Gabe Gross

Infobox MLB player
name=Gabe Gross

---

width=300
position=Outfielder
team=Tampa Bay Rays
number=26
birthdate=birth date and age|1979|10|21
bats=Left
throws=Right
debutdate=August 7
debutyear=2004
debutteam=Toronto Blue Jays
statyear=July 23, 2008
stat1label=Batting average
stat1value=.240
stat2label=Home runs
stat2value=27
stat3label=Runs batted in
stat3value=108
teams=
*Toronto Blue Jays (by|2004-by|2005)
*Milwaukee Brewers (by|2006-by|2008)
*Tampa Bay Rays (by|2008-present)

Gabriel Jordan "Gabe" Gross (born October 21, 1979 in Baltimore, Maryland) is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Tampa Bay Rays. He bats left-handed and throws right-handed. His father, Lee Gross, was center for the Auburn Tigers and in the NFL. Brother, Bo Gross, played football for Texas Christian University.

Baseball career

Played football and baseball at Northview High School in Dothan, AL. Formerly a starting quarterback for the Auburn football team, Gross was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the first round (15th overall) of the by|2001 amateur entry draft. Promoted from Triple-A Syracuse on August 7, by|2004, he saw limited duty against left-handed pitching.

Gross has excellent power, and though he is a big man, possesses good speed. In September 2004, he belted his first major league home run off the Oakland A's Justin Duchscherer. His outfield range is very good, and he has a strong arm. In 38 games, he collected 73 putouts with five assists and one double play in 78 total chances, for a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage.

On December 7, by|2005, Gross was traded by the Blue Jays to the Milwaukee Brewers, along with pitchers Dave Bush and Zach Jackson, in exchange for first baseman Lyle Overbay and pitching prospect Ty Taubenheim.

Gross made his debut with the Brewers on April 4, by|2006, and hit a pinch-hit home run to give the Brewers a victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

At the beginning of the 2006 season with the Brewers, he obtained the nickname "the Southern Gentleman" for his politeness and well-mannered attitude both on and off the field.

The plan was to have him share time with Tony Gwynn, Jr. and Gabe Kapler in center field in by|2008. [ [http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/chi-30-rogers-britedec30,1,7703460.column Topic Galleries - chicagotribune.com ] ] With a focus on defense, Yost indicated in March that Gwynn and Kapler might have a leg up on Gross. [ [http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=725016 JS Online: Shift on in center field ] ]

Gross was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays on April 22, 2008, for pitching prospect Josh Butler. [ [http://tampabay.rays.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080422&content_id=2569104&vkey=news_tb&fext=.jsp&c_id=tb The Official Site of The Tampa Bay Rays: News: Rays acquire Gross from Brewers ] ]

References

External links

* [http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=7077 ESPN (profile and daily updates)]
* [http://www.baseball-reference.com/g/grossga01.shtml Baseball Reference (statistics)]
* [http://www.gerrymcdonald.ca/gross.html Blue Jays farm report]