For former pitcher, that’s not all he Grote

La Plata hurler went on to become doctor

Friday, Oct. 3, 2008

Click here to enlarge this photo Submitted photo As a sophomore pitcher at La Plata High, Grote compiled a record of 8-1. E-Mail This Article | Print This Story

Dr. Jeffery Stephen Grote, a former La Plata graduate in 1973 represented that style of pitching in the early SMAC era. The 53-year-old Grote, a native of Latrobe, PA. started playing baseball at the age of eight in which he once threw a no-hitter with 15 strikeouts for the Derry, PA. Little League Dodgers.

‘‘My best sport was actually swimming, I have a lot of medals that I received when I was on the Interscholastic teams in Pennsylvania,” said Grote on his younger days. ‘‘When I moved to Maryland [at age 13], there were only club competitions.”

Already a talented pitcher from youth, Grote was a serviceable presence on the mound in his high school career for La Plata and was on the 1970 team that won the SMAC title. As a sophomore in 1971, Grote won eight games, while only giving up one loss.

‘‘[My senior year, 1973], I hit .300 in the conference, and we made it to the first round of the playoffs in which we lost to a tough Douglass [in Prince George’s County] team in the first round. Against batters, I tried to mix up my pitches, taking the batter out of their comfort zone and keeping them off balance,” Grote said.

The former Warrior relives one moment in his career that was a special ending for his team.

‘‘We played Great Mills and won 2-1,” Grote said. ‘‘Boumgardner [former Great Mills pitcher] and I each struck out 10 batters. But Rex Coffey [now Charles County’s sheriff], at centerfield saved the game when he caught a deep ball on the dead run. It was just an amazing grab.”

Grote has advice for SMAC athletes of today about the balance of school and sports.

‘‘Try to stay focused, stick to your goals because with all the conditioning and the hectic schedule, sometimes being a student-athlete can be hard at times, said Grote on time management.

‘‘He was an outstanding pitcher, who had a decent curveball,” said former La Plata coach Jim Cornette. ‘‘Jeffery was easy going, committed and listened to directions; he was all in the concept of team for the La Plata program, so a he was a very good person to coach.”

In 1974-75 Grote attended Charles County Community College, known today as College of Southern Maryland, where he continued to improve as a young pitcher.

Once he struck out 17 batters in a two-hitter performance, en route to the leading pitcher award for his team.

The former Hawks standout was also a guard on the basketball team in which he was named Team MVP in 1975, and at just six feet tall, could dunk with his off hand.

College of Southern Maryland golf coach Danny Williams coached Grote as an assistant on the basketball team and mentions how strong his work ethic was.

‘‘As far as raw talent, he was an average player,” Williams said. ‘‘Jeffery had a good baseline jumper, but when he got in the game, it was just 100 percent on every play.”

During 1976-77 the star pitcher went on the road to Athens, W.Va., in which he attended Concord University to play collegiate baseball.

Grote was selected to the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference All-Conference team for the Mountain Lions, where he showed great signs of command on the mound in 1976.

Grote majored in individualized studies.

‘‘College was great, I got to meet a lot of people,” Grote said. ‘‘I functioned independently, more than ever. Playing at every level, I found out that college was hardest because I couldn’t overpower hitters; we played a lot of Division I teams, which made the competition very strong.”

Grote mentioned that Roberto Clemente and Willie Stargell [Pirates Hall of Famers] were his inspirations growing up in Pennsylvania, which helped him learn the ropes of what great baseball was.

‘‘Willie had a charisma about him, said Grote of Stargell’s greatness. ‘‘ Roberto was just special, I mean he could stand from the centerfield wall and throw the ball under handed to second base.”

The former SMAC athlete already has a bachelor of science degree from Regent’s College in Albany, N.Y.

He also has a master’s from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., and a PhD in religion from Walden University, in Minneapolis.

Dr.Grote currently is working on a doctor of ministry from the University of the South in Sewanee, Tenn. He is also working for the Arc of Southern Maryland in Prince Frederick as an employment team specialist who helps children and adults with developmental disabilities.