'Mudcat' Grant passes away at 85

Jim “Mudcat” Grant, the first Black 20-game winner in American League history and a key member of the 1965 Twins team that went to the World Series, has passed away at the age of 85, the club announced on Saturday.

“The Minnesota Twins are deeply saddened by the loss of Jim ‘Mudcat’ Grant, a key part of the franchise’s early years in Minnesota and linchpin of the starting rotation on the record-setting 1965 club," the Twins said in a statement. "Though he spent just four years of his 14-year career with the Twins, Mudcat remained a beloved member of our organization well into his retirement and was a frequent visitor with fans and staff alike at TwinsFest. We send our condolences to the entire Grant family, as well as the other organizations impacted by his 60-plus years in and around the baseball world.”

After spending parts of seven seasons with Cleveland at the beginning of his career, Grant joined the Twins in a 1964 trade and blossomed into an ace for Minnesota the following season, going 21-7 with a 3.30 ERA, 142 strikeouts and 61 walks in 270 1/3 innings spanning 41 games (39 starts), including 14 complete games and an AL-leading six shutouts.

“The Cleveland Indians family is deeply saddened by the loss of Jim “Mudcat” Grant, a true fan favorite on both the playing field and in the broadcast booth. A native of Lacoochee, Fla., he joined the Indians organization at the age of 18 in 1954, made his Major League debut in 1958, and left a legacy as large as his personality. To this day, Mudcat was a cherished member of the Indians Alumni Ambassador Program. We send our condolences to the entire Grant family, as well as to his many teammates and other organizations impacted by his 60-plus years in our game,” said Bob DiBiasio, Indians SVP/Public Affairs.

Although the Twins lost the 1965 World Series to the Dodgers in seven games, Grant started three games in the series and won two of them (both of them complete games) while recording a 2.74 ERA. With the Twins facing elimination in Game 6, the right-hander fired a complete game and hit a three-run homer in Minnesota's 5-1 win.

Grant played his final Major League season in 1971 and finished his career with a 145-119 record, a 3.63 ERA and 1,267 strikeouts over 14 seasons. In addition to Cleveland and Minnesota, Grant played for the A's, Cardinals, Dodgers, Expos and Pirates.

After retiring, Grant dedicated his life to community activism and was an advocate for Black participation in baseball. In 2006, he published "The Black Aces," a book chronicling the lives of each of the 13 Black pitchers who had won 20 games in an MLB season up to that point.