Lefty who wore a plethora of uniforms and rode many minor league buses....Like most of his trade began as a starter and settled in bullpen specialist.....a case of work late in his occupation A model persistence, toiling for 20 years.....plied his vocation in 19 different cities....Brief work assignments for the Tigers (1961), KC Athletics (1964, 1966) and NY Mets (1967) gave him enough calendar time to exceed rookie status…..landed in Twins AAA Denver club in 1968 and met one Billy Martin…..Martin liked what he saw enough to give the 32 year old a spot on the 69 Twins….served court as a backup reliever added 3 saves…..late spring transaction sent him to the Nation’s capital in 1970….numbers regressed to +5 ERA and 6 saves….a rare instance of player liking skipper Ted Williams, who returned the feeling….Teddy Ballgame’s faith in Joe was rewarded the following year….1971: armed with a new weapon AKA “slip pitch” Joe put together his best season by far…..In 52 games an ERA of 1.92 lowest on the staff…..plus added 5 saves…..6th save was in sight were it not for the forfeit of the Senator’s last game as fans stormed the field of play before the last out…..in the mayhem Grzenda personally kept the last ball used in play…..Joe relocated but not to Texas….One of several vets acquired by St Louis in an Over the Hill gang business model….However his effectiveness using the slip pitch significantly evaporated resulting in opponents hitting over .400 against….as the season progressed Cards reversed course and retooled with a youth movement in their bullpen….released but was game enough at age 36 to return to minors…..endured two more years of bush leagues before hanging up spikes…..flash forward 34 years later at the Nationals first home game, he caught the inaugural first pitch from George w. Bush using the same ball from retained from 1971…..Excitable, colorful and quotable, best quip focused on his long minor league career “I’d like to stay in baseball long enough to buy a bus,” pause “then set fire to it.”….after 21 years left baseball altogether opting to be a deputy sheriff….passed away 2019
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