Jerry Grote, a two-time All-Star and member of the 1969 Miracle New York Mets, died Sunday afternoon at the Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute in Austin, Texas, the team announced. He was 81. Grote is a member of the Mets Hall of Fame.
“We are incredibly saddened to hear about the passing of Jerry Grote,” Mets owner Steve Cohen and his wife, Alex, said in a statement. “The Mets Hall of Famer was the backbone of a young Mets team who captured the heart of New York City in 1969. Known as the best defensive catcher in franchise history, he was a two-time All-Star who played 12 seasons in Flushing. We are grateful that Jerry was able to reunite with his teammates one last time during the 1969 World Series reunion at Citi Field in 2019. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Cheryl, family and friends.”
Born and raised in San Antonio, Grote began his playing career with the Houston Astros. He made his MLB debut in 1963 and played 103 games with the Astros from 1963-64 before being traded to the Mets following the 1965 season. Grote played 12…
