Ben Grieve, baseball player, 118 home runs, 1997-2005

Ben Grieve

Born: 5/4/1976 in Arlington, TX, USA

MLB Debut: 1997-09-03 | Final Game: 2005-10-02

Bats: L | Throws: R | Height: 6'4" | Weight: 200 lbs

Full name: Benjamin Grieve

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Biography

Ben Grieve was a versatile position player who made his mark in Major League Baseball from 1997 to 2005. Born in 1976, Grieve quickly rose to prominence as a talented rookie, earning accolades such as the MLB Players Choice Outstanding Rookie and the Rookie of the Year. His early success culminated in an All-Star selection, showcasing his potential as one of the game's emerging talents during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Over his ten-season career, he played in 976 games, accumulating 864 hits, 118 home runs, and 492 RBIs, while maintaining a batting average of .269. Grieve's playing style was characterized by a combination of power and plate discipline, as evidenced by his home runs and ability to contribute in various offensive categories. He was also noted for his speed on the base paths, finishing his career with 24 stolen bases. As a member of the Oakland Athletics, he contributed to a franchise that was entering a new era of competitiveness in the late 1990s, helping to lay the groundwork for the team's later successes. Grieve's contributions to the game, particularly as a standout rookie, left a lasting legacy in baseball history.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
976 3215 471 864 192 5 118 492 24 466 784 0.269 0.367 0.442 0.809 5227.4

Career AVG .269 vs. league average .266 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .367 vs. league average .336 across their career seasons — +9.4% above league average.

Career SLG .442 vs. league average .425 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS 0.809 vs. league average 0.761 across their career seasons — +6.4% above league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1997 OAK AL 24 93 12 29 6 0 3 24 0 13 25 0.312 .266 (+17%) .336 (+19%) .419 (+13%) .756 (+16%) 295.6
1998 OAK AL 155 583 94 168 41 2 18 89 2 85 123 0.288 .266 (+8%) .335 (+15%) .420 (+9%) .755 (+12%) 1754.4
1999 OAK AL 148 486 80 129 21 0 28 86 4 63 108 0.265 .271 (-2%) .344 (+4%) .433 (+11%) .778 (+8%) 934.5
2000 OAK AL 158 594 92 166 40 1 27 104 3 73 130 0.279 .270 (+3%) .344 (+4%) .437 (+11%) .782 (+8%) 1052.0
2001 TBR AL 154 542 72 143 30 2 11 72 7 87 159 0.264 .263 (avg) .332 (+12%) .426 (-9%) .758 (avg) 378.4
2002 TBR AL 136 482 62 121 30 0 19 64 8 69 121 0.251 .261 (-4%) .331 (+7%) .416 (+4%) .747 (+5%) 647.2
2003 TBR AL 55 165 28 38 7 0 4 17 0 32 41 0.230 .264 (-13%) .332 (+11%) .422 (-18%) .754 (-5%) -15.3
2004 MIL NL 108 234 28 61 15 0 7 29 0 39 65 0.261 .266 (-2%) .335 (+9%) .427 (-3%) .762 (+2%) 180.7
2004 CHC NL 15 16 2 4 2 0 1 6 0 0 5 0.250 — — — — 180.7
2005 CHC NL 23 20 1 5 0 0 0 1 0 5 7 0.250 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
5 17 1 2 0 0 0 2 3 7 0.118

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
2000 ALDS1 OAK 5 17 1 2 0 0 0 2 3 7 0.118

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
OF 774 760 1385 31 20 6

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1997 OAK OF 24 22 39 1 0 1
1998 OAK OF 151 150 262 7 2 0
1999 OAK OF 137 132 232 6 3 2
2000 OAK OF 144 144 237 6 3 0
2001 TBA OF 120 118 240 4 4 0
2002 TBA OF 118 117 249 6 3 2
2003 TBA OF 10 10 17 1 1 1
2004 MIL OF 65 64 106 0 4 0
2004 CHN OF 4 2 3 0 0 0
2005 CHN OF 1 1 0 0 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Left Field 333
Right Field 443
Designated Hitter 105

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1998 MLB Players Choice Outstanding Rookie
1998 Rookie of the Year
1998 TSN Rookie Player of the Year

Salary History

Year Team League Salary
2004 MIL NL $700,000
2003 TBA AL $5,500,000
2002 TBA AL $4,000,000
2001 TBA AL $2,750,000
2000 OAK AL $750,000
1999 OAK AL $300,000
1998 OAK AL $172,000
Total Career Earnings $14,172,000

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1998 Rookie of the Year AL 1st 130.0 140 23