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Greg Gross
Gregory Eugene Gross (born August 1, 1952) is an American former professional baseball outfielder and pinch hitter who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), primarily for the Philadelphia Phillies. He was previously the Phillies' hitting coach and a former manager for the Reno Aces, the Arizona Diamondbacks' Triple-A affiliate.
Gross is perhaps best remembered for his clutch pinch hitting abilities, particularly during the Phillies' 1980 World Championship run. He holds the team’s record in career pinch hits, with 117. Gross also ranks fifth on MLB’s all-time list in career pinch hits, with 143. Gross holds the MLB record for pinch hit walks with 117.
Born in York, Pennsylvania, Gross graduated from Red Land High School in Lewisberry, Pennsylvania.
On June 4, 1970, Gross was selected by the Houston Astros in the fourth round (79th overall) of the June Baseball draft. He led the league in hits in 1970 while playing for Covington in the Appalachian League, batting .351. He also tied for the league lead in double plays by outfielders.
In 1971, Gross was promoted to the Columbus Astros of the Southern League, where he played outfield and first base. In 1972, Gross played most of the season at Columbus, then was promoted to the Oklahoma City 89ers, which was the Astros' AAA farm club. In 1973, Gross started the season with the Denver Bears, which by that point had become the Astros' new AAA farm club.
The Astros decided to call up Gross late in 1973. On September 5, 1973, Gross made his MLB debut with the Astros, going 0-for-1 (ground out to third baseman Denis Menke) as a pinch hitter against pitcher Pedro Borbon, which was the last out of the ninth inning in a game that went extra innings and ended in a 9-3 loss to the Cincinnati Reds at the Astrodome. Gross finished the season going 9-for-39, for a .231 average.
In 1974, Gross became the Astros' starting right fielder and leadoff hitter, playing in 156 games and batting .314. Gross was named The Sporting News' National League Rookie Player of the Year and finished second in the voting for National League Rookie of the Year. Gross also finished the season with a .393 on-base percentage, giving him one of the highest on-base percentages of any rookie since 1970. In 1974, Gross also set a major league record for most times caught stealing in a rookie season with 20. In 1975 and 1976, Gross continued to be a starting outfielder for the Astros, hitting .294 and .286, respectively. The 1975 season saw him reach base in 52 straight games. Nearly half of his hits (142) and walks (63) in the season came during the streak, which saw him collect 70 hits and 30 walks from June 25 to August 18. The streak tied Jimmy Wynn (1969) for the longest on-base streak in franchise history, a record that stands as of 2022.
Gross was traded from the Astros to the Cubs for Julio González at the Winter Meetings on December 8, 1976. In 1977, Gross hit his first major-league home run, connecting a total of five times while hitting .322 in 115 games.
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Greg Gross
Gregory Eugene Gross (born August 1, 1952) is an American former professional baseball outfielder and pinch hitter who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), primarily for the Philadelphia Phillies. He was previously the Phillies' hitting coach and a former manager for the Reno Aces, the Arizona Diamondbacks' Triple-A affiliate.
Gross is perhaps best remembered for his clutch pinch hitting abilities, particularly during the Phillies' 1980 World Championship run. He holds the team’s record in career pinch hits, with 117. Gross also ranks fifth on MLB’s all-time list in career pinch hits, with 143. Gross holds the MLB record for pinch hit walks with 117.
Born in York, Pennsylvania, Gross graduated from Red Land High School in Lewisberry, Pennsylvania.
On June 4, 1970, Gross was selected by the Houston Astros in the fourth round (79th overall) of the June Baseball draft. He led the league in hits in 1970 while playing for Covington in the Appalachian League, batting .351. He also tied for the league lead in double plays by outfielders.
In 1971, Gross was promoted to the Columbus Astros of the Southern League, where he played outfield and first base. In 1972, Gross played most of the season at Columbus, then was promoted to the Oklahoma City 89ers, which was the Astros' AAA farm club. In 1973, Gross started the season with the Denver Bears, which by that point had become the Astros' new AAA farm club.
The Astros decided to call up Gross late in 1973. On September 5, 1973, Gross made his MLB debut with the Astros, going 0-for-1 (ground out to third baseman Denis Menke) as a pinch hitter against pitcher Pedro Borbon, which was the last out of the ninth inning in a game that went extra innings and ended in a 9-3 loss to the Cincinnati Reds at the Astrodome. Gross finished the season going 9-for-39, for a .231 average.
In 1974, Gross became the Astros' starting right fielder and leadoff hitter, playing in 156 games and batting .314. Gross was named The Sporting News' National League Rookie Player of the Year and finished second in the voting for National League Rookie of the Year. Gross also finished the season with a .393 on-base percentage, giving him one of the highest on-base percentages of any rookie since 1970. In 1974, Gross also set a major league record for most times caught stealing in a rookie season with 20. In 1975 and 1976, Gross continued to be a starting outfielder for the Astros, hitting .294 and .286, respectively. The 1975 season saw him reach base in 52 straight games. Nearly half of his hits (142) and walks (63) in the season came during the streak, which saw him collect 70 hits and 30 walks from June 25 to August 18. The streak tied Jimmy Wynn (1969) for the longest on-base streak in franchise history, a record that stands as of 2022.
Gross was traded from the Astros to the Cubs for Julio González at the Winter Meetings on December 8, 1976. In 1977, Gross hit his first major-league home run, connecting a total of five times while hitting .322 in 115 games.