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I'm hoping some Expos fans can give me the scoop on Grimsley. What happened to him? He was the first 20 game winner in Expos history in 1978 and then began a steady decline. What caused him to decline at the age of 29? Injuries?
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He was a junkballer anyway (many thought he was a grease- or spitballer). So he was living on the edge.
The Sporting News had an article on him on August 25, 1979, around the time Dick Williams pulled him from the Expos rotation. There was no mention of arm problems then -- the theme seemed to be that it was mainly self-imposed mental pressure.
It looks like he just fell out of favor with Williams because of his ineffectiveness. When the Indians traded for him in 1980 (see TSN 8/2/80), manager Dave Garcia and pitching coach Dave Duncan said Grimsley had no arm problems. They did view it as a gamble, though.
He pitched some for the Indian's top farm club, Charleston, in 1981 -- but was released in mid-August. No one picked him up until the Orioles gave him a chance the following April. He played some for Rochester that year too and had an 8.71 ERA there.
Something I didn't know was that he pitched in a handful of games at AA and AAA in 1984-86, after becoming a pitching coach in the Seattle organization.
Looking at the numbers, I think his control -- which he absolutely needed as a slow/slower/slowest pitcher -- eroded. He simply became very hittable.
Old Skuz. I loved the stories about how he wouldn't shower or shave when he was winning. During his 20-win season, he looked like a bum.
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