Bill Greif
{{short description|American baseball player (born 1950)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Bill Greif
|position=Pitcher
|image=Bill Greif Padres.jpg
|bats=Right
|throws=Right
|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1950|4|25|mf=y}}
|birth_place=Fort Stockton, Texas, U.S.
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate=July 19
|debutyear=1971
|debutteam=Houston Astros
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=September 24
|finalyear=1976
|finalteam=St. Louis Cardinals
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=Win–loss record
|stat1value=31-67
|stat3label=Strikeouts
|stat3value=442
|stat2label=Earned run average
|stat2value=4.41
|teams=
- Houston Astros ({{mlby|1971}})
- San Diego Padres ({{mlby|1972}}–{{mlby|1976}})
- St. Louis Cardinals ({{mlby|1976}})
}}
William Briley Greif (born April 25, 1950) is a retired professional baseball pitcher. He played all or part of six seasons in Major League Baseball, from 1971 to 1976, for the Houston Astros, San Diego Padres, and St. Louis Cardinals.
Astros
Greif graduated from John H. Reagan High School (Austin, Texas). He was drafted in the 3rd round of the 1968 Major League Baseball Draft by the Astros, making his major league debut with them three years later. He was traded along with Derrel Thomas and Mark Schaeffer from the Astros to the Padres for Dave Roberts on December 3, 1971.[https://www.nytimes.com/1971/12/04/archives/astros-acquire-roberts-and-twins-get-granger-3-players-sent-to.html Durso, Joseph. "Astros Acquire Roberts And Twins Get Granger," The New York Times, Saturday, December 4, 1971.] Retrieved March 23, 2020.
Padres
Greif pitched four full seasons and part of a fifth with the Padres. A knuckle-curve specialist, he was the team's Opening Day starter in 1974, then in 1975 he was moved full-time to the bullpen. After moving back to the starting rotation to start the 1976 season, he made five starts for the Padres before being dealt to the Cardinals for Luis Meléndez on May 19.[https://www.nytimes.com/1976/05/20/archives/pro-transactions.html "Pro Transactions," The New York Times, Thursday, May 20, 1976.] Retrieved November 17, 2022.
Remaining career
The Cardinals moved Greif back to the bullpen once again, and he had a 1–5 record in 47 appearances. He was sent along with Sam Mejías and Ángel Torres from the Cardinals to the Montreal Expos for Tony Scott, Steve Dunning and Pat Scanlon on November 8, 1976.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=lXMjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=QWcEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6595,3828998&dq=baseball+%C3%A1ngel-torres&hl=en|title=6-Player baseball trade completed by Cards, Expos|date=9 November 1976|work=Sarasota Herald-Tribune|publisher=AP|page=2C|accessdate=8 June 2010}} The Expos did not re-sign him for the 1977 season,{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=qIA0AAAAIBAJ&sjid=picEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6304,1000577&dq=baseball+bill-greif&hl=en|title=Expos renew Foote's pact|date=5 March 1977|work=The Ledger|publisher=AP|page=2B|accessdate=9 June 2010}} and he was released on March 30. After sitting out the 1977 season, Greif signed with the New York Mets organization in 1978. He appeared in three games for the Tidewater Tides that year, his final professional season.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Baseballstats|mlb=115123|espn=|br=g/greifbi01|fangraphs=|brm=greif-001wil}}
{{San Diego Padres Opening Day starting pitchers}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Greif, Bill}}
Category:Major League Baseball pitchers
Category:St. Louis Cardinals players
Category:San Diego Padres players
Category:Houston Astros players
Category:Covington Astros players
Category:Peninsula Astros players
Category:Columbus Astros players
Category:Oklahoma City 89ers players
Category:Tidewater Tides players
Category:Baseball players from Austin, Texas
Category:People from Fort Stockton, Texas
Category:Arizona Instructional League Mesa players
Category:20th-century American sportsmen
{{US-baseball-pitcher-1950s-stub}}