Bobby Grich .266/.371/.424, 224 home runs, 1833 hits, 320 doubles, 70.9 WAR, 2.6% (1992)
Playing during a time when virtually nothing was expected from middle infielders on offense, Grich was a power hitter who was a true weapon.
During an era when the ability to get on base and draw a walk was an unappreciated skill, Grich excelled. He was consistently among the leaders in walks and on base percentage, using that ability to help set up the Orioles and Angels offense. Yet, he was more than just a player with excellent patience – Grich was a power hitter who led the league in home runs once and even had a 30 home run season.
Yet, that is not to say that Grich was not the defensive stalwart that second basemen were expected to be. He won four consecutive Gold Glove awards, and routinely ranked among the league leaders in putouts, assists, double plays, range factor, and runs saved. His 71 runs saved is the ninth best mark in MLB history at second, and fifth was a 5.69 range factor per nine innings.
While his raw numbers may not have put Grich amongst the all time greats, a closer look at his production, especially given the era he played in, show how valuable he actually was. A favorite amongst the sabermetric community, those advaned statistics could get Grich a longer look than usual through the Veteran’s Committee.
Bobby Grich may not have been the most impressive player based on his raw numbers, but they do not show his true value. He was one of the better players in the history of the game, a top 100 player based on his WAR, and one who deserves a longer look at the Hall.
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