Wayne Granger

Who is Wayne Granger?

Wayne Allan Granger is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher who played for the St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds, Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox, Houston Astros and Montreal Expos. The 6–4, 165-pound Granger was one of baseball's most effective and durable relief pitchers during the early years of Cincinnati's famed Big Red Machine.

Granger graduated from Huntington High School in Huntington, Massachusetts. He attended Springfield College where he was a pitcher on the 1965 baseball team.

Before his professional career began, Granger played two seasons in the province of Quebec in the Saguenay senior league -- in 1963 for the Jonquiere Braves and in 1964 for Port-Alfred in 1964.

Granger was signed by the St. Louis Cardinals as an amateur free agent in 1965. He made his big-league debut at age 24 on June 5, 1968 in a 3-1 Cardinals win over the Houston Astros at the Astrodome, also earning his first save with one perfect inning in relief of starter Larry Jaster. The first-ever batter he faced was Bob Aspromonte, whom he struck out. The rookie sinkerballer went 4–2 with a 2.25 ERA in 34 games that season.