Kelly Gruber

Kelly Wayne Gruber (born February 26, 1962) is an American former Major League Baseball third baseman, best known for his years with the Toronto Blue Jays. Born in Houston, Texas, he was selected by the Cleveland Indians with the 10th overall pick in the 1980 draft and reached the major leagues with Toronto on April 20, 1984. He batted and threw right-handed and played 10 MLB seasons, concluding with the California Angels in 1993.

Gruber became an established Blue Jays regular in the late 1980s. He was an American League All-Star in 1989 and 1990, and his 1990 season combined 31 home runs and 118 runs batted in with recognized defensive play at third base. He also hit for the cycle against the Kansas City Royals on April 16, 1989. Across his MLB career, he recorded a .259 batting average, 117 home runs, and 443 RBIs.

Gruber received the 1990 Rawlings American League Gold Glove and 1990 AL Silver Slugger at third base, and was a member of Toronto’s 1992 World Series championship club. He is credited with Kevin Boland for Kelly, a 1991 baseball book that institutional catalogue material identifies under the fuller title Kelly: At Home on Third.