Marquis Grissom, 2009 (photo courtesy of Wikipedia)
With Opening Day just nine days away, let’s look at the contributions of the Montreal Expos and Washington Nationals’ #9, Marquis Grissom. Grissom was drafted by the Expos in 1988 and made his debut with Jamestown Expos of the New York-Penn League on August 22, 1989. He was traded to Atlanta in 1995, where he played for two seasons. Grissom then played for the Indians (1997), Brewers (1998-2000), Dodgers (2001-02), and Giants (2003-05). Three years after his retirement, Grissom signed on to be the Washington Nationals’ first base coach for the 2009 season.
In 2006, Grissom founded the Marquis Grissom Baseball Association (MGBA), a nonprofit organization “that provides athletes in underserved communities the opportunity to compete in a competitive baseball league.” MGBA sponsors youth baseball teams in the Atlanta area for baseball players aged 7 to 22. In addition to coaching, they provide mentoring, tutoring, college placement assistance, and scholarship assistance.
Earlier this year, mlb.com interviewed Grissom at the Dream Series, which is hosted by MLB and USA Baseball. Grissom spoke about the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., stating, “Everything I got from Dr. King was about character. I try to live my life that way, and I try to help and serve, and I try to do things that help the community and to help people.”
Thanks for helping, #9!
~ baseballrebecca
The Baseball Sociologist 