Steve Grilli

Infobox MLB retired
name=Steve Grilli


caption=
position=Pitcher
bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date and age|1949|5|3
city-state|Brooklyn|New York
debutdate=September 19
debutyear=by|1975
debutteam=Detroit Tigers
finaldate=September 17
finalyear=by|1979
finalteam=Toronto Blue Jays
stat1label=Win-Loss record
stat1value=4-3
stat2label=Saves
stat2value=3
stat3label=Strikeouts
stat3value=91
teams=
* Detroit Tigers (by|1975-by|1977)
* Toronto Blue Jays (by|1979)

Stephen Joseph Grilli (born May 2, 1949 in Brooklyn, New York) is a former right-handed pitcher for the Detroit Tigers and Toronto Blue Jays. Grilli played for six seasons in baseball, but only played in the major league for parts of four seasons. After graduating from Gannon University,cite web |url= http://www.baseball-reference.com/g/grillst01.shtml |title=Steve Grilli Statistics |work= Baseball Reference|accessdate= 2008-08-17] Grilli was signed as an undrafted amateur free agent by the Tigers in the middle of the by|1970 season, although he didn't make his major league debut until five years later at the age of twenty-six on September 19, 1975 as a reliever in a game against the Boston Red Sox at Tiger Stadium in which he pitched three innings and allowed one hit without surrendering a run.cite web |url= http://www.thebaseballcube.com/box/box.asp?G=DET197509190 |title=Boston Red Sox 7 Detroit Tigers 5 |work= Baseball Cube|accessdate= 2008-08-19] Plagued by control problems with his pitches and walking more batters than he struck out,cite web |url=http://www.baseballlibrary.com/ballplayers/player.php?name=Steve_Grilli_1949 |title=The Ballplayers - Steve Grilli |work= Baseball Library|accessdate=2008-08-19] cite web |url=http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=grillst01 |title=Steve Grilli Baseball Stats |work= Baseball Almanac|accessdate=2008-08-19] he worked out of the bullpen for the next two years until being purchased by the Blue Jays before the by|1978 season.

Wearing uniform number 45, a change from the number 49 he wore in Detroit, Grilli worked as a starter during some seasons and as a closer in others while playing in the Blue Jays organization.cite web |url=http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/G/steve-grilli.shtml |title=Steve Grilli statistics |work= The Baseball Cube |accessdate=2008-08-17] He is known for being the losing pitcher for the Rochester Red Wings in the longest professional baseball game on June 23, 1981, where, in the thirty-third inning, he faced three batters and gave up one run without recording an out against the Pawtucket Red Sox.cite web |url=http://www.pawsox.com/team/longest_game/ |title=The Longest Game in Baseball History |work= PawSox.com |accessdate=2008-08-17] Grilli made his final major league appearance on September 17, 1979 in a loss against the Boston Red Sox at Exhibition Stadium in Toronto,cite web |url=http://www.thebaseballcube.com/box/box.asp?G=TOR197909172 |title= Boston Red Sox 5 Toronto Blue Jays 3 |work= The Baseball Cube |accessdate=2008-08-19] and retired after the 1981 season at the age of thirty-two with a 4-3 win-loss record in seventy appearances over four seasons in the majors.

He has a son, Jason, who is currently a starting pitcher for the Colorado Rockies.cite web |url= http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/G/Jason-Grilli.shtml |title=Jason Grilli statistics |work= The Baseball Cube |accessdate=2008-08-17]

References

External links

* [http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=grillst01 Baseball Almanac biography]
* [http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/G/steve-grilli.shtml Baseball Cube statistics]