John Grabow
John William Grabow, nicknamed “Grabes,” is a former American baseball pitcher who threw left-handed. He played in Major League Baseball for the Pittsburgh Pirates (2003–2009) and the Chicago Cubs (2009–2011). Grabow debuted in 2003 and made his last appearance in 2011. In his nine-year career, he appeared in 506 games, posting a 24–19 record, a 4.31 ERA, and 400 strikeouts.
Grabow was a durable left-handed reliever who became a trusted bullpen arm for the Pirates, especially in the mid-2000s. In 2008 he had one of his best seasons, posting a 2.84 ERA in 74 appearances. In July 2009, he was traded to the Cubs, where he continued to pitch in important late-inning situations and signed a two-year contract that December. He finished his MLB career with the Cubs in 2011 and later signed a minor league deal with the Dodgers in December 2011, though he did not return to the majors.
Grabow is Jewish; his mother is Jewish, and his Lebanese-Jewish grandmother immigrated from Beirut. He played for Team USA in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. He attended San Gabriel High School in California and was drafted by the Pirates in the third round of the 1997 draft.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 08:06 (CET).