Alvin McGrew

Alvin Jerome McGrew
(Mac, Quick Draw)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 1", Weight 182 lb.
• School University of Alabama
• High School A. H. Parker High School

• Born September 22, 1951 in Fairfield, AL USA

BR Minors page

Biographical Information

Outfielder Alvin McGrew was drafted in the first round, 15th overall, in the 1969 amateur draft by the Cleveland Indians, between Don Gullett and Roger Metzger. He spent seven years in the minor leagues - including 198 games at Triple-A - but never played in the the majors.

He debuted as a pro with the 1969 Statesville Indians/Monroe Indians, hitting .211/.298/.335 in 51 games. The lone positive was his 8 assists in 49 outfield games. With the 1970 Reno Silver Sox, he smacked a career-best 15 home runs and batted .238/.327/.464. His .985 fielding percentage was third among California League outfielders but he struck out in 100 of 239 at-bats. He moved up to the Jacksonville Suns in 1971 and produced at a .255/.344/.386 clip with 7 triples. He tied for second in the Dixie League's southern division in triples, one behind co-leaders Bobby Marcano and Marlan Murphy. Amazingly, he had more triples than doubles (4).

McGrew split 1972 between Reno (.311/.385/.414, 13 SB, 3 CS, 7 3B in 83 G) and the Elmira Pioneers (0 for 15, BB). His .987 fielding percentage was second among California League outfielders, behind Henry Cruz. Had he qualified, he would have been 4th in the league in average, between Rex Goodson and Sergio Ferrer. He also tied for third in triples. With the 1973 San Antonio Brewers, Alvin hit .289/.369/.366 with 16 steals in 25 tries. He finished 6th in the Texas League in swipes and missed the top 10 in average by .006.

In 1974, McGrew played for San Antonio (.300/.391/.405 in 57 G) and the AAA Oklahoma City 89ers (.333/.420/.450 in 58 G). Had he qualified, he would have been third in the 1974 American Association in average after Keith Hernandez and Danny Godby. During '75, he began with the Philadelphia Phillies' Toledo Mud Hens affiliate, playing 23 games. He then moved to the Baltimore Orioles, who sent him to the Rochester Red Wings. He hit a combined .257/.340/.397 in 86 games. He was with Rochester for 13 games in 1976 then spent the remainder of the year in the New York Yankees organization. He played 41 games for the Syracuse Chiefs (a combined .183/.311/.270 between the Red Wings and Chiefs) and 24 for the West Haven Yankees (.290/.389/.339 in 24 G) to end his career.

Overall, in 8 pro seasons, McGrew hit .269 and slugged .389 in 2,447 plate appearances over 683 games. He had 46 home runs and 57 steals in 89 tries, scoring 278 runs and driving in 198. He fielded .979 with 23 outfield assists.