Greg Gross
| Greg Gross | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Outfielder | |||
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Born: August 1, 1952 Goldsboro, Pennsylvania |
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| MLB debut | |||
| September 5, 1973, for the Houston Astros | |||
| Last MLB appearance | |||
| September 27, 1989, for the Houston Astros | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .287 | ||
| Home runs | 7 | ||
| Runs batted in | 308 | ||
| Teams | |||
| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Gregory Eugene Gross (born August 1, 1952), is a former professional baseball player who played in the Major Leagues from 1973–1989, playing for the Chicago Cubs, Houston Astros, and Philadelphia Phillies. He was formerly the hitting coach of the Philadelphia Phillies, being dismissed on October 3, 2012. He is now a coach for the Reno Aces, the Class AAA affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Gross was best known for his clutch pinch-hits as a Phillie, and holds the Phillies career record in pinch hits with 117. He also ranks fifth on Major League Baseball's all-time list in career pinch hits with 143.
Born in York, Pennsylvania, Gross graduated from Red Land High School in Lewisberry.
On June 4, 1970, Gross was selected by the Houston Astros in the fourth round of the free agent 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, and was promoted later on in the season 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 to the major leagues late in 1973. On September 5, 1973, Gross made his major league debut with the Astros, going 0-for-1 as a pinch hitter in a 9-3 loss to the Cincinnati Reds. 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.
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