Major League Baseball second baseman Mark Grudzielanek currently plays for the Kansas City Royals.
Grudzielanek was originally drafted on June 5, 1989 by the New York Mets, but did not sign. He was again drafted in 1991, this time signing with the Montreal Expos on June 18, 1991. In 1992, Grudzielanek joined the Expos' minor league affiliates, where he played for his first three years of conditioning.
On April 28, 1995, the Expos called up Grudzielanek to make his MLB debut. He played in 78 games with the Expos his rookie season, hitting 27 runs and his first homerun. Grudzielanek earned a full roster spot with the Expos, starting with the 1996 regular season. In just his second MLB season, he was selected for the MLB All-Star Game. He continued to play almost every game with the Expos until halfway though the 1998 season.
Grudzielanek was traded by the Expos to the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 31, 1998. He averaged 140 games with the Dodgers over the next four seasons, including in 1999, where he finished with a career high .326 batting average, sisth in the National League for that year.
On December 4, 2002, Grudzielanek was traded to the Chicago Cubs, where he played for the next two seasons. 2002 was a breakout year for Grudzielanek. He was nominated for the MLB Most Valuable Player Award. Grudzielanek also made his first post season appearance in 2002, where the Cubs lost the National League Championship Series to the Florida Marlins.
Grudzielanek signed as a free agent on January 6, 2005 with the St. Louis Cardinals. He played only one season with the Cardinals, before entering free agency that October. On December 16, 2005 he signed with the Kansas City Royals. In 2006 Grudzielanek won the Golden Glove Award as the American League second baseman.
Fast Facts:
- Full name: Mark James Grudzielanek
- Born: June 30, 1970
- Birthplace: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- MLB Debut with the Montreal Expos in 1995
- 1996 National League All-Star selection
- 2006 American League Gold Glove Award winner
Mark Grudzielanek Vital Stats
- Mahalo's Guide to the Kansas City Royals
- MLB.com: Career Stats
- Height: 6'1"
- Weight: 200 lbs
- Rookie Year: 1995
