Lee Grissom
Encyclopedia
Lee Theo Grissom was an American
left-handed pitcher
in Major League Baseball
who played from 1934-1941 for the Cincinnati Reds
, New York Yankees
, Brooklyn Dodgers
and Philadelphia Phillies
. His brother Marv
was also a professional baseball player. He originally played baseball in the local Farm Bureau League when a local scout spotted him and signed him to a professional contract. He pitched for the Mission Reds
in the Pacific Coast League
in 1933, where he was then discovered by Charles E. Chapman, a college scouter for the Reds, and was signed before the 1934 season to a contract by Cincinnati general manager Larry MacPhail
to play for the Reds.
Born in Sherman, Texas
, Grissom made his debut with the Reds on September 2, against the Pittsburgh Pirates
. He pitched four games in 1934, and in 1935 he started three games, winning and losing one each. During the 1935 season, he was recognized by The Sporting News
as a "Minor Worth Watching". He continued to move between the majors and minors during these two seasons and in 1936. He played six games, starting four and pitching nearly 25 innings
.
In 1937 Grissom had his best season, and became a regular on the pitching staff. Before the season started, however, he became well known as a result of a flood. In late January, Cincinnati
had the worst flood in its history
, with Crosley Field
being covered by as much as 21 feet of water. Grissom and Gene Schott
rowed a boat out from the center field wall, and the resulting photo appeared across the country. During the season, he was selected to the All-Star Game
in his only appearance, pitching an inning for the National League
. He pitched in the bottom of the fifth inning, striking out
Lou Gehrig
and Earl Averill
, yet surrendered doubles
to Joe Cronin
and Bill Dickey
, with Cronin scoring a run on Dickey's hit, before ending the inning by making Sam West
fly out. He finished the 1937 Cincinnati Reds season
with a record of 12–17, an earned run average
of 3.26 and 149 strikeouts, and finished tied for 19th in the NL's MVP voting.
During the 1938 season, Grissom pitched 51 innings in 14 games. A blurb in the "Odds 'n Ends" section on the inside back cover of Action Comics #1
, from 1938, mentions that Grissom is anxious to pitch both games of a doubleheader one day. However, his season ended abruptly when he broke his ankle trying to steal a base
. In 1939, his final season as a Red, Grissom finished the season for the pennant-winning Reds with a 9–7 record, a 4.10 ERA, and over 150 innings pitched. He also pitched 1⅓ innings during the 1939 World Series
loss to the New York Yankees
. After the 1939 season, he was traded to the Yankees for Joe Beggs
, but went on to play only five games for New York. On May 15, , Grissom was selected off waivers by the Brooklyn Dodgers
. He started 10 games for them and finished the season with an ERA of 2.81. In 1941, Grissom played four games before he was traded by the Dodgers to the Philadelphia Phillies
for Vito Tamulis
. He played in 29 games for Philadelphia, and while he had an ERA of 2.97, he only earned a 2–13 record.
After playing his last game on September 24, , Grissom joined the military on June 6, 1942, and was originally assigned to the infantry and later to the United States Army Air Forces
. He pitched for a base team under Burgess Whitehead
and played for a semi-pro team in Colorado before being discharged in September 1945. He went on to work at his family's farm and pitch for local teams. In 1952 he was tried and acquitted of manslaughter for the death of a man during a barfight in which he participated. He died in Corning, California
at age 90.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
left-handed pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
who played from 1934-1941 for the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
, New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
, Brooklyn Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
and Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
. His brother Marv
Marv Grissom
Marvin Edward Grissom was an American pitcher in Major League Baseball for the New York & San Francisco Giants , Detroit Tigers , Chicago White Sox , Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals . He was born in Los Molinos, California.He helped the Giants win the 1954 World Series...
was also a professional baseball player. He originally played baseball in the local Farm Bureau League when a local scout spotted him and signed him to a professional contract. He pitched for the Mission Reds
Mission Reds
The Mission Reds were a minor league baseball team located in San Francisco, California, that played in the Pacific Coast League from 1926 through 1937.-Original Missions:...
in the Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
in 1933, where he was then discovered by Charles E. Chapman, a college scouter for the Reds, and was signed before the 1934 season to a contract by Cincinnati general manager Larry MacPhail
Larry MacPhail
Leland Stanford "Larry" MacPhail, Sr. was an American lawyer, and an executive and innovator in Major League Baseball.-Biography:...
to play for the Reds.
Born in Sherman, Texas
Sherman, Texas
Sherman is a city in and the county seat of Grayson County, Texas, United States. The city's estimated population as of 2009 was 38,407. It is also one of two principal cities in the Sherman-Denison Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
, Grissom made his debut with the Reds on September 2, against the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
. He pitched four games in 1934, and in 1935 he started three games, winning and losing one each. During the 1935 season, he was recognized by The Sporting News
The Sporting News
Sporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
as a "Minor Worth Watching". He continued to move between the majors and minors during these two seasons and in 1936. He played six games, starting four and pitching nearly 25 innings
Innings pitched
In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two...
.
In 1937 Grissom had his best season, and became a regular on the pitching staff. Before the season started, however, he became well known as a result of a flood. In late January, Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
had the worst flood in its history
Ohio River flood of 1937
The Ohio River flood of 1937 took place in late January and February 1937. With damage stretching from Pittsburgh to Cairo, Illinois, one million persons were left homeless, with 385 dead and property losses reaching $500 million...
, with Crosley Field
Crosley Field
Crosley Field was a Major League Baseball park located in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was the home field of the National League's Cincinnati Reds from 1912 through June 24, 1970, and the original Cincinnati Bengals football team, members of the second and third American Football League...
being covered by as much as 21 feet of water. Grissom and Gene Schott
Gene Schott
Arthur Eugene Schott was an American Major League Baseball pitcher from -, primarily for the Cincinnati Reds.-External links:*...
rowed a boat out from the center field wall, and the resulting photo appeared across the country. During the season, he was selected to the All-Star Game
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
in his only appearance, pitching an inning for the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
. He pitched in the bottom of the fifth inning, striking out
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
Lou Gehrig
Lou Gehrig
Henry Louis "Lou" Gehrig , nicknamed "The Iron Horse" for his durability, was an American Major League Baseball first baseman. He played his entire 17-year baseball career for the New York Yankees . Gehrig set several major league records. He holds the record for most career grand slams...
and Earl Averill
Earl Averill
Howard Earl Averill was an American player in Major League Baseball who was a center fielder from 1929 to 1941...
, yet surrendered doubles
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
to Joe Cronin
Joe Cronin
Joseph Edward Cronin was a Major League Baseball shortstop and manager.During a 20-year playing career, he played from 1926–45 for three different teams, primarily for the Boston Red Sox. Cronin was a major league manager from 1933–47...
and Bill Dickey
Bill Dickey
William Malcolm Dickey was a Major League Baseball catcher and manager.He played his entire 19-year baseball career with the New York Yankees . During Dickey's playing career, the Yankees went to the World Series nine times, winning eight championships...
, with Cronin scoring a run on Dickey's hit, before ending the inning by making Sam West
Sam West
Samuel Filmore West was a center fielder in Major League Baseball who played for three different teams between and . Listed at 5' 11", 165 lb., West batted and threw left handed. He was born in Longview, Texas....
fly out. He finished the 1937 Cincinnati Reds season
1937 Cincinnati Reds season
The Cincinnati Reds season was a season in American baseball. The team finished eighth and last in the National League with a record of 56-98, 40 games behind the New York Giants.- Offseason :...
with a record of 12–17, an earned run average
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
of 3.26 and 149 strikeouts, and finished tied for 19th in the NL's MVP voting.
During the 1938 season, Grissom pitched 51 innings in 14 games. A blurb in the "Odds 'n Ends" section on the inside back cover of Action Comics #1
Action Comics 1
Action Comics #1 is the first issue of the comic book series Action Comics. It features the first appearance of several comic book heroes, most notably the Jerry Siegel/Joe Shuster creation Superman.-Contents:...
, from 1938, mentions that Grissom is anxious to pitch both games of a doubleheader one day. However, his season ended abruptly when he broke his ankle trying to steal a base
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
. In 1939, his final season as a Red, Grissom finished the season for the pennant-winning Reds with a 9–7 record, a 4.10 ERA, and over 150 innings pitched. He also pitched 1⅓ innings during the 1939 World Series
1939 World Series
The 1939 World Series featured the three-time defending champion New York Yankees against the Cincinnati Reds, who were making their first Series appearance since the scandal-tainted 1919 World Series. The Yankees swept the Series in four games for the second time in a row, winning their record...
loss to the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
. After the 1939 season, he was traded to the Yankees for Joe Beggs
Joe Beggs
Joseph Stanley "Fireman" Beggs was a former professional baseball player. He was a right-handed pitcher over parts of nine seasons with the New York Yankees, Cincinnati Reds and New York Giants...
, but went on to play only five games for New York. On May 15, , Grissom was selected off waivers by the Brooklyn Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
. He started 10 games for them and finished the season with an ERA of 2.81. In 1941, Grissom played four games before he was traded by the Dodgers to the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
for Vito Tamulis
Vito Tamulis
Vitautis Casimirus Tamulis was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the New York Yankees, St. Louis Browns, Philadelphia Phillies and Brooklyn Dodgers from 1934-1941. Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, he died at age 62 in Nashville, Tennessee.-External links:...
. He played in 29 games for Philadelphia, and while he had an ERA of 2.97, he only earned a 2–13 record.
After playing his last game on September 24, , Grissom joined the military on June 6, 1942, and was originally assigned to the infantry and later to the United States Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
. He pitched for a base team under Burgess Whitehead
Burgess Whitehead
Burgess Urquhart "Whitey" Whitehead was a Major League Baseball second baseman from 1933 to 1946. He played for the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Giants, and Pittsburgh Pirates.-Biography:...
and played for a semi-pro team in Colorado before being discharged in September 1945. He went on to work at his family's farm and pitch for local teams. In 1952 he was tried and acquitted of manslaughter for the death of a man during a barfight in which he participated. He died in Corning, California
Corning, California
Corning is a city in Tehama County, California, two hours north of Sacramento and one half hour northwest of Chico California United States. The population was 7,663 at the 2010 census, up from 6,741 at the 2000 census....
at age 90.
External links
- Baseball in Wartime
- BaseballLibrary - profile and career highlights