Greg Dobbs

At the peak of a professional baseball career that spanned 11 major-league seasons, Greg Dobbs was recognized as one of the game’s best pinch-hitters.1 Consequently, it is appropriate that Dobbs’ membership in the first-at-bat home run club was earned as a pinch-hitter. That home run marked the achievement of his dream to play pro ball, and the start of a career during which he played for teams on both coasts as well as in between. Dobbs also played an important role on the 1980 World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies.

Gregory Stuart Dobbs was born on July 2, 1978, in Los Angeles, the oldest of two sons born to Kenny Dobbs, an auditor for the US Department of Defense, and Monica Dobbs, a vice president at Bank of America. He grew up in Southern California, with the family moving to Burbank, then Valencia, and finally Morena Valley.2 While his father was not an athlete, he was always supportive of his sports-minded sons, ready to drive them to the game or practice they had on tap after dinner. There was a lot of driving, too, as Dobbs played football and basketball in addition to baseball. He credited his parents for much of his later success, saying they helped instill a sense of discipline in their sons while supporting the boys in every athletic endeavor. There was another distinctive element to the Dobbs household: The boys’ maternal grandmother, a native of Lima, Peru, lived with the family. According to one account, Spanish was the family’s first language, a skill that undoubtedly would prove valuable in Dobbs’ future professional career in the increasingly international world of major-league baseball.3

Dobbs initially attended Carlsbad (California) High School before switching to Canyon Springs High School in Moreno, California. He graduated in June 1996. He was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 52nd round of the 1996 amateur draft, but opted to attend Riverside (California) Community College. He went on to California State University, Long Beach, and then to the University of Oklahoma. While at Long Beach, he was drafted in the 10th round of the 1999 draft by the Houston Astros, but again decided to remain in school.

Unlike many of his peers at the collegiate level who chose to play in the Cape Cod League in the summer, Dobbs played for the Anchorage Glacier Pilots in the Alaska Baseball League in 2000. He recalled the time as an interesting and distinctive experience, one that left him with many memories and friends with whom he stayed in touch. He added that the diversity of players in the league made for both a good preparation for life in professional baseball.4 But before that summer, Dobbs had his final year in the college ranks, and he made the most of it. In addition to graduating with a degree in sociology from the University of Oklahoma in 2001, after his senior year performance he was selected by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association as the second team All-American first baseman, the position he played for 21 games before moving to left field for the rest of the season.5 In his final season at Oklahoma, he hit .428 with 25 doubles, 10 home runs, and 63 RBIs, leading the team in nine offensive categories.6 Despite his relatively short time playing as a Sooner, Dobbs established himself as one of Oklahoma’s most decorated baseball players. In addition to his All-American honors, his postseason accolades included Big 12 Conference Newcomer of the Year award and First Team All-Conference outfielder. He was named to the Phillips 66 Big 12 All-Tournament Team, and the Dallas Morning News selected him as the Big 12 Transfer of the Year, as well as a first-team outfielder. He also was named to the American Baseball Coaches Association Midwest All-Region first team. En route to his postseason honors, Dobbs was named conference Player of the Week and National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association National Player of the Week for the week he hit .625 with four home runs in four games.7 He ultimately signed a free-agent contract with the Seattle Mariners just before the 2001 amateur draft.

With that signing, Dobbs began his professional baseball journey. He started with the Everett AquaSox, the Mariners’ affiliate in the short-season Northwest League. In 65 games, Dobbs hit .321 with 80 hits and 41 RBIs. He experienced high-A ball when he was moved up at the end of the season, appearing in three games for the San Bernadino Stampede of the California League. During his short stint on the squad, Dobbs hit .385 (5-for-13), and he drove in three runs.

Dobbs split the 2002 season between the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers of the Class-A Midwest League and the San Antonio Missions of the Double-A Texas League. He hit .275 with the Timber Rattlers in 86 games, driving in 48 runs. In a 27-game stint with San Antonio, Dobbs hit .365 with 15 RBIs.

Unhappily for Dobbs, 2003 was a lost season when, with only two games under his belt, he injured his Achilles tendon and was out for the rest of the season.8   

Back to health, Dobbs started the 2004 season in San Antonio. After hitting .325 in 51 games, he earned a promotion to Triple-A, the Tacoma Rainiers of the Pacific Coast League. There he hit .271 with 8 home runs and 31 RBIs in 67 games. His performance got him a late-season call-up to the Mariners.

The left-handed-hitting Dobbs made his major-league debut on September 8, 2004, when, with the Mariners trailing the Cleveland Indians 9-4 in the ninth inning at Seattle’s Safeco Field, he pinch-hit for shortstop José López. Facing the Indians’ veteran right-hander Bob Wickman, Dobbs worked the count to 3-and-2 before jumping on a fastball and driving it deep into the right-field bleachers. The solo shot brought the Seattle crowd to life, but Wickman quickly put a damper on the excitement, retiring the next three batters to seal the Indians’ win.      

Dobbs’ debut home run was the highlight of the 18 games he played in for the Mariners to finish the season. He started 12 games at third base and batted .226, with 12 hits and 9 RBIs. His first-at-bat home run was his sole round-tripper of that abbreviated stay with the team.

With a taste of the big leagues, Dobbs arrived at spring training in February 2005 with high hopes. But when the Mariners headed to Seattle to begin the season, Dobbs was sent back to Tacoma. However, after hitting .321 in 50 games with 27 runs scored and 22 RBIs, he received another call-up, this time leading to appearances in 59 games with the big-league club. He saw time in the field at both first base and third, and he also filled in as a pinch-hitter. Overall, he finished with an average of .247 in 142 at-bats.       

During the 2006 season, Dobbs again moved between Tacoma and Seattle. After hitting .314 in 99 games with the Triple-A club, he was a late-season call-up. He played in 23 games in Seattle, putting in time at first, second, and left field. But most of his appearances were as a pinch-hitter. In 27 at-bats he crafted a batting average of .370, scoring four runs and driving in three.

After he appeared in 100 games for the Mariners over three seasons, the club was unable to find a spot for Dobbs on the roster. In January 2007 he was placed on waivers, and on January 15 he was picked up by the Philadelphia Phillies. 

For Dobbs, it was a question of events coming full circle. Longtime baseball executive Pat Gillick had been the Mariners general manager when they signed Dobbs. But while Dobbs was working his way through the ranks with the Mariners, in the aftermath of the 2005 season, Gillick assumed the helm of the Phillies. When Dobbs became available, Gillick scooped him up.9 

The move to the Phillies resulted in more major-league playing time for Dobbs and he took advantage of the opportunity. In 2007 he mainly played in a platooning situation, but over the course of the season he appeared in 142 games, most often at third base, where he started 57 games. He also put in time at first and second as well as in left field and right field. He also began to establish a reputation as an effective and dangerous pinch-hitter. He hit a particularly memorable grand slam against the Mets as the Phillies were barreling toward the playoffs late in the season. They overcame a seven-game Mets lead to win the NL East Division title, but lost to the Colorado Rockies in the Division Series. Still, for Dobbs the season was an undeniable triumph as he recorded personal bests in every major offensive category. Overall, he hit .272 with 10 home runs and 55 RBIs.

Having made the postseason in 2007, especially in such a spectacular way, the Phillies entered the 2008 season with high hopes. Looking back, Dobbs said the 2007 stretch run instilled in the players the belief that they were capable of doing what they needed to get to the top. Their focused effort, he said, was “truly when we became the team.”10 That shared belief was certainly evident in Dobbs’ effort.

While still platooning, and playing primarily against right-handed pitchers, Dobbs turned in another strong season. He played in 128 games and batted .301 with 9 home runs and 40 RBIs. While he split time in a number of positions, he made his greatest contributions as a pinch-hitter. Dobbs had studied how his Mariners teammate Dave Hansen made a career for himself as a pinch-hitter: by being prepared, staying engaged in the game, and learning how to anticipate when your time might come up. Dobbs became an important part of the Phillies’ offense. Building on his 2007 production of 14 pinch hits and a league-leading 18 pinch-hit RBIs, in 2008 Dobbs hit .355 as a pinch-hitter, and again led the league with 22 pinch hits. His 16 RBIs were second highest among the league’s pinch-hitters.

Dobbs’ strong postseason helped the Phillies advance through the playoffs and win their first World Series championship since 1980, and the second in their history. He played in every series, appearing in eight games. He had 7 hits in 14 at-bats as the Phillies defeated the Brewers and then the Dodgers on their way to capturing the National League pennant. They faced the Tampa Bay Rays in the World Series, winning in five games. 

The next season, neither Dobbs nor the Phillies were able to repeat their 2008 triumph. The Phillies made it back to the World Series but lost to the Yankees in six games. Dobbs was unable to match either his 2007 or 2008 heroics. Splitting time across multiple positions and pinch-hitting duties, he appeared in 97 games, batting .247 with 20 RBIs. While he made appearances in both the Division and League Championship series, he did not see action against the Yankees in the World Series. A bout of the flu did not help his cause. 

Dobbs’ diminished role on the team became apparent when he started the next season with the Phillies Triple-A International League affiliate, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. His time with the IronPigs was limited, and after 16 games he was recalled by the Phillies and appeared in 88 games. While he was again shuffled around the field, most of his action came as a pinch-hitter. But after finishing the season with a .196 batting average, on October 28, 2010, Dobbs’ time with the Phillies came to an end. He was released, thus beginning the final stage of his baseball career.  

In the winter of 2011, Dobbs was signed by the Florida Marlins to a minor-league contract with a spring-training invite. He made the team’s major-league roster and appeared regularly in the Marlins’ lineup, playing in 134 games with a career-high 411 at-bats. Dobbs achieved a career high in hits with 113, as well as in doubles (23). He finished the season with a .275 batting average, with 49 runs batted in. Back with the newly branded Miami Marlins in 2012, Dobbs’ versatility again kept him in the lineup with pinch-hitting and stints at five different positions. He played in 120 games, batting .285 with 91 hits and 39 RBIs. In 2013 he appeared in 114 games for the Marlins, hitting .228. His time continued to be divided among pinch-hitting and multiple positions in the field.

Dobbs started 2014 with the Marlins but on May 6, he was released. He was picked up by the Washington Nationals less than a week later. But his time with the Nationals was short-lived, consisting of only 21 games, during which he hit .214. 

Dobbs made his final major-league appearance on June 24, 2014. The Nationals were playing the Brewers in Milwaukee, and in the top of the 15th inning, with the score tied, 2-2, Dobbs pinch-hit for pitcher Drew Storen. Facing Mike Fiers, on a 1-and-2 count, Dobbs flied out to left-center. The at-bat was his last in the majors. The Nationals sent him to Triple-A Syracuse on July 3. Dobbs made 35 appearances there before his professional career came to a close when he decided to retire.  

Over 11 seasons of major-league baseball, split among four franchises, Dobbs appeared in 959 games. He batted .261, with 548 hits, 46 of which were home runs, with 274 RBIs – and he has a World Series ring.     

Upon retirement, Dobbs considered staying in the game. Becoming an agent was an option – he had negotiated his final two contracts with the Marlins without an agent – and he also contemplated seeking a front-office job. But the thoughtful Dobbs decided to go in another direction. As a player, he seldom read the sports pages or watched major-league baseball; he would rather understand global economics and “how the world really works.”11 His pinch-hitting success was a product of his “strong work ethic [and] obsession with preparation,” and he sought a new challenge that would use those same traits in the world of finance.12 He joined Parq Advisors as a financial adviser, and in 2018, he moved to UBS in Los Angeles – in his words, “the big leagues of finance.”13 To advance his career, he earned his license in financial advising, passing a range of tests. He studied in the same way he “had prepared every day for the relievers he might face” on any given night.14 While not directly related to baseball, Dobbs said his daily efforts to serve his clients reflect the same approach he used in baseball.

He explained the connection as “[t[he lessons I learned from baseball and being a good teammate, knowing what teamwork is, being selfless, wanting to help others.”15 He noted, “I had to find ways to add value because I wasn’t that everyday guy. I was that complementary 24th, 25th guy. I was guaranteed a roster spot a handful of years. I had to find ways to add value other than on the field, between the lines. I’ve taken that and I’ve incorporated that into what I’m doing now with the team that I’m with. It’s been incredible. I look back and I’m like, ‘Who would’ve thought?’”16

In addition, as he did in his playing days, he became an involved and contributing member of the community. During his days with the Phillies, Dobbs was on the board of trustees for Bancroft Neuro-Health, a nonprofit that serves people with autism and other disabilities. As a Miami Marlin, he started “Lil’ Dobbers,” a program that benefits children in the Boys and Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade County, by providing youngsters with on-field experiences while stressing the importance of education.

Since retiring and settling back in California, Dobbs has served as co-chair of the West Coast Advisory Board for Team IMPACT, a nonprofit that pairs children facing life-threatening illnesses with NCAA sports teams across the nation. The role is a continuation of his earlier efforts to give back to the community. Dobbs was also recognized in 2008 when the Philadelphia sportswriters voted him the Philadelphia Phillies Good Guy Award, an annual honor bestowed on a player who exemplifies a good-natured personality and professionalism on and off the field.17

Dobbs and his wife, Heidi (Reinhardt) Dobbs, whose grandfather was a coach at Glendale College, live in La Cañada, California. They have two daughters.18 

Sources

In addition to the sources cited in the Notes, the author consulted Baseball-Reference.com and baseball-almanac.com.

Photo credit: Greg Dobbs, courtesy of the Seattle Mariners.

Notes

1 Matt Breen, “Greg Dobbs Was Baseball’s Best Pinch Hitter. He Uses Those Same Skills in ‘the Big Leagues of Finance,’” Philadelphia Inquirer, September 21, 2023. https://www.inquirer.com/phillies/greg-dobbs-2008-phillies-world-series-where-are-they-now-20230920.html#:~:text=Greg%20Dobbs%20was%20baseball’s%20best,we%20had%20in%20one%20another.%22; accessed on June 2, 2024.

2 John E. Hoover, “Mirror Image,” Tulsa World, May 16, 2001: 15; Greg’s brother, Kenny Jr., was a freshman catcher at Riverside CC when Greg was at Oklahoma. https://www.newspapers.com/image/895643759/?terms=%22greg%20dobbs%22%20peru; accessed June 2, 2024.

3 Hoover.

4 “Greg Dobbs – Anchorage Glacier Pilots – Alumni – 2000 Team,” Alaska Baseball League. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZ88Fsp-xgw; accessed on June 2, 2024

5 Athletics Communications, “Dobbs Captures Second All-American Honor,” Oklahoma University, June 8, 2001. https://soonersports.com/news/2001/6/8/208402887; accessed on June 2, 2024.

6 “Greg Dobbs,” The Baseball Cube; accessed on June 3, 2024.

7 “Dobbs Captures Second All-American Honor.”

8 John Sickels, “Prospect Retro: Greg Dobbs,” SB Nation, October 8, 2008. https://www.minorleagueball.com/2008/10/8/631018/prospect-retro-greg-dobbs; accessed June 2, 2024.

9 Chuck Hixson, “Who’s Greg Dobbs; Why Did the Phils Grab Him?’ Phillies Daily, January 20, 2007. https://247sports.com/mlb/phillies/article/whos-greg-dobbs-why-did-the-phils-grab-him-104392874/; accessed June 2, 2024.

10 Breen.

11 Breen.

12 Breen.

13 Breen

14 Breen

15 Breen.

16 Breen.

17 “Greg Dobbs, Financial Advisor,” UBS: The Baumgardner Group and Partners. https://advisors.ubs.com/baumgardnergroup/; accessed on June 2, 2024.

18 Seth Amitin, “Family Man in the Big Leagues,” La Cañada Valley Sun, August 21, 2008. https://www.latimes.com/socal/la-canada-valley-sun/news/tn-vsl-xpm-2008-08-21-lsp-dobbs.0821-story.html; accessed June 2, 2024.