Gabe Gross

{{Short description|American baseball player and coach (born 1979)}}

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name=Gabe Gross

|team = Auburn Tigers

|image = ggross.jpg

|caption = Gross with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2008

|position=Outfielder / Coach

|birth_date={{birth date and age|1979|10|21}}

|birth_place=Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.

|bats=Left

|throws=Right

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate=August 7

|debutyear=2004

|debutteam=Toronto Blue Jays

|finalleague = MLB

|finaldate=October 3

|finalyear=2010

|finalteam=Oakland Athletics

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label=Batting average

|stat1value=.239

|stat2label=Home runs

|stat2value=40

|stat3label=Runs batted in

|stat3value=186

|teams=

Toronto Blue Jays ({{mlby|2004}}–{{mlby|2005}})
Milwaukee Brewers ({{mlby|2006}}–{{mlby|2008}})
Tampa Bay Rays ({{mlby|2008}}–{{mlby|2009}})
Oakland Athletics ({{mlby|2010}})

}}

Gabriel Jordan Gross (born October 21, 1979) is an American former professional baseball outfielder who is currently the hitting coach for the Auburn Tigers.

His father, Lee Gross, was center for the Auburn Tigers and in the NFL. His brother, Bo Gross, played football for Texas Christian University.

Career

Gross played football, basketball, and baseball at Northview High School in Dothan, Alabama. Formerly a starting quarterback for the Auburn football team, and an outfielder for the Auburn baseball team, Gross was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the first round (15th overall) of the 2001 Major League Baseball Draft. Promoted from Triple-A Syracuse on August 7, 2004, he saw limited duty against left-handed pitching.

On September 5, 2004, he belted his first major league home run, a grand slam off Oakland Athletics pitcher Justin Duchscherer.{{Cite web|date=September 5, 2004|title=Rookie Gross hits grand slam in rout of A's|url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/recap?gameId=240905114|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210511105812/https://www.espn.com/mlb/recap?gameId=240905114|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 11, 2021|access-date=March 30, 2021|website=ESPN|language=en}} His outfield range was very good, and he had a strong arm. In 38 games, he collected 73 putouts with five assists and one double play in 78 total chances, for a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage.

On December 7, 2005, Gross was traded by the Blue Jays to the Milwaukee Brewers, along with pitchers Dave Bush and Zach Jackson, in exchange for first baseman Lyle Overbay and pitching prospect Ty Taubenheim.{{Cite web|date=December 12, 2005|title=Blue Jays trade for Lyle Overbay|url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/baseball/blue-jays-trade-for-lyle-overbay-1.560226|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070312113853/https://www.cbc.ca/sports/story/2005/12/08/bluejays-brewers051207.html|archive-date=March 12, 2007|access-date=March 30, 2021|website=CBC.ca}}

Gross made his debut with the Brewers on April 4, 2006, and hit a pinch-hit home run to give the Brewers a victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.{{Cite web|date=April 4, 2006|title=Gross homers in his first at-bat with Brewers in win|url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/recap?gameId=260404108|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210330185930/https://www.espn.com/mlb/recap?gameId=260404108|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 30, 2021|access-date=March 30, 2021|website=ESPN|language=en}}

At the beginning of the 2006 season with the Brewers, he obtained the nickname "the Southern Gentleman" for his politeness and well-mannered attitude both on and off the field.

The plan was to have him share time with Tony Gwynn Jr. and Gabe Kapler in center field in {{by|2008}} while Mike Cameron served his 25-game suspension.[http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/chi-30-rogers-britedec30,1,7703460.column Topic Galleries – chicagotribune.com]{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} With a focus on defense, manager Ned Yost indicated in March that Gwynn and Kapler might have a leg up on Gross.{{Cite web|last=Haudricourt|first=Tom|last2=Witrado|first2=Anthony|date=March 5, 2008|title=JS Online: Shift on in center field|url=http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=725016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080309235410/http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=725016|archive-date=March 9, 2008|access-date=March 30, 2021|website=Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel}}

Gross was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays on April 22, 2008, for pitching prospect Josh Butler.{{Cite web|last=Chastain|first=Bill|date=April 26, 2008|title=Rays acquire Gross from Brewers|url=http://tampabay.rays.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080422&content_id=2569104&vkey=news_tb&fext=.jsp&c_id=tb|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080426084323/http://tampabay.rays.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080422&content_id=2569104&vkey=news_tb&fext=.jsp&c_id=tb|archive-date=April 26, 2008|access-date=March 30, 2021|website=Tampa Bay Rays}}

Gross finished the 2008 season batting .243, with 13 home runs and 38 RBI.

On December 12, 2009, Gross was non-tendered by the Rays. On February 1, 2010, Gross signed with Oakland Athletics to a one-year contract.{{Cite web|last=Polishuk|first=Mark|date=February 1, 2010|title=Athletics Sign Gabe Gross|url=https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2010/02/athletics-pursuing-gabe-gross.html|access-date=March 30, 2021|website=MLB Trade Rumors|language=en-US}} Gross signed a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training with the Seattle Mariners on February 5, 2011.{{Cite web|last=Stone|first=Larry|date=February 4, 2011|title=Mariners sign veteran outfielder Gabe Gross to minor-league deal|url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/mariners/2014135561_mari05.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110207012530/http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/mariners/2014135561_mari05.html|archive-date=February 7, 2011|access-date=March 30, 2021|website=Seattle Times}} He was released on March 26. On April 23, he signed a minor league contract with the Florida (now Miami) Marlins.

Gross retired on April 26, 2011.{{Cite web|last=Johnson|first=Jon|date=April 28, 2011|title=Gabe Gross decides to retire from baseball {{!}} The Enterprise Ledger|url=http://www2.eprisenow.com/sports/2011/apr/25/gabe-gross-decides-retire-baseball-ar-1762276/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110428103757/http://www2.eprisenow.com/sports/2011/apr/25/gabe-gross-decides-retire-baseball-ar-1762276/|archive-date=April 28, 2011|access-date=March 30, 2021|website=The Enterprise Ledger}}