13 replies to this topic

[YeOld17]

Mark Grace is truely the reason I started liking the cubs when I was 5 years old ( I liked everyone that had the same name as me and was left handed, LOVED the number 17), and I remember shedding a tear when we let him go.
I have been slowely following him ever since just to see what he's been up to, and the other day stumbled upon a few articles that intrigued me. Basically they referred to Mark Grace as a obsessive partier, chain-smoker between innings, and just a guy who had no care in the world. I dont know about you but I didn't get that vibe from him but then again I was never in the dugout.
Then ran across the following which might have ( if possible) made me love Mark Grace even more.
http://www.doubleton...y/slump_buster/

Any one else as suprised as I am by this?

[YeOld17]

Found this on urban dictionary

Player 1: Man, Ramirez hasn't gotten laid in 3 weeks. And hasn't been on base in 5.
Player 2: Yeah he definitely needs to go to a bar tonight, find a swamp donkey and pull a Mark Grace.
Rookie: What's a Mark Grace?
Player 1: Slumpbusting
Rookie: Slump Busting?
Player 2: Slumpbusting, jackass. Taking the wood to a fatty.

[Rick Vaughn 99]

I referenced the slumpbuster the other day in the comment sections. Some dude was talking about how overrated he was and blah blah blah. Mark Grace has always been one of my favorite players. The fact that he was partying in Wrigleyville and nailing whales to improve his batting average probably makes me like him twice as much as I would have. Slumpbusting was something we used in everyday vocabulary back in college, and that was in Alaska. I would imagine most of the people around here are familiar with the term. I think it's brilliant and Gracie should be a hall of famer because of it.

[Stinky Pete]

I think he gets a lot of flack because he played 1st base and didn't hit 30 HRs a year. (I find the whole "position expectations" thing to be complete bs.) I really liked Grace and was furious when Sabo won ROY. (Really? Chris f'in Sabo? How'd that work out for you, Chris? Traded to the O's? Yeah, that means your career is over... I guess I still have some residual resentment.) But I absolutely fell in love with Grace when he punched Frank Dipino with out breaking stride while charging the mound. I remember the walkoff HR against the Mets on his BDay. And with the game on the line, it was like he could float a soft liner into LF at will. When AZ won the WS in '01, I just watched for Gracie. Yeah I learned that he's pretty much a turd and I would more than likely not care for him if we worked in the same office etc. But I really don't care, I remember watching him play and play well. (Shit, he didn't die, did he? This almost comes off as an obit...)

[YeOld17]

Nope- Mark's fresh off a DUI - doing just fine it seems. Just reminiscing.
He has the most hits in the 90's doesn't he?

[Stinky Pete]

I think so. And Palmiero was second I think.

[Brian Myers]

My best memory of Mark Grace was before he hit the majors. I was at a minor league game in Springfield, IL and the bases were loaded. Grace comes up to bat for the Cubs affiliate with the Cardinals affiliate owning a small lead (I can't remember if it was 2 or 3 runs). The Cardinals INTENTIONALLY WALKED Grace with the bases loaded to bring in a run because they figured that would do less damage than letting Mark hit against them. They were right, they got the next batter out and eventually won the game. It may be the only time I watched an intentional walk with the bases loaded just to not face a guy. I didn't know who Grace was that day, but I followed his career ever after.

[YeOld17]

haha theres not many hitters like him anymore..we need a player we can love again, reeds the only one with potential but hes getting old himself

[Fishin Phil]

I always liked Grace. Of course, I'm a chain smoking, beer drinking, dirty old man, so we have a lot in common.

[wvcubsfan]

I always liked Grace. Of course, I'm a chain smoking, beer drinking, dirty old man, so we have a lot in common.

Just checking, is that a bad thing? i sure hope not.

[Oswego Chris]

True story. Cubs Caravan 1988 at ISU. I am 20, and got to meet Maddux, Dunston and Grace. I was surprised how small Maddux and Dunston were. Anyway, Jim Frey(the GM at the time, who I feel set the Cubs back decades) was taking questions from the crowd. Someone asked him how he could trade Rafael Palmeiro, Frey started babbling how Palmeiro was an average hitter with no power, and a poor left-fielder, and how he lost balls in the sun at Wrigley. He then said, and I quote "How can a Mexican lose a ball in the sun?" Nevermind the fact that Palmeiro is Cuban, but can you imagine if that happened today? He said that over a microphone in front of a crowded ballroom. That old doofus was our General Manager. Got all their autographs that day though.

[MichiganGoat]

My favorite thing about Grace is the story he tells about Woody's 20K. He randoming picked out two hotties in the crowed and told Kerry that they were waiting for them after the game. Anyone else heard that? I forget the exact details but it's classic Grace.

[King Jeff]

My favorite thing about Grace is the story he tells about Woody's 20K. He randoming picked out two hotties in the crowed and told Kerry that they were waiting for them after the game. Anyone else heard that? I forget the exact details but it's classic Grace.

He was talking about that on some radio interview he did a few years ago for someone in Chicago. He always told the best war stories, even when he was still playing. I'll always be a Mark Grace fan.

[EQ76]

I wish there's a way Grace could be in the WGN booth.. he'd be very entertaining to listen to every game.