CLEVELAND — Former Cleveland Indians pitcher Jim “Mudcat” Grant passed away peacefully on Friday night in Los Angeles, California. He was 85.
Grant played in the major leagues for 14 seasons, spending the first six-and-a-half seasons with Cleveland. He later spent time with the Minnesota Twins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Montreal Expos, St. Louis Cardinals, Oakland Athletics, and Pittsburgh Pirates throughout his career.
“The Cleveland Indians family is deeply saddened by the loss of Jim 'Mudcat' Grant, a true fan favorite on both the playing field and in the broadcast booth. A native of Lacoochee, Florida, he joined the Indians organization at the age of 18 in 1954, made his Major League debut in 1958, and left a legacy as large as his personality. To this day, Mudcat was a cherished member of the Indians Alumni Ambassador Program. We send our condolences to the entire Grant family , as well as to his many teammates and other organizations impacted by his 60-plus years in our game,” said Bob DiBiasio, Indians SVP/Public Affairs.
Over Grant’s 14-year career, he owned a 3.63 earned run average while totaling 145 wins and 119 losses. While in a Tribe uniform, Grant pitched in 227 games, earning 67 wins and 63 losses and made the American League All-Star in 1963.
After his playing career was over, Grant spent time both in the TV booth calling Indians games as well as the team’s front office as part of the community relations department.
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