Jim “Mudcat” Grant TTM Success

Another return today, this one from the first African-American twenty-game winner in the American League (Twins, 1965) and the first African-American to win a World Series game for the American League: Mr. Jim Grant.

Sent: 4/16/2020 | Received: 4/24/2020 | 8 days
2/2: 1969 Topps, 1972 Topps
Address: Home (Los Angeles, CA) from SportsCollectors.Net

Grant was erroneously endowed the moniker “Mudcat” during a tryout for the Cleveland Indians. “[A guy] saw me, decided I was from Mississippi and called me ‘Mudcat.’” Grant was a three-sport star from Florida, but the nickname stuck.

Mudcat Grant debuted for the Indians as a 22-year-old in 1958. He was an All-Star in 1963. In June 1964, Grant was traded to the Twins.

The following season, Grant led the AL in wins (21) pitching the Twins to the pennant. He went 2-1 in the World Series (winning games one and six), but Minnesota was eventually bested by the Koufax-led Dodgers in seven.

Mudcat would go on to pitch for the Dodgers (1968), Expos (1969), Cardinals (1969), A’s (1970), Pirates (1970-1971), and A’s again (1971).

Grant tallied 145 wins, 119 losses, and 54 saves over a 14-year career. He had a 3.63 ERA over 2,442 innings.

In 2007, Grant penned The Black Aces, Baseball’s Only African-American Twenty-Game Winners. That exclusive club includes: Grant, Vida Blue, Al Downing, Bob Gibson, Dwight Gooden, Ferguson Jenkins, Sam Jones, Don Newcombe, Mike Norris, David Price, J. R. Richard, CC Sabathia, Dave Stewart, Dontrelle Willis, and Earl Wilson.