Former Mets catcher Jerry Grote died Sunday afternoon from respiratory failure following a heart procedure, his wife Cheryl announced on Facebook.
He was 81 years old.
“It’s with great sorrow that I make this post to all of Jerry’s fans. Today, April 7, 2024 at 4:29 p.m., I lost our beloved catcher,” she wrote in part. “He gave a hard fight to the very end as we all expected he would. He is now home with Jesus. Thank you for all the memories and support.”
In a statement of their own, the Mets said that Grote died at Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute in Austin, Texas.
Grote spent more than a decade with the Mets before he was traded to the Dodgers during the 1977 season and was a member of two of the most beloved squads in the Mets’ franchise history: the 1969 world championship team and the 1973 club.
He made two All-Star appearances during his career in 1968 and 1974, and he’s the Mets franchise’s all-time leader in games played at catcher.
“We are incredibly saddened to hear about the passing of Jerry Grote. The Mets Hall of Famer was the backbone of a young Mets team who captured the heart of New York City in 1969,” Mets owners Steve and Alex Cohen said in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Cheryl, family and friends.”
