‘I took my lumps’: Former Gamecock catcher preps for second full season in majors
Grayson Greiner’s first full year in the major leagues was filled with plenty of ups and downs.
The former South Carolina standout and current Detroit Tigers catcher’s ups included hitting his first home run against the Chicago White Sox on April 19. He hit three of his five homers in the first month of the season.
Greiner’s downs included a dreadful June in which he went 1-for-25 (and his only hit a homer). The Blythewood High grad also missed more than a month of the season after suffering a lower back injury during batting practice June 15.
What he thought was just a muscle strain turned out to be an injury to his L5 vertebrae, and he was in a back brace for a month. He came back in September and had his best month of the season.
Greiner hit .321 with two doubles and a triple in the season’s final month.
“The injury was a blessing in disguise,” said Greiner, who was inducted in the fall into Blythewood’s first Hall of Fame class. ”I had a good month. I have some confidence in the off-season much more than the month of June. It was my first full year and I took my lumps. The league kind of figures you out and finds your weaknesses. You’ve got to adjust or get out.”
When he was out of action, Greiner said he remembered the things he learned playing at Blythewood for coach Barry Mizzell and for Ray Tanner at South Carolina. Playing for those two coaches brought out the best in him, he said, even though it wasn’t always pleasant at times.
“Nobody is going to hold your hand up there. You’ve got to produce or get out of town,” Greiner said. “You’ve got to figure it out for yourself, reach down deep and get the job done. Luckily, I was prepared at a young age from coaches like coach Tanner and Mizzell.
“They were tough on me. When you got coaches that are tough on you and want you to be the best, it makes rough stretches like that a little easier.”
Greiner spent most of the offseason in the Midlands, spending time with his wife and child, and preparing for the 2020 season.
He’s hoping for a big second full season in the league. Austin Romine will be the Tigers’ starting catcher when the season begins, with Greiner battling for the team’s backup job with Jake Rogers and Eric Haase, acquired from the Cleveland Indians in the offseason.
Greiner has one hit in 11 at-bats so far this spring for the Tigers.
“Biggest thing is to be more consistent offensively,” Greiner said of goals. “I worked on my whole game, offense and defense, and made sure my body is in good condition.”
