Heinie Groh
After letting him slip from his clutches, John McGraw spent nearly a decade trying to reacquire third baseman Heinie Groh. He finally succeeded in 1921, paying more than $150,000 to get Groh back. Groh wielded a strange "bottle bat" that was one of the heaviest pieces of lumber in the game. Despite his small size, the patient leadoff hitter kept his batting mark high, and more importantly, drew walks and laid down precise bunts. After more than eight seasons in Cincinnati, which included a World Series title in 1919, Groh helped the Giants to three consecutive pennants. He blistered Yankee pitchers in the 1922 World Series for nine hits in five games.
Played For
New York Giants (1912-1913)
Cincinnati Reds (1913-1921)
New York Giants (1922-1926)
Pittsburgh Pirates (1927)
Managed
Cincinnati Reds (1918)
All-Time Rankings
Heinie Groh ranks #29 among the Top 50 all-time at 3B. Rankings ⇒
Where He Played
Third base (1,299 games), second base (325), shortstop (20).
Born
Henry Knight Groh was born on September 18, 1889, in Rochester, NY.
Died
August 22, 1968, Cincinnati, OH
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
Primary Position: 3B
Primary Team: CIN
Major League Debut
April 12, 1912
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1912
Rabbit Maranville
Cy Williams
Del Pratt
Bobby Veach
Ray Schalk
Casey Stengel
Buck Weaver
Ray Chapman
Herb Pennock
| Hall of Fame Voting |
| Year |
Election |
Votes |
Pct |
| 1937 |
BBWAA |
1 |
.5% |
1938 |
BBWAA |
3 |
1.1% |
1945 |
BBWAA |
1 |
.4% |
1950 |
BBWAA |
2 |
1.2% |
1954 |
BBWAA |
1 |
.4% |
1955 |
BBWAA |
5 |
2.0% |
1960 |
BBWAA |
1 |
.4% |
|
Post-Season Appearances
1919 World Series
1922 World Series
1923 World Series
1924 World Series
1927 World Series
Batting Feats
Hitting Streaks
23 games (1917)
Transactions
May 22, 1913: Traded by the New York Giants with Red Ames, Josh Devore, and $20,000 cash to the Cincinnati Reds for Art Fromme and Eddie Grant.
December 6, 1921: Traded by the Cincinnati Reds to the New York Giants for Mike Gonzalez, George Burns, and $150,000 cash.
Hall of Fame Artifacts
A bottle bat used by Groh is in the Hall of Fame's collection.
Learn More about Heinie Groh
Search Amazon.com for Books about Heinie Groh ⇒
Search for Heinie Groh at Google ⇒
View a map of his hometown at Mapquest ⇒
