The wife of Jerry Grote, Cheryl, announced Sunday evening that her husband, Jerry, passed away earlier Sunday evening at age 81 due to respiratory failure after a heart procedure.
Grote was part of the 1969 Miracle Mets team that won the first World Series in franchise history. Grote, largely regarded as the best defensive catcher in team history, played 12 seasons for the orange and blue. He was a two-time All-Star (1968, 1974) and accumulated 994 hits across his Mets career. Grote is the Mets all-time leader in games played at the catcher position (1,235).
During his tenure with New York, he caught several of the franchise’s legends. Most notably Tom Seaver, Jerry Koosman, and Tug McGraw. Not to mention, Nolan Ryan.
Grote also played for the Houston Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Kansas City Royals. Grote made his debut with the Astros in 1963 and retired in 1981. In all, he played 16 seasons totaling 1,092 hits. He went to school at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas.
Grote was inducted to the New York Mets Hall of Fame in 1992 after being inducted in the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame in 1991.
May he rest in peace.
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