Jerry Grote - Career Statistics

Career Statistics

In a 16 year career, Grote played in 1,421 games, accumulating 1,092 hits in 4,339 at bats for a .252 career batting average along with 39 home runs and 404 runs batted in. He ended his career with a .991 fielding percentage, which at the time of his retirement was eighth highest all-time among catchers. On April 22, 1970, Grote set a major league record with 20 putouts in a game when Tom Seaver threw 19 strikeouts against the San Diego Padres. He is the Mets all-time leader in games played as a catcher (1,176). Grote caught 116 shutouts in his career, ranking him 15th all-time among catchers.

Grote called the pitches for some of the most outstanding pitchers of his era, including Tom Seaver, Jerry Koosman, Tug McGraw, Nolan Ryan, Tommy John, Don Sutton and Dan Quisenberry. He possessed a strong and accurate throwing arm against opposing baserunners. Hall of Fame inductee Lou Brock found Grote to be one of the most difficult catchers on which to attempt a stolen base, and though Hall of Fame catcher Johnny Bench was the perennial Gold Glove winner during their careers in the National League together, Bench once said of Grote, "If Grote and I were on the same team, I would be playing third base."