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Former World Series champion with the New York Mets, Jerry Grote, died on Sunday at the age of 81.
According to Mets spokesman Jay Horwitz, Grote was suffering from heart issues and was at the Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute at St. David’s Medical Center in Austin, Texas.
During a scheduled procedure, he died of respiratory failure. His wife, Cheryl, informed about his death on Facebook.
“It’s with great sorrow that I make this post to all of Jerry’s fans. Today, April 7, 2024 at 4:29 p.m., I lost our beloved catcher,” she wrote. “He gave a hard fight to the very end as we all expected he would. He is now home with Jesus. Thank you for all the memories and support.”
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New York Mets owner mourns Hall of Fame catcher Jerry Grote
New York Mets owners Steve Cohen and his wife Alex mourned the death of the late catcher and paid homage to Grote.
"We are incredibly saddened to hear about the passing of Jerry Grote. 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," Mets owner Steve Cohen and wife Alex said in a statement.
Two-time All-Star Jerry Grote played 16 seasons in the majors, hitting .252 and compiling 39 homers and 404 RBIs.
He played for the Houston Colts (1963–1964), the New York Mets (1966–1977), the Los Angeles Dodgers (1977–1978, 1981) and the Kansas City Royals (1981). However, his best years came with the Mets. He helped them win the World Series in 1969.
According to NY Post, such was the pedigree of Grote behind the plate that even Hall of Fame catcher Johnny Bench once said that he'd have to play third base to reserve position for him behind the plate.
