Grant Roberts: Difference between revisions
Content deleted Content added
←Replaced page with 'Grant Roberts was the greatest man alive, he is sweet' |
|||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
Grant Roberts was the greatest man alive, he is sweet |
|||
'''Grant William Roberts''' (born [[September 13]], [[1977]]) is a former [[pitcher]] in [[Major League Baseball]]. A right-handed [[relief pitcher]], Roberts pitched for the [[New York Mets]] from 2000 to 2004. His career was derailed by injuries and a 2005 violation of baseball's steroid policy. |
|||
==Early life and career== |
|||
Grant Roberts was born in [[El Cajon, California]] where he graduated from [[Grossmont High School]]. He was selected by the Mets in the 11th round of the [[Major League Baseball Draft]] and the 17-year-old signed on [[June 1]], [[1995]]. Roberts pitched mostly out of the [[bullpen]] in 1995 but was a [[starting pitcher]] in 1996, posting a 9-1 [[Win (baseball)|record]] and 2.10 [[earned run average]]. |
|||
With the A-level [[Capital City Bombers]], Roberts again pitched well and played in the 1997 [[South Atlantic League]] [[All-star game]]. After an 11-3 record, 2.36 ERA and 8.47 [[strikeouts per 9 innings pitched]], Roberts was named the league's Most Outstanding Pitcher. In 1998, Roberts' numbers declined with the [[St. Lucie Mets]] and he had elbow surgery in November.<ref name="CzerCompete">{{cite web |
|||
|url=http://www.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20040120&content_id=629507&vkey=news_nym&fext=.jsp&c_id=nym |
|||
|title=Roberts to compete for fifth starter |
|||
|last=Czerwinski |
|||
|first=Kevin T. |
|||
|accessdate=2007-03-16 |
|||
|date=[[2004-01-20]] |
|||
|publisher=[[MLB.com]] |
|||
}}</ref> He returned from surgery with mediocre numbers in 1999 for both the AA [[Binghamton Mets]] and AAA [[Norfolk Tides]]. |
|||
In 2000, Roberts' pitching improved for Norfolk and he was selected to the [[All-Star Futures Game]]. On [[July 27]], [[2000]], with the Mets holding a slight lead in the [[National League]] [[Wild card (sports)#Major League Baseball|wild card]] race, Roberts made his major league debut with a terrible start against the [[Montreal Expos]], getting knocked out in the second inning. After what turned out to be the only start of his major league career, Roberts was sent back to the minors until September. When he returned, the Mets were comfortably in the wild card lead and Roberts was in the bullpen for three [[Games pitched|appearances]], highlighted by a four-inning one-hit performance on the last day of the season. Roberts did not pitch in the postseason. |
|||
When 2001 started, Roberts was back in Norfolk and back to pitching mostly in relief despite having spent most of his minor league career as a starter. The Mets brought him back up for a very good relief appearance in June and Roberts spent all of August and September in the majors. |
|||
==Highlight year interrupted== |
|||
2002 was the highlight of Roberts' career. He made the majors out of spring training and did not give up a single [[run (baseball)|run]] until his eighth game. He ended April with a 0.69 ERA including his most dominant game on [[April 15]] when he [[strikeout|struck out]] five of the seven batters he faced over two [[innings pitched]]. In early June, his ERA dipped to a fantastic 0.59 but after a poor game, he was put on the [[disabled list]] with a [[rotator cuff]] problem. He returned a few weeks later but was back on the disabled list with [[tendinitis]] after only five games. |
|||
Roberts was out of action for two months until mid-September. Shortly after, ''[[Newsday]]'' published a story that seven Mets players, including Roberts, had used [[marijuana]] during the season and included a 1998 photograph of Roberts smoking marijuana.<ref name="CBSPot">{{cite web |
|||
|url=http://cbs.sportsline.com/mlb/story/5731037 |
|||
|title=Mets GM refutes report of widespread pot use |
|||
|accessdate=2007-03-16 |
|||
|date=[[2002-09-20]] |
|||
|publisher=[[CBS SportsLine.com]], [[Associated Press]] |
|||
}}</ref> Roberts alleged that a former girlfriend made the photograph public after unsuccessfully trying to [[Extortion|extort]] money from him. In 2003, the [[Queens]] [[district attorney]] decided not to press charges on the woman.<ref name="ESPNSteroids">{{cite web |
|||
|url=http://espn.go.com/minorlbb/news/2005/0422/2043594.html |
|||
|title=Players were tested at Florida camps |
|||
|accessdate=2007-03-16 |
|||
|date=[[2005-04-22]] |
|||
|publisher=[[ESPN.com]], [[Associated Press]] |
|||
}}</ref> |
|||
Continuing problems with his rotator cuff caused Roberts to start the 2003 season on the disabled list. In May, he was moved to the 60-day disabled list and he did not pitch until August. After the season, the Mets cleared Roberts for surgery but he declined. During spring training of 2004, Roberts was a leading candidate to be the fifth starter but he began the season in the bullpen after a poor last start. In April 2004, Roberts was awful in four relief appearances and was back on the disabled list. In mid-May, Roberts was within minutes of having shoulder surgery when the Mets designated him for assignment cancelling the procedure.<ref name="CzerWaivers">{{cite web |
|||
|url=http://www.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20040514&content_id=743534&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=null |
|||
|title=Roberts clears waivers |
|||
|last=Czerwinski |
|||
|first=Kevin T. |
|||
|accessdate=2007-03-16 |
|||
|date=[[2004-05-14]] |
|||
|publisher=[[MLB.com]] |
|||
}}</ref> The team relented later in the month and Roberts had surgery ending his season. Roberts was granted [[Free agent|free agency]] after the season but re-signed to a minor league contract with the Mets. |
|||
Roberts did not make the team after spring training 2005 and was released on [[April 14]]. On [[April 22]], Roberts and eight other players were suspended for violating baseball's minor league [[Anabolic steroid|steroids]] policy. Among the players suspended, Roberts was the only one with major league experience. He was suspended for 15 days which was standard for a first offense at the time.<ref name="ESPNSteroids"> </ref> |
|||
On [[May 26]], [[2005]], Roberts was signed by the [[New York Yankees]] but he was released on [[August 22]] without pitching in the majors. |
|||
==References== |
|||
{{Reflist}} |
|||
==External links== |
|||
*[http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/R/Probeg001.htm Grant Roberts] at [[Retrosheet]]. |
|||
*{{baseball-reference|id=r/robergr01|name=Grant Roberts}}. |
|||
*[http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/R/Grant-Roberts.shtml Grant Roberts] at The Baseball Cube. |
|||
{{DEFAULTSORT:Roberts, Grant}} |
|||
[[Category:Living people]] |
|||
[[Category:1977 births]] |
|||
[[Category:New York Mets players]] |
|||
[[Category:Major league pitchers]] |
|||
[[Category:Major league players from California]] |
|||
[[Category:Baseball players suspended for drug offenses]] |
|||
[[Category:All-Star Futures Game players]] |
|||
Revision as of 19:17, 7 September 2007
Grant Roberts was the greatest man alive, he is sweet