Marlins Player Profile: Kevin Gregg
May 13, 2008
It’s a bird, it’s a plane… It’s Kevin Gregg in for the save! Coming into the 2008 season, it was no surprise that the strength of the team was in its bullpen. With the whole 2007 squad returning for the 2008 tour of duty, Kevin Gregg will be anchoring the 9th again.
Kevin Gregg, of Corvallis, Oregon, grew up a multi-sport athlete. He starred in football, basketball and baseball while attending Corvallis High School. At age 18 however, Gregg was drafted 435th overall by the Oakland Athletics in the 1996 draft, out of High School.
He spent the next seven years bouncing around the Athletics’ minor league organization, putting up good but never great numbers in 198 games pitched. He split time between starting and relief, starting in 128 of his 198 appearances as an Oakland farm hand.
Arguably his best season in the Oakland system was 1999 with the Midland Rockhounds, Kevin Gregg posted a 3.76 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP in 160 IP. He went 4-7 in this AA stint, but obviously his record wasn’t indicative of his performance. Considering his lack of overwhelming stuff, and subsequent lack of eye catching stats, Gregg never quite established himself in the Oakland system and was considered expendable.
Having never been called up with the A’s, Gregg was eventually granted Minor League Free Agency in 2003 and signed with the Anaheim Angels. Coming off their 2002 World Championship against the San Francisco Giants, the organization, like most, felt that they could never have enough pitching.
It was in 2003 that Gregg got his first “cup of coffee” with the big leagues. In 5 games, and 3 starts, with the Angels, formerly of Anaheim, Gregg went 2-0 with a 3.28 ERA and a 1.054 WHIP in 24.2 IP. Unfortunately for Gregg, the team didn’t repeat as World Champs, nor did they even make the playoffs. But, Gregg was a teammate of current Marlin Alfredo Amezaga. Sometimes baseball is funny like that…
It was 2004 that Gregg finally established himself as a bonafide major leaguer. Appearing in 55 games, with no starts, in the elite Angels bullpen, featuring the likes of Francisco Rodriguez, Troy Percival, Scot Shields and Brendan Donnelly, Gregg was easily overshadowed, especially considering his 4.21 ERA and 1.30 WHIP. In the 2004 ALDS against the Boston Red Sox, Gregg posted one two inning outing allowing 3 hits and 1 walk in his team’s loss.
In 2005, Gregg regressed, in only 33 games; Gregg posted an ERA of 5.04 and a WHIP of 1.539. He also started 2 games, and went 1-2 on the year as a whole. Gregg again made the postseason squad, and again only had one outing against the Chicago White Sox, again pitching only 2 innings, but this time only allowing 1 hit and one walk, striking out 3.
In what would be his last season as an Angel, Gregg would start 3 games, pitch another 29 in relief. He improved upon his previous season, posting a 4.14 ERA and a 1.391 WHIP. He went 3-4 and remained a long reliever/spot starter option, unable to unseat the likes of Scot Shields in terms of favor in the bullpen.
In the 2006 offseason the Marlins, looking for a change in their bullpen, swapped relievers with the Angels, giving up young RHP Chris Resop in exchange for Kevin Gregg. After surviving the Jorge Julio fiasco, and suffering an injury to reliever Henry Owens, Gregg managed to take the Closer’s job. In 2007, Gregg set career highs in ERA, Strikeouts, WHIP and Saves in a full season.
As a Marlin, Gregg has taken the nickname Clark Kent, due to his resemblance to the Man of Steel’s alter ego, and his use of prescription glasses as he pitches. He demonstrates overpowering stuff occasionally, but the exception isn’t the rule. He’s equally effective against hitters from both sides. And this year, he’ll be closing for your Florida Marlins.
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