Jeffrey Edward Gray (born April 10, 1963) is a former professional baseball relief pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...

in 1988 and for the Boston Red Sox in 1990 and 1991. Listed at and , Gray batted and threw right-handed. He was signed by the

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...

in 1984 out of

Florida State University Florida State University (FSU) is a public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher education in the st ...

Playing career

A forkball specialist, Gray started his professional career in 1984 in the

' minor-league system, pitching for two years before joining the

organization. In 1986, he posted a 14–2 record with a 2.35 ERA and 15 saves for the Double-A Vermont Reds. Gray played in Triple-A for the

Nashville Sounds The Nashville Sounds are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville, Tennessee, and are named for the ci ...

in 1987, compiling a 4.86 ERA in 53 appearances. Returning to Nashville in 1988, he went 8–5 with five saves and a 1.97 in 42 appearances, and was promoted to the Reds during midseason. He recorded a 3.86 ERA in five MLB games and did not have a decision. He returned to Triple-A Nashville for the 1989 season, logging a 3.66 ERA in 44 games. Gray rejoined the Phillies organization before the 1990 season. At the end of

spring training Spring training is the preseason in Major League Baseball (MLB), a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for Schedule (workplace), roster and position spo ...

, he was told by the Phillies that he had not made the major-league roster; they asked him to go to Double-A Reading. Gray rejected the offer and signed with the Boston Red Sox organization. After starting the season in Triple-A with the Pawtucket Red Sox, he was promoted to Boston mid-season a become a significant contributor to the American League East division winners. Gray collected nine saves, and seven of them came in seven chances from August 19 through September 10 as he filled in for injured closer Jeff Reardon. In the postseason, Boston was eliminated by the

Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The te ...

in the

American League Championship Series The American League Championship Series (ALCS) is a best-of-seven playoff and one of two League Championship Series comprising the penultimate round of Major League Baseball's (MLB) postseason. It is contested by the two winners of the American ...

; Gray made two appearances, allowing two runs (one earned) in

innings pitched In baseball, innings pitched (IP) are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher is on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one innin ...

. Gray returned to Boston for the 1991 season, where he made 50 relief appearances through late July. One of the best middle relievers of the league at this time, he had allowed only 39

hits Hits or H.I.T.S. may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * ''H.I.T.S.'', 1991 album by New Kids on the Block * ''...Hits'' (Phil Collins album), 1998 * ''Hits'' (compilation series), 1984–2006; 2014 - a British compilation album se ...

in innings, with a 2.34 ERA. Opposing batters had a .181 batting average against him ( left-handed .200, right-handed .161).

Injury

On July 30, 1991, Gray was preparing to go out onto the field for his daily routine. He never made it, as his right side went numb, and he suffered what was later diagnosed as a kind of

stroke A stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. Both cause parts of the brain to stop functionin ...

, ending what had been a brilliant season. Gray missed the rest of the 1991 and 1992 seasons while recuperating from the stroke. He attempted to return to baseball over the following two seasons, but had lost a lot of velocity on his fastballGrossman, Leigh, ''The Red Sox Fan's Handbook'', 2004, p.146. and was never able to return to the majors. In a three-season major-league career, Gray posted a 4–7 record with a 3.33 ERA and 10 saves in 96 appearances, including a 3.31

strikeout-to-walk ratio In baseball statistics, strikeout-to-walk ratio (K/BB) is a measure of a pitcher's ability to control pitches, calculated as strikeouts divided by bases on balls. A hit by pitch is not counted statistically as a walk, and therefore not counted ...

(96-to-29) in innings pitched.

Post-playing career

Gray returned to the game as a

pitching coach In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, who determines the starting lineup and batting order, decides how to substitute players during the game, and makes strategy decisio ...

. As of 2003, he was the pitching coach for the Gulf Coast League Reds. He was also the co-owner of a Beef O'Brady's restaurant in Sarasota, Florida, along with former Red Sox teammate Jody Reed.

References

Sources

*''The Scouting Report: 1992'', STATS, INC./John Dewan and Don Zminda editors, HarperPerennial Publishers.

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gray, Jeff 1963 births Living people Boston Red Sox players Cincinnati Reds players Major League Baseball pitchers Pawtucket Red Sox players Florida State Seminoles baseball players Baseball players from Richmond, Virginia Nashville Sounds players Vermont Reds players Miami Southridge Senior High School alumni Clearwater Phillies players Florida Complex League Phillies players