Mark Grant
Encyclopedia
Mark Andrew Grant is a former Major League Baseball
starting pitcher
and is the current color commentator
for the San Diego Padres
' television broadcasts.
in the 1981 Major League Baseball Draft
. Grant started his major league career with the Giants from through , when he was traded to the San Diego Padres. Grant played for the Padres through where he was again dealt to the Atlanta Braves
for Derek Lilliquist
. In the off-season, he signed with the Seattle Mariners
to a one-year deal. In , he signed to the Houston Astros
. The same season on May 20, he was sent to the expansion team Colorado Rockies
for Braulio Castillo. He was released from the club just two months later, and signed with the California Angels
on August 20. In 1994, he took a break from baseball to host a talk radio show for KFMB-AM
along with broadcasting Padres games for the station. Grant returned to baseball in when he pitched for the Chicago Cubs
AAA affiliate Iowa
. In he briefly played for CPBL's Uni-President Lions
and officially retired from baseball after leaving the Lions.
, and has remained there to this day, teaming with a variety of partners including Mel Proctor
, Matt Vasgersian
, and Dick Enberg
. His style of color commentary along with his humorous on-air antics have made "Mud" (a nickname given early in his playing career by Giants coach Danny Ozark in reference to Mudcat Grant
) a favorite with Padres fans.
. Grant has also coined such phrases as "Shillelagh power," "F.O.P" (short for "full of Padres," used when the bases are loaded by the Padres), and "that's some kinda nice". When a player hits a home run, particularly in a dramatic situation, Grant will often say "Put another notch in the shillelagh for (player name)".
Broadcasting for a team so close to the Mexico border, Mark Grant also uses his fair share of Spanish words and phrases throughout telecasts to describe things: calling baseball gloves guantes (gwan-tess), comments on players' pelo-styles (hair-styles), and referring to a change-up as a cambio (kawm-bee-O).
During play-by-play Mark Grant along with his broadcast partner Matt Vasgersian
frequently try to name off other current or past athletes or famous people that a certain ballplayer may remind them of.
Mark is fond of expressing his hope that the Padres will hang a "crooked number" on the board in the next inning.
When a player shown on television is obviously chewing tobacco, Mark often refers to them as "cancer mouth."
Mark used to refer to exceptionally tall players as "The Third Twin" but stopped doing so after the September 11 terrorist attacks out of respect for the victims and their families.
When a player tries to check his swing but can't, Mark will use his famous line "if he hits it, its a double," especially if a "no-swing" is called by an umpire.
Mark uses several different terms to describe a curveball, including "twelve-to-sixer," "yakker," and "uncle charlie."
When a player is a bit too anxious or excited, he is "froggy." When a catchable ball bounces out of the glove, there's usually "a frog with a tennis racket in there."
When fellow commentator Vasgersian uses the phrase "How 'bout a ..." either to describe an exciting play that just happened in favor of the Padres or his hopes for a future play, Grant is known to quote Judge Smails from Caddyshack
, "How 'bout a Fresca?"
Finally, Mark does an impersonation of legendary Cubs broadcaster Harry Caray
, especially when visiting Wrigley Field
. In addition to spelling players' surnames backward, his Harry Caray act frequently includes the phrase "Hey, check out the sombrero
on that guy!"
, CA
, with his wife Mary, two sons, and a daughter. In 2007, Mark Grant was honored by the Kiwanis Club of Alpine (of which he is a member) for his contributions to the community. He is also a frequent contributor to sports talk shows on XX Sports Radio in San Diego, as well as the Dave, Shelly, and Chainsaw
show on 100.7 JACK FM. Grant has publicly stated his appreciation for this page, and also shops at Costco La Mesa, frequently.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
starting pitcher
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
and is the current color commentator
Color commentator
A color commentator is a sports commentator who assists the play-by-play announcer, often by filling in any time when play is not in progress. The color analyst and main commentator will often exchange comments freely throughout the broadcast, when the play-by-play announcer is not describing the...
for the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
' television broadcasts.
Career
Grant was a first-round pick by the San Francisco GiantsSan Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
in the 1981 Major League Baseball Draft
1981 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1981 Major League Baseball draft.- Other notable players :*John Elway was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 2nd round of the 1981 amateur draft...
. Grant started his major league career with the Giants from through , when he was traded to the San Diego Padres. Grant played for the Padres through where he was again dealt to the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
for Derek Lilliquist
Derek Lilliquist
Derek Jansen Lilliquist , is a retired professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1989-1996. He later became a minor league pitching coach for the St. Louis Cardinals and was named their major league bullpen coach on November 2, 2010.-External links:...
. In the off-season, he signed with the Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
to a one-year deal. In , he signed to the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
. The same season on May 20, he was sent to the expansion team Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
for Braulio Castillo. He was released from the club just two months later, and signed with the California Angels
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
on August 20. In 1994, he took a break from baseball to host a talk radio show for KFMB-AM
KFMB (AM)
KFMB is a conservative talk radio station in San Diego, California, co-owned with KFMB-FM and KFMB-TV. KFMB is one of the few stations in the U.S. that increases power at night. The daytime power is limited due to KBRT , a religious-programming station with transmitters on Santa Catalina Island....
along with broadcasting Padres games for the station. Grant returned to baseball in when he pitched for the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
AAA affiliate Iowa
Iowa Cubs
The Iowa Cubs are a Triple-A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Chicago Cubs, that plays in the Pacific Coast League. Their home games are played in Des Moines, Iowa, at Principal Park.-Franchise history:...
. In he briefly played for CPBL's Uni-President Lions
Uni-President Lions
The Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions are a professional baseball team based in Tainan City, Taiwan. The organization is named after the Uni-President Corporation, one of Taiwan's largest conglomerate whose sub-company Uni-President Baseball Team Company oversees operations of the team...
and officially retired from baseball after leaving the Lions.
Broadcasting
In 1997, Grant began working in the Padres' TV broadcast booth for Channel 4 San Diego4SD
4SD, commonly referred to as Channel 4 San Diego is a local origination cable TV channel based in San Diego, California, United States, and is owned and operated by Cox Communications, through its San Diego-based cable television system. In addition to Cox...
, and has remained there to this day, teaming with a variety of partners including Mel Proctor
Mel Proctor
Mel Proctor is an American television sportscaster, actor, and book author.-Biography:A Denver, Colorado native, Proctor has called play-by-play for such teams as the Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles, Washington Nationals, San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Clippers at various points in his career...
, Matt Vasgersian
Matt Vasgersian
Matt Vasgersian is an American sportscaster and television host. Vasgersian is a host for the MLB Network and has served as an announcer for NBC Sports' coverage of the Olympics, and on Fox Sports' MLB coverage...
, and Dick Enberg
Dick Enberg
Richard Alan "Dick" Enberg is an American sportscaster. He currently provides play-by-play for telecasts of San Diego Padres baseball on 4SD, following a long career calling various sports for such networks as NBC, CBS, and ESPN...
. His style of color commentary along with his humorous on-air antics have made "Mud" (a nickname given early in his playing career by Giants coach Danny Ozark in reference to Mudcat Grant
Mudcat Grant
James Timothy "Mudcat" Grant is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Cleveland Indians , Minnesota Twins , Los Angeles Dodgers , Montreal Expos , St. Louis Cardinals , Oakland Athletics and Pittsburgh Pirates...
) a favorite with Padres fans.
Broadcasting quirks
Grant popularized the shillelagh as a rally call in San Diego during the 2005 season, specifically during the month of May, which saw the Padres go a franchise-best 22-6 during that month. Plastic shillelaghs can be purchased at the Padres Store at Petco ParkPETCO Park
Petco Park is an open-air ballpark in downtown San Diego, California, USA. It opened in 2004, replacing Qualcomm Stadium as the home park of Major League Baseball's San Diego Padres. Before then, the Padres shared Qualcomm Stadium with the NFL's San Diego Chargers...
. Grant has also coined such phrases as "Shillelagh power," "F.O.P" (short for "full of Padres," used when the bases are loaded by the Padres), and "that's some kinda nice". When a player hits a home run, particularly in a dramatic situation, Grant will often say "Put another notch in the shillelagh for (player name)".
Broadcasting for a team so close to the Mexico border, Mark Grant also uses his fair share of Spanish words and phrases throughout telecasts to describe things: calling baseball gloves guantes (gwan-tess), comments on players' pelo-styles (hair-styles), and referring to a change-up as a cambio (kawm-bee-O).
During play-by-play Mark Grant along with his broadcast partner Matt Vasgersian
Matt Vasgersian
Matt Vasgersian is an American sportscaster and television host. Vasgersian is a host for the MLB Network and has served as an announcer for NBC Sports' coverage of the Olympics, and on Fox Sports' MLB coverage...
frequently try to name off other current or past athletes or famous people that a certain ballplayer may remind them of.
Mark is fond of expressing his hope that the Padres will hang a "crooked number" on the board in the next inning.
When a player shown on television is obviously chewing tobacco, Mark often refers to them as "cancer mouth."
Mark used to refer to exceptionally tall players as "The Third Twin" but stopped doing so after the September 11 terrorist attacks out of respect for the victims and their families.
When a player tries to check his swing but can't, Mark will use his famous line "if he hits it, its a double," especially if a "no-swing" is called by an umpire.
Mark uses several different terms to describe a curveball, including "twelve-to-sixer," "yakker," and "uncle charlie."
When a player is a bit too anxious or excited, he is "froggy." When a catchable ball bounces out of the glove, there's usually "a frog with a tennis racket in there."
When fellow commentator Vasgersian uses the phrase "How 'bout a ..." either to describe an exciting play that just happened in favor of the Padres or his hopes for a future play, Grant is known to quote Judge Smails from Caddyshack
Caddyshack
Caddyshack is a 1980 American comedy film directed by Harold Ramis and written by Brian Doyle-Murray, Ramis, and Douglas Kenney. It stars Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, Ted Knight, Michael O'Keefe, Cindy Morgan, and Bill Murray...
, "How 'bout a Fresca?"
Finally, Mark does an impersonation of legendary Cubs broadcaster Harry Caray
Harry Caray
Harry Caray, born Harry Christopher Carabina, was an American baseball broadcaster on radio and television. He covered four Major League Baseball teams, beginning with a long tenure calling the games of the St...
, especially when visiting Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...
. In addition to spelling players' surnames backward, his Harry Caray act frequently includes the phrase "Hey, check out the sombrero
Sombrero
Sombrero in English refers to a type of wide-brimmed hat originating in Mexico. In Spanish, however, it is the generic word for "hat", which originates from "sombra", meaning "shade"....
on that guy!"
Personal
Grant currently resides in AlpineAlpine, California
Alpine is a census-designated place in San Diego County, California. Alpine had a population of 14,236 at the 2010 census, up from 13,143 at the 2000 census.Alpine is the residence of former United States Representative Duncan Hunter...
, CA
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, with his wife Mary, two sons, and a daughter. In 2007, Mark Grant was honored by the Kiwanis Club of Alpine (of which he is a member) for his contributions to the community. He is also a frequent contributor to sports talk shows on XX Sports Radio in San Diego, as well as the Dave, Shelly, and Chainsaw
Dave, Shelly, and Chainsaw
The Dave, Shelly, and Chainsaw Show is a long-running morning radio show in the San Diego, California area. The show is named for its three main hosts, Dave Rickards; Shelly Dunn; and Cookie "Chainsaw" Randolph, known as the "Dean of American Sportscasters".The format of the show combines humor,...
show on 100.7 JACK FM. Grant has publicly stated his appreciation for this page, and also shops at Costco La Mesa, frequently.