John Grabow

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**John Grabow**

Pittsburgh Pirates — No. 39
Relief Pitcher
Bats: Left	Throws: Left
Major League Baseball debut
September 14, 2003 for the Pittsburgh Pirates
Selected MLB statistics (through 2006)
Record	8-10
ERA	4.64
Strikeouts	181
Saves	1
Teams
Pittsburgh Pirates (2003-present)

John William Grabow is a left-handed relief pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was born on November 4, 1978 in Arcadia, California.

Grabow, who is Jewish, graduated from San Gabriel High School in California in 1997, where he was a 3-year letterman in baseball and named all-CIF (California Interscholastic Federation), as well as the league's MVP as a senior. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 3rd round of the 1997 amateur draft.

[edit] Baseball career

After spending several seasons in the lower levels of the minor leagues, Grabow steadily moved up through the organization's ranks and was ranked the Pirates' 9th-best prospect by Baseball America in 2001.

Toward the end of the 2003 season, Grabow was called up by the Pirates after 6 years in the minors.

As a rookie reliever for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2004, Grabow appeared in 68 games. He established a Pittsburgh rookie record for appearances by a lefthander.

He was a workhorse in the Pittsburgh bullpen in 2005, appearing in 63 games in his second full major league season. He stranded a major-league best 89.7 percent of his inherited runners, allowing just 4 of his 39 inherited runners to score.

In 2006, he appeared in 72 games.

He has a fastball in the low 90s, a sharp, late-breaking slider, a good changeup, and is equally adept at getting both right and left-handed batters out.

Grabow holds runners well and has a good pickoff move. He also fields his position soundly and is quick off the mound.