New York Mets Hall of Famer, World Series Champion Jerry Grote Dies at 81

Jerry Grote, a key member of the New York Mets' 1969 World Series championship team, passed away at the age of 81 on Sunday.

August 22, 2009; Queens, NY, USA; Former NY Mets Yogi Berra, Nolan Ryan, Jerry Grote, Tom Seaver and Jerry Koosman. / NorthJersey.com-USA TODAY NETWOR

Longtime New York Mets catcher Jerry Grote died at the age of 81 at the Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute in Austin, Texas, the team announced Sunday.

Grote was a two-time All-Star and a key member of the Mets' 1969 World Series championship team. He played for the club from 1966 to 1977, earning a spot in their Hall of Fame in 1992.

“We are incredibly saddened to hear about the passing of Jerry Grote," Mets owners Steve and Alex Cohen said in a statement. "The Mets Hall of Famer was the backbone of a young Mets team who captured the heart of New York City in 1969. Known as the best defensive catcher in franchise history, he was a two-time All-Star who played 12 seasons in Flushing. We are grateful that Jerry was able to reunite with his teammates one last time during the 1969 World Series reunion at Citi Field in 2019. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Cheryl, family and friends.”

We mourn the passing of Mets Hall of Famer Jerry Grote. https://t.co/zIxQSYsIns

— New York Mets (@Mets) April 8, 2024

Grote made his MLB debut with the Houston Colt .45s in 1963. The franchise, which rebranded to the Astros in 1965, traded Grote to the Mets at the end of that season.

It didn't take long for Grote to catch on with the Mets, despite spending all of 1965 with the Astros' Triple-A affiliate. He appeared in 120 games in his first year in New York, and he would start at least 100 games in each of the next six seasons.

Grote reached All-Star status in 1968, then played a major role on the Mets' championship run in 1969. He may have only contributed six hits and two RBI in New York's eight postseason contests, but he held down the fort behind the plate by catching every single inning and not making a single error for the Miracle Mets.

Over the course of his 12 years with the Mets, Grote was a .256 hitter with a .650 OPS. He hit 35 home runs with 357 RBI, a 15.6 WAR and 29 defensive runs saved as a catcher.

Grote played for the Los Angeles Dodgers from 1977 to 1978 before retiring. He returned to baseball in 1981, though, joining the Kansas City Royals and then returning to the Dodgers before calling it quits again.

In 1,235 career games, Grote racked up 39 home runs, 404 RBI and 1,092 hits. He called games for Tom Seaver, Nolan Ryan, Don Sutton, Tommy John and several other elite pitchers from his era.

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