Naturally a righthanded batter, Grubb learned to hit lefthanded by emulating his
hero, Mickey Mantle. He batted .311 as a Padres rookie in 1973, and in 1975 set a
then-club record of 36 doubles. His 21-game hitting streak with Texas tied for the
longest in the AL in 1979. He had nine stints on the DL; in 1981 surgeons removed
a rib to relieve a circulatory problem. He became a key Tiger DH, extra outfielder,
and pinch hitter. His 11th-inning double won Game Two of the 1984 LCS.
(JCA)
FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY
»June 7, 1979: Texas slugger John Ellis drives in six runs to lead the Rangers to a 7–1 win over Milwaukee. Ellis has two homers and a double to back Fergie Jenkins win. John Grubb singles in the 9th to extend his hitting streak to 20 games.
»October 5, 1980:
On the final day of the regular season, Seattle's Mike Parrott surrenders an RBI double to the Rangers Johnny Grubb in the bottom of the 9th to lose 3–2. The loss is Parrott's 16th in a row since winning on Opening Day.
»October 3, 1984:
The Royals rally with RBI pinch hits in the 7th and 8th innings, but John Grubb's 2-run double in the 11th gives the win to the Tigers 5–3.
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