appeared in the movie "Taking Care of Business," staring Jim Belushi, where he hits a game-winning home run to clinch the World Series for the Cubs.
[edit] 1991
1991 was a disappointing season for Grace and the Cubs. Despite still retaining much of the core of the 1989 playoff team, the Cubs finished fourth again, with just 77 wins. Grace hit just .273, a mark he wouldn't dip below again until his age-38 season. No Cub regular hit above .300 that season.
[edit] 1992
Grace rebounded from a disappointing 1991 season to hit .307/.380/.430 and won his first gold glove. He finished 16th in the MVP voting for his efforts, with 6 points, yet the Cubs finished fourth for the third straight season.
[edit] 1993
1993 saw the Cubs finish fourth again, but with a much-improved 84-78 record. This was due in large part to the season that Grace had. He led the team in average (.325), OBP (.393), hits (193), walks (71), doubles (39), and RBI (98 - a career high). He also hit for the cycle on May 9 against the San Diego Padres, collecting a single, double and triple off starter Greg Harris and a homerun in the 9th inning off reliever Rich Rodriguez. For his efforts he was named to his first All-Star game where he started at DH for the National League hitting sixth. In the game, Grace grounded out three times off tough left handers Mark Langston, Randy Johnson, and Jimmy Key. Following the season Mark finished 18th in the MVP voting with 8 points, and was awarded his second Gold Glove for defense at first base.
[edit] 1994
In the strike-shortened 1994 season, the Cubs finished fifth at 49-64, and Grace had a down year, hitting just .298 in 403 at-bats.
[edit] 1995
Grace put together an excellent season in 1995, displaying new-found power. He hit .326/.395/.516 and 1995 would prove to be his career high in slugging, OPS, total bases, runs created, and doubles (51 - which led the National League). He was once again named to the National League All-Star team, where he played defense at first base for the 7th-9th innings. Following the season he finished a career-high 13th in the MVP voting with 14 points, and was awarded his third Gold Glove.
[edit] 1996
In 1996, Grace hit a career high .331 (good for 5th in the league) and won his fourth and final Gold Glove.
[edit] 1997
Grace hit .319 in 1997 with a .409 on-base-percentage, the highest of his career. He was named to his third and final All-Star game as a reserve first basemen and grounded out off Mariano Rivera.
[edit] 1998
Grace had a solid all-around season in 1998, putting up a .309/.401/.471 line in helping the Cubs win the Wild Card in a one-game playoff against the San Francisco Giants, in which he went 2-3 with a walk. The post season would not be kind to Grace or the Cubs, however, as he went just 1-12 in the three game sweep at the hands of the Atlanta Braves. Other highlights of the season included Grace hitting a game-winning home run in the bottom of the 10th inning vs. the Brewers on "Gracie the Swan Beanie Baby Day" (September 13, 1998). On May 12, 1998, Mark became the first player ever to hit a home run into the Bank One Ballpark Pool during an official game.
[edit] 1999
The Cubs finished a dismal sixth in 1999, although Grace set a career-high with 107 runs scored. As the decade came to a close, Grace was recognized for having the most hits (1754) and doubles (364) of any major league player in the 1990s. In addition, he was voted onto the Cubs All-Century team by the fans.
[edit] 2000
The 2000 season would prove to be disappointing to Grace and Cubs fans in more ways than one. The team finished last with just 65 wins. Grace hit just .280 at the plate and missed 20 games with a rare disabled list stint. Although he was nearing the end of his career at age 36, Grace knew he had a few good years left and he made it known that he looked forward to playing out his career with the team and the city that he had come to know and love. Yet general manager Andy McPhail did not even negotiate with Grace after the 2000 season, choosing instead to go with younger players at first base. The signing deadline came and went without so much as a phone call from McPhail, and Mark held resentment towards McPhail for years after and did not attempt to reconnect with the Cubs until he was gone. However, within minutes after he became a free agent, Grace signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
[edit] 2001
Grace enjoyed a resurgence in 2001 with his new team, hitting .298/.386/.466 as the Diamondbacks won the Western Division. Grace was 3-14 with a double in the National League Division Series win over the St. Louis Cardinals, and 6-16 in the National League Championship Series win over the Atlanta Braves. In his first and only World Series appearance, Grace was 5-19 with a 2B, HR, and 3 RBI in a win over the New York Yankees. Trailing 2-1 in the bottom of the 9th of Game 7, Grace led off with a single off closer Mariano Rivera. Five batters later the Diamondbacks would win the World Series on a walk-off RBI-single by Luis Gonzalez.
[edit] 2002
Grace began to show his age in 2002, hitting just .258 in part-time play. The most memorable moment of 2002 was Grace's pitching debut. Impersonating teammate Mike Fetter's, Grace pitched 1 inning in relief on September 2 in a 19-1 blowout loss to the Dodgers. Grace induced Jeff Reboulet and Wilkin Ruan to fly out before Dave Ross hit a solo home run. He finished the inning by inducing another fly ball from Tyler Houston. In the National League Division Series loss to the St. Louis Cardinals, Grace finished 1-4 at the plate.
[edit] 2003
In 2003, Grace was relegated to a pinch hitter and mentor to young first base prospect Lyle Overbay. With his batting average at .200, Grace decided to hang up the cleats and called a press conference for September 26, 2003 to announce his retirement. On September 27, manager Bob Brenly penciled Grace in as the starting first baseman for the last time. He responded by going 2-3 at the plate. The following day, at the Diamondbacks season finale, Grace was inserted as a defensive replacement in the 6th inning. In the top of the 7th inning, he made a fine defensive play and Brenly saw this as the perfect opportunity to take Grace out of the game to a long standing ovation from the fans.
[edit] Career Highs
| Statistic | High | Year |
| Games Played | 161 | 1999 |
| At-Bats | 619 | 1991 |
| Plate Appearances | 703 | 1991 |
| Runs | 107 | 1999 |
| Hits | 193 | 1993 |
| Doubles | 51 | 1995 |
| Triples | 5 | 1991, 1992, 1997, 1999 |
| Homeruns | 17 | 1998 |
| Runs Batted In | 98 | 1993 |
| Stolen Bases | 15 | 1990 |
| Caught Stealing | 7 | 1989, 1998 |
| Walks | 95 | 2000 |
| Strikeouts | 56 | 1998 |
| Batting Average | .331 | 1996 |
| On Base Percentage | .409 | 1997 |
| Slugging Percentage | .516 | 1995 |
| On Base Plus Slugging | .911 | 1995 |
| OPS+ | 141 | 1995 |
| Total Bases | 285 | 1995, 1999 |
| Double Plays Grounded Into | 25 | 1993 |
| Hit By Pitch | 6 | 2000 |
| Sacrifice Bunts | 4 | 1991 |
| Sacrifice Flies | 10 | 1999 |
| Intentional Walks | 14 | 1993 |
| Runs Created | 115 | 1995 |
| Batting Average on Balls in Play | .342 | 1996 |
[edit] Salary
| Year | Team | Salary |
| 1989 | Chicago Cubs | $140,000 |
| 1990 | Chicago Cubs | $325,000 |
| 1991 | Chicago Cubs | $1,200,000 |
| 1992 | Chicago Cubs | $2,262,500 |
| 1993 | Chicago Cubs | $3,100,000 |
| 1994 | Chicago Cubs | $4,400,000 |
| 1995 | Chicago Cubs | $4,400,000 |
| 1996 | Chicago Cubs | $4,175,000 |
| 1997 | Chicago Cubs | $4,525,000 |
| 1998 | Chicago Cubs | $4,225,000 |
| 1999 | Chicago Cubs | $4,100,000 |
| 2000 | Chicago Cubs | $5,300,000 |
| 2001 | Arizona Diamondbacks | $3,000,000 |
| 2002 | Arizona Diamondbacks | $3,000,000 |
| 2003 | Arizona Diamondbacks | $1,750,000 |
| Total | Career | $45,902,500 |
[edit] Quotes
Grace is well-known for providing the media with colorful quotes. Below are some of the highlights.
On giving up a home run to rookie David Moss in his relief pitching appearance on September 2, 2002...
"I didn't have a scouting report on him. Obviously he can hit 65 mph fastballs."
On the feeling of winning the World Series:
"If you only understood how great this is for me. It was better than anything I could've imagined. It is better than sex. But then again, I'm kind of lousy at that."
On his bobblehead doll:
"I'm a pretty ugly guy, and it's a pretty ugly doll, so I think they did of good job of capturing my likeness."
On the 1998 wild card winning Cubs:
"This team makes your ulcers have a baby."
On Shawon Dunston:
"I owe him a lot. Nobody would know how good I was at digging balls out of the dirt if it wasn't for him and all those bad throws."
On the definition of a "slumpbuster," on the show "Rome is Burning":
"A slumpbuster is when you have to take one for the team. It's finding the biggest, nastiest, fattest broad, and you put the wood to her to come out of your slump. Also known as 'jumping on a grenade for the team.'"
[edit] Post-Career
Since his retirement Mark has been the TV color analyst for the Arizona Diamondbacks franchise, although he has made no secret that he desires to manage in the Major Leagues someday. Grace lives in Paradise Valley, Arizona and spends time with this two sons from his second marriage (Tanya - whom he divorced in 2006). His first wife, Michelle, went on to marry Ray Liotta after their divorce in the early 1990s.
On April 12, 2008, the Arizona Diamondbacks announced their 10th Anniversary Team, the fans voted Grace their representative at first base. More than 15,000 fans voted in the poll conducted on MLB.com. The other team members were: Damian Miller (catcher), Craig Counsell (second base), Tony Womack (shortstop), Matt Williams (third base), Luis Gonzalez, Steve Finley and Eric Byrnes (outfield), Randy Johnson (left-handed starter), Brandon Webb (right-handed starter), Jose Valverde (closer), and Bob Brenly (manager).
Grace appeared on the Baseball Hall of Fame ballot for the first and only time in 2008. He garnered 22 votes (4.1% of the total) and failed to reach the 5% threshold that would have enabled him to remain on the ballot in 2009.
[edit] Sources
Baseball Cube: http://www.thebaseballcube.com/Players/G/Mark-Grace.shtml
Baseball Reference: http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/gracema01.shtml?redir
Minor League Statistics: http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=grace-001mar
The Mark Grace Website: http://www.markgrace.com
