Joe Grzenda

Joseph Charles Grzenda
(Shaky Joe)

• Bats Right, Throws Left
• Height 6' 2", Weight 180 lb.
• High School Moosic High School
• Debut April 26, 1961
• Final Game September 23, 1972
• Born June 8, 1937 in Scranton, PA USA
• Died July 12, 2019 in Covington Township, PA USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Lefty Joe Grzenda pitched for 6 big league teams in 8 seasons, posting a very respectable 14-13 record with a 4.00 ERA. His busiest years were with the Washington Senators in 1970 and 1971. He was the last pitcher in the history of the Washington Senators, as he was on the mound in the 9th inning on September 30, 1971, trying to close a 7-5 win over the New York Yankees, when fans at RFK Stadium stormed the field with two outs, ending the game, which was forfeited to the Yankees as a result. Fans were upset that the Senators were being relocated to the Dallas/Fort Worth area after the season.

He is not the only major leaguer whose last name starts "Grz", as there is also Mike Grzanich.

Further Reading

• Larry Colton: Southern League: A True Story of Baseball, Civil Rights, and the Deep South's Most Compelling Pennant Race, Grand Central Publishing, New York, NY, 2013. ISBN 978-1455511884.

Related Sites

• The Citizens' Voice article