Allen: Joe Grzenda, who threw the last pitch in Senators history, dies at 82
From Scott Allen at the Washington Post on July 16, 2019:
Joe Grzenda, the left-handed reliever who threw the final pitch in Washington Senators history and kept the ball in a drawer until baseball returned to the District, died Friday at age 82.
On Sept. 30, 1971, Grzenda took the mound in the top of the ninth inning at RFK Stadium, looking to preserve the Senators’ 7-5 lead over the New York Yankees. One out away from earning his sixth save after retiring Felipe Alou and Bobby Murcer on comebackers, Grzenda was eager to face New York second baseman Horace Clarke.
“I hollered, ‘C’mon, let’s go, get in there,’ ” Grzenda, a fast worker, told The Post’s William Gildea in 2004.
Read the full article here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2019/07/15/joe-grzenda-who-threw-final-pitch-senators-history-kept-ball-dies/
Originally published: July 17, 2019. Last Updated: July 17, 2019.