For Curtis Granderson, his 16-year Major League Baseball career may have never happened if it wasn’t for a stop in Mankato to play for the Mashers in the summer of 2001.
Granderson, a three-time all-star, who played for seven different major league teams, was honored before Monday’s Northwoods League opener between the Mankato MoonDogs and Thunder Bay Border Cats. The MoonDogs got only three hits in a 12-0 loss.
After catching the first pitch, the slick-fielding Granderson, who cracked 344 home runs and logged a career .249 batting average, watched as his No. 28 Mashers’ jersey was retired.
“This is an honor and privilege that they feel this way about me,” Granderson, a native of Blue Island, Illinois, said a few hours before Monday’s contest. “They value me and respect me enough to let me talk to the players. I love being around these guys and learning from them. I’ll assist in any way I can today, but I still want to be a fan and the only request I have is that I have to get a hot dog.”
Granderson speaks highly of the relationship he developed with his host family — Tim and Margie Murray — and what his summer in Mankato meant to his career.
“My host family was amazing,” he said. “They’re the ones you’re going to be with to eat, sleep, rest, recover and that can be either very comfortable or uncomfortable. They did an amazing job of making that comfortable and bringing me in as a part of their family. Their youngest son took his first ten steps while I was with him in the front yard.
“They told me today how exciting it was for them to learn from all the different players that stayed with them. I didn’t want to come here at first and it had nothing to do with Mankato. I just didn’t want to leave Chicago and all the fun I was having with my friends. My college coaches told me I had to go because this was the next step for me. I got here and the Murrays made it fun and exciting. … I ended up loving every aspect of my time here.”
Granderson was the first Northwoods League alum and seventh major league player to tally 20 home runs, 20 triples and 20 doubles in a major league season. He was drafted in the third round of the 2002 draft by the Detroit Tigers. He played with seven different teams, including the New York Yankees where he drove in a major-league best 119 RBIs with 43 homers in 2011.
“Having Curtis back is unbelievable,” MoonDogs’ general manager Tyler Kuch said. “He kind of set the stage for the Northwoods League in that he was the first real breakout star to make it from the Northwoods League. He kind of paved the way for the rest of the Northwoods League players. It’s his first time back here and we’re very excited to have him back here. …There’s not a nicer guy in the world.”
While Granderson drove in 937 runs in his career while collecting 1800 hits and stealing 135 bases, it was his old-school style of play that many fans remember.
“This is a hard game and you’re not going to get a hit every time up, win every game,” Granderson said. “You never know who is watching you, so I always wanted them to remember me for the way I played. You can go out there and hustle and provide a strong effort without taking a day off. I’d always do my best whether I was tired or sore or sick or going through something off the field.”
Granderson, who looks as youthful today as he did back in 2001 roaming the outfield at Franklin Rogers Park (ISG Field) is a big advocate of the Northwoods League.
“Now, I tell college players that if you want to take your game to the next level you need to go away and play in the summer,” he said. “I highly recommend the Northwoods League because this league truly prepared me and is one of the reasons I succeeded like I did.”