What Is Grady Sizemore's Net Worth and Salary?
Grady Sizemore is an American professional baseball player who has a net worth of $16 million. Grady Sizemore intended to play college baseball and football for the University of Washington, but before he could enroll, the Montreal Expos drafted him in the third round of the 2000 Major League Baseball draft.
Grady made his professional debut on July 21, 2004, as a member of the Cleveland Indians. Sizemore played with the Indians until 2011. He began battling several injuries and did not play again until signing a one-year contract with the Boston Red Sox in 2014. He played his final season in baseball in 2015 with the Philadelphia Phillies.
Sizemore, a left-handed center fielder, had a .266 batting average through 2014. He amassed more than one thousand hits, 144 home runs, 485 runs batted in, 140 stolen bases, and 636 runs scored. Grady is a three-time MLB All-Star and a two-time Gold Glove Award winner. He won the 2008 Silver Slugger Award, the same season he joined the 30-30 club. In 2006, Sizemore led the American League in both runs scored and doubles hit. During his career, Grady Sizemore earned a little under $31 million in salary.
Early Life
Grady Sizemore was born on August 2, 1982, in Seattle, Washington. He began playing sports at a young age and was a high school athlete at Cascade High School in Everett, Washington, in football, basketball, and baseball. Grady graduated in 2000 and signed a letter of intent to play football and baseball at the University of Washington. At the time, Sizemore held his high school's record in all-time rushing yards. He also was gifted academically and graduated from high school with a 3.85 GPA.
Career
Sizemore never actually enrolled at the University of Washington as he was selected by the Montreal Expos in the third round of the 2000 Major League Baseball draft. The team offered him a $2 million signing bonus in order to convince him to play professional baseball straight after high school rather than attend university. Grady agreed.
In June 2002, the Expos traded Sizemore, along with several other players, to the Cleveland Indians in exchange for Bartolo Colon and Tim Drew. Grady did not make his Major League debut until July 21, 2004, with the Indians. He had been playing in development until that time. He played his first full season with the Indians in 2005. He quickly established himself as one of baseball's up-and-coming stars in center field. He was also named the Indians' leadoff hitter in their hitting lineup. That season, he joined Roberto Alomar as the only players in history to record 20 doubles, 10 triples, 20 home runs, and 20 stolen bases is the same season.
Before starting the 2006 season, he signed a six-year contract with the Indians worth over $23 million. In 2006, Sizemore was selected to his first All-Star Game as a reserve outfielder. He played very well throughout the 2006 season and became the second player in MLB history to have at least 50 doubles, 10 triples, 25 home runs, and 20 stolen bases in a single season. The first to do so was Chuck Klein in 1932.
Sizemore opened the 2007 season by hitting four home runs in his first six games. He hit a three-run inside-the-park home run on April 27. The performance led to him being featured on the cover of "Sports Illustrated" magazine. In the cover article, the Indians' general manager referred to Sizemore as "one of the greatest players of our generation." In July of that year, he was named to his second All-Star team. In November, it was announced that Grady had earned his first Gold Glove, an award given to players who have exhibited stellar fielding performances in various positions.
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Prior to April 27, 2008, Sizemore had a streak of 382 consecutive games played. This ended when he sustained an ankle injury. However, he quickly recovered, and in July, he hit his 20th home run and stole his 20th base of the season. This marked his fourth straight 20-20 year. Grady was the only hitter to hit at least 20 home runs and steal at least 20 bases each year from 2005 to 2008.
Sizemore was named to the American All-Star Team for the third consecutive year in 2008 and also participated in the 2008 Home Run Derby. In August of that year, Grady hit his 29th home run, setting a new career high. A few weeks later, he hit his 30th and 31st home runs, becoming the 32nd member of the 30-30 club, a group of players who have hit 30 home runs and stolen 30 bases in a single season. For his performance, Sizemore earned his second Gold Glove award. He was also awarded his first Silver Slugger Award.
Grady struggled more through the 2009 season, as he injured his groin early in spring training. He did return to play to hit the first grand slam home run at the new Yankee Stadium in April but then elected to have surgery on his elbow in September. He also had surgery on his lower abdomen a week later.
In 2010, he played 33 games before his season ended after a microfracture surgery was performed on his knee. He played decently after recovering, but the Indians declined Sizemore's 2012 contract option. He then signed a one-year contract with the Indians, though he did not play due to various injuries. Grady remained a free agent through the 2013 MLB season.
In January 2014, Sizemore signed with the Boston Red Sox for one year. He played for the team for around six months before the Red Sox released him. In June, he signed a deal with the Philadelphia Phillies. He hit his 1,000th career hit against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Grady was released from his deal with the Phillies in June 2015. He then signed a minor league deal with the Tampa Bay Rays. He became a free agent by the end of 2015 and did not play at all in 2016. He then retired from play and was hired by the Indians in February 2017 as an advisor to the team's player development department.
Personal Life
Sizemore proposed to his girlfriend, Brittany Binger, on Christmas Day in 2011. Binger is an actress and former model for "Playboy." They have since married and have had one son together. The family lives in Arizona.
