Odd grip gets Grisham back in the swing
Baseball is a game of conformity, particularly in these ever-changing times when analytical evaluations break down every player’s skill set, 10 ways to Tuesday.
If you don’t conform, you better perform.
Trent Grisham was presented with that cold, hard fact last year when the Milwaukee Brewers outfield prospect decided to figuratively thumb his nose at baseball convention and go back to the unique bat grip he used in becoming a first-round draft pick in 2015 out of Richland (Texas) High School. Since he was a kid, he used a grip in which he rested his thumbs on the bat handle, rather than wrapping them around as players are taught.
After becoming a professional, the left-handed-hitting Grisham was encouraged to use the more conventional wrap-around grip, which coaches considered necessary to fully develop a power stroke. Grisham dutifully did so, and struggled at low Class A Wisconsin in 2016 and again at high Class A Carolina in 2017.
Finally, while playing for Class AA Biloxi last season, Grisham had enough of doing it “their” way.
What was the breaking point in returning to the “thumbs-up” grip?
“I struck out on a pitch down the middle from a former teammate, and it just made me so mad and fed up with what I was doing,” Grisham said.
That former teammate was Jordan Yamamoto, one of four prospects the Brewers traded to Miami on Jan. 25, 2018, for outfielder Christian Yelich, who would go on to become the National League most valuable player that season. Grisham decided if he was going to sink or swim as a struggling first-round pick, he was going to do it his way.
“I was done doing things the way everybody wanted me to,” he said. “I just wanted to go back to what felt comfortable for me. I didn’t really ask. I just did it. (Brewers minor-league hitting coordinator) Kenny (Graham) didn’t really know I used to do that.
“It was a decision I made for myself. I ended the year well; I know that.”
Returning to Biloxi this season, Grisham finally began to take off as a hitter, particularly on the power front, proving his bat grip would not stop him from hitting home runs. In 63 games with the Shuckers, he batted .254 with a .371 on-base percentage, .875 OPS, 13 home runs and 44 RBI.
Figuring he was ready for the Class
AAA level, the Brewers promoted Grisham to San Antonio, where he basically went nuts at the plate. In 34 games with the Missions, he batted .381 with a .471 OBP and 1.247 OPS, with 13 homers and 30 RBI.
With a total of 26 homers in 370 atbats, there were no longer concerns that Grisham’s unique bat grip would compromise his power. And he increased his pop without losing the plate discipline he exhibited throughout the minors, drawing 67 walks while striking out only 72 times.
“Driving the ball has never been a problem for me,” Grisham explained. “But I never really focused on hitting home runs. They just happen when you put a good swing on the ball.
“Sometimes you hit the ball really well and it’s a low line drive. Sometimes, I think I’ve taken a really good swing and it’s a ground ball to shortstop. That’s how it is. That’s what makes the game great.”
On Aug. 1, the Brewers decided they had to see for themselves what all the fuss was about. They added Grisham to their 40-man roster and called him up to the major leagues. Just like that, and still quite young at 22, Grisham had fulfilled the promise shown when the Brewers gave him a $2.7 million signing bonus four years earlier as the 15th overall pick in that draft.
Back then, he was known as Trent Clark. Two years ago, to honor his mother, who did all of the parenting in helping him reach his dream of becoming a professional baseball player, he changed his name to Grisham, her maiden name.
“I’m sure it confused some people but everybody who knew me was aware of the name change,” he said. “It wasn’t as hard as I thought it was going to be. You go to the court and get in front of the judge. You have to write why you want to change your name. It was very simple.”
Grisham’s unique batting style does not end with his grip on the bat. He also eschews convention by hitting without batting gloves. You can count on two hands – two bare hands – the number of major leaguers who step into the box sans gloves.
“I’ve never used them professionally,” Grisham said. “I used them when I was younger but they started getting so expensive my mom couldn’t afford them anymore. I said, ‘Mom, don’t worry about it. I don’t really need them.’
“We got team-issued batting gloves for Team USA (playing as a high schooler) one day and I tried them because the team made me. I took BP and hit everything into the top of the cage. So, that was the last time I wore them. I got some after I got drafted but I never wore them. Not even in Appleton, where it was pretty cold. I like feeling my hands on the bat. That’s the best feel for me.”
New Brewers hitting coach Andy Haines got his first good look at Grisham during spring training, when the athletic centerfielder performed well. Like everyone else, he watched closely as Grisham swung the bat with his unique grip, curious to see if he could detect anything different in the way pitches were struck.
“It’s different,” Haines said. “He’s one of the first ones I’ve seen do it. There have been a lot of studies on grip, and things like that. Now, they have new bats with the ax grip. Things are evolving.
“I know they’ve talked about it. It’s definitely unorthodox. But it’s really just about getting your best swing off, and being comfortable and confident in it. And that’s what he’s doing.”
Every time Grisham changes teams, he knows the questions about his batting grip are coming. Some teammates have tried taking swings in the cage with that style but quickly abandoned it, leaving them even more amazed that Grisham makes it work.
“They see it and want to try it, but it freaks them out,” he said with a laugh. “They say it hurts their thumb and they don’t want to do it anymore.”
Beyond returning to his unconventional grip, Grisham made another adjustment at the plate this year that helped his power blossom. He made a conscious effort to move his contact point with the ball in front of the plate as often as possible, being more aggressive in pulling the ball when pitch location allowed it.
“It’s easier to say than do,” Haines said. “You’re making decisions sooner. You’re taking chances out there. It’s easy to say if you want your best exit (velocity) and launch angle, you need to hit the ball out front. That guy on the mound is playing the game with you. It’s a cat-and-mouse game because that’s where the swing-and-miss is, too.
“That’s really what baseball revolves around – the point of contact for the hitter. When to take chances out there, when to be a little more conservative. The best hitters have the innate ability to see the ball early out of (the pitcher’s) hand, and making good decisions. Then, you evolve and can take some chances out front. Some guys learn to be a hitter first and then the power evolves later.”
In his second game with the Brewers in Chicago on Sunday, Grisham collected his first three big-league hits, including a home run off reliever Tyler Chatwood. Manager Craig Counsell plans to give him as much action as possible, assuming he continues to produce at the plate.
To say the least, it has been a watershed year for Grisham as a professional baseball player. It began with the determination to do what works best for him, then the willingness to make adjustments in his approach, a combination that allowed his offensive baseball talents to come to the forefront.
“I’ve learned a lot this year that’s going to help me going forward in my career,” said Grisham, who is batting .300 with one homer, five RBI and .854 OPS in his first 20 at-bats with the Brewers. “I’m really excited about what I’ve learned and how they improve my performance on the field.
“There were some tough times, and it seemed like a long way, to me. But I’m here now.”
And doing things his way, as Frank Sinatra crooned we always should.