ZAUN, GREG  
 
Image of GREGG   Nickname:   GREGG Position:   Analyst
Home: Houston, Texas Team:   Rogers Sports Net
Height: 5' 10" Bats:   S
Weight: 190 Throws:   R
DOB: 4/14/1971 Agent: Dan Evans
Birth City: Glendale, California Draft: Orioles #17 - 1989 - Out of St. Francis H.S. (Glendale, CA)
Uniform #: N/A  
 
YR LEA TEAM SAL(K) G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO OBP SLG AVG
1989 -- Did Not Play                                
1990 MWL WATERLOO     100 3 13 0 1 1 7 0   7 17     .130
1991 MWL KANE COUNTY     409 67 112 17 5 4 51 4   50 41     .274
1992 CAR FREDERICK     383 54 96 18 6 6 52 3   42 45     .251
1993 EL BOWIE     258 25 79 10 0 3 38 4   27 26     .306
1993 IL ROCHESTER     78 10 20 4 2 1 11 0   6 11     .256
1994 IL ROCHESTER     388 61 92 16 4 7 43 4   56 72     .237
1995 IL ROCHESTER     140 26 41 13 1 6 18 0   14 21     .293
1995 AL ORIOLES $109.00 40 104 18 27 5 0 3 14 1 1 16 14 .358 .394 .260
1996 IL ROCHESTER     47 11 15 2 0 0 4 0   11 6     .319
1996 NL ORIOLES $140.00 50 108 16 25 8 1 1 13 0 0 11 15 .309 .352 .231
1996 NL MARLINS $140.00 10 31 4 9 1 0 1 2 1 0 3 5 .353 .419 .290
1997 NL MARLINS $205.00 58 143 21 43 10 2 2 20 1 0 26 18 .415 .441 .301
1998 NL MARLINS $280.00 106 298 19 56 12 2 5 29 5 2 35 52 .274 .292 .188
1999 AL RANGERS $425.00 43 93 12 23 2 1 1 12 1 0 10 7 .314 .323 .247
2000 AL ROYALS $525.00 83 234 36 64 11 0 7 33 7 3 43 34 .390 .410 .274
2001 AL ROYALS $1,150.00 39 125 15 40 9 0 6 18 1 2 12 16 .377 .536 .320
2002 NL ASTROS $1,150.00 76 185 18 41 7 1 3 24 1 0 12 36 .275 .319 .222
2003 NL ASTROS-ROCKIES $1,200.00 74 166 15 38 8 0 4 21 1   19 21     .229
2003 NL ASTROS   59 120 9 26 7 0 1 13 1 0 14 14 .299 .300 .217
2003 NL ROCKIES   15 46 6 12 1 0 3 8 0 1 5 7 .333 .478 .261
2004 IL SYRACUSE   7 23 4 7 1 0 0 2 1   2 5     .304
2004 AL BLUE JAYS   107 338 46 91 24 0 6 36 0 2 47 61 .367 .393 .269
2005 AL BLUE JAYS $950.00 133 434 61 109 18 1 11 61 2 3 73 70 .355 .373 .251
2006 AL BLUE JAYS $1,000.00 99 290 39 79 19 0 12 40 0 2 41 42 .363 .462 .272
2007 AL BLUE JAYS $3,500.00 110 331 43 80 24 1 10 52 0 0 51 55 .341 .411 .242
2008 IL SYRACUSE   2 8 1 2 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 2   .625 .250
2008 AL BLUE JAYS $3,750.00 86 245 29 58 12 0 6 30 2 1 38 38 .340 .359 .237
2009 AL ORIOLES $1,500.00 56 168 23 41 10 0 4 13 0 0 27 30 .355 .375 .244
2009 AL RAYS   34 94 11 27 7 0 4 14 0 2 4 18 .323 .489 .287
2010 NL BREWERS $1,900.00 28 102 11 27 7 0 2 14 0 0 11 12 .350 .392 .265

  • Gregg's mother, Cherie, was formerly the women's golf coach at Southern California.
  • His Mom told a couple of tails from Gregg's youth to Alyson Footer of MLB.com before Mother's Day in 2002. "He was just a fun-loving, great kid. When he was in high school, he was always doing something. He got caught trying to steal burritos out of the food machine because he got his arm caught in it. He went to an all-boys high school and he had a Spanish teacher that he had a big crush on. He did really well in Spanish that year. In fact, one thing people don't know about Gregg is that he speaks Spanish fluently. He doesn't tell anyone," Mrs. Zaun said.

  • Greg is the nephew of former Oriole, Dodger, Indian, and Brewer catcher, Rick Dempsey. He wears the same uniform number, 24, as his uncle. And another uncle, includes a $2.25 million option for 2011 with a $250,000 buyout, meaning Zaun is guaranteed $2.15 million.Pat Dempsey, played 11 seasons in the minors and is a senior long drive champion..

  • Greg is a free spirit and a real character. Like his uncle Rick, who was also a character, Zaun is trying to fulfill the legacy of both quality comic and catcher. Greg plays a mean air guitar. He delights in having a good time and keeping his teammates amused. "If they're playing something really good on the radio, I'll hit the air guitar just to keep things loose, and see if I can entertain some of the fellas with the guitar and facial expressions. My favorite is the closed eyes, with the eyes rolled back in the head -- that utter look of pain. You wonder when you watch some of the guitar players in bands, just exactly how painful it is to hit that certain note."

  • In 1993, Zaun and teammate T.R. Lewis started taking real guitar lessons.

  • In addition to his music, Greg has other ways of entertaining his teammates. "I'm constantly embarrassing myself. I think I do it for (my teammates') benefit. Sometimes, I'll say some pretty kooky things to draw attention."

  • It was Greg's other uncle, Pat, a minor league player for the Indians, Orioles and Yankees, who had a key role in his nephew's baseball development. "I was around the game quite a bit with Pat," Greg recalled, "spending some summers in the minor leagues."

    He was in Nashville in 1983 and Toledo two years later. "In 1985, I got to be the bullpen catcher for the Toledo Mud Hens." Not only did the 14-year-old Zaun improve himself as a catcher by warming up such pitchers as Les Straker and Mark Portugal, both of whom later pitched in the Big Leagues, he also learned what it was like to be a minor leaguer. He was already conditioned when the Orioles picked him in the 1990 draft.

  • Greg tried to add bulk to his thin frame by going on a 5,000-calorie-a-day diet. "I was on those powdered drink mixes," he said. "I ate like a horse. And I was at the gym every night, doing serious weightlifting." It was a wonderful plan, but the 15 to 20 pounds he gained made it so Zaun couldn't throw at the start of the 1993 season.

  • But another thing Greg did before the 1993 season was very beneficial. He read two self-help books: "The Mental Game of Baseball" and "Seven Habits of Highly Successful People." He never guessed words would prove more valuable than weights, but that's what happened. "I went slow, a chapter a day," Zaun said. "It took me the whole offseason to finish the books. I'd highlight, make notes so I could go back to it later. It helped me quite a bit. I was able to calm myself down." It was a turning point for the very intense Zaun.

  • After the 1994 season, Greg reported to Zulia of the Venezuelan Winter League. But he had a tough time during the championship series. In one Zulia loss, Caracas made off with eight stolen bases. And when Greg went back to his hotel, he discovered that thieves had made off with his passport and $1,400.

  • Greg has a "lucky" horseshoe nailed to his locker on which he performs a pre-game bat rubbing ritual. When he was called up to the majors in July 1995, from Rochester (the Red Wings were in Pawtucket, at the time) he had the horseshoe Fed Ex-ed to Baltimore. In his first game he got two hits. "When I first made the roster, I had two goals: one was to have a Big League-looking girlfriend and (the other was to) get a Big League travel bag. I got the travel bag," Zaun said.

  • Greg once placed second in the Orioles spring training talent show by putting two entire pouches of Red Man in his mouth.

  • Starting at the beginning of 1996 Spring Training, Greg worked to kick his 10-year tobacco habit. Ever since he was 14, he was rarely without a pinch between his cheek and gum. "I was up to two cans a day, and that's quite a bit," Zaun said. "If I kept it up, I can't see myself at 34 and still having teeth."

  • Greg did movie reviews for ESPN's website in 1997, and really enjoyed it.

  • Greg suffered with an itchy case of poison oak in June 1999.

  • When he played right field in the Hall of Fame game at Doubleday Field in July 1999, he entertained the fans during the game. He played right field that day and sprinted to his position "like Sammy Sosa used to do at Wrigley," Zaun said.

    Then, when he came to bat in the fifth inning against Royals P Jeff Austin, fans in the right field bleachers were all screaming at Zaun. 

    "I'm having a blast with the fans and I'm getting all amped up," Gregg said. "I go up to the plate, Jeff Austin was pitching, and I take the first pitch, because right when I get up there, you could start to hear it kind of grow: 'Call your shot! Call your shot!'"

    Zaun stepped out of the box to think it over, and he decided to do his best Babe Ruth impression. Legend has it that the famous Yankees slugger pointed to the bleachers before homering at Wrigley Field during the 1932 World Series in Chicago.

    "I can't believe I did that," Greg, who had 12 lifetime Major League homers at the time, said. Many of the 9,000 fans chanted "MVP, MVP, MVP" as Zaun rounded the bases, and when he returned to the field he sprinted around the warning track exchanging high-fives with people sitting in the front row.

  • Greg has gotten more serious as he has gotten older. "It's hard to command respect from a pitching staff if you're always joking around, constantly trying to amuse people," Zaun said. He realizes there is a time and place for the zaniness.

  • Greg felt one time for zaniness was a the Royals' Opening Day luncheon, sponsored by the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, in mid-April 2000. When he was introduced, he did his John Travolta dance-imitation. "I tried to show some class," Zaun said. "I had a three-piece suit, and I showed them the vest."

  • Zaun became the Astros' player representative in May 2002.

  • Zaun changed his workout program for the off-season before the 2003 season. He had suffered with elbow problems all through the 2002 campaign. So, his first order of business was to abandon his prior philosophy that bigger is better. No more bulking up -- "that just ended up tying me down" -- instead, Zaun concentrates on flexibility. He's taking a pilates class twice a week to improve his agility and he's eating better, with the help of a personal chef.

    "I hired a cook to measure out my food and cook the meals for me," he said. "I changed my diet completely. I've tried to be a little more health-conscious. Instead of grabbing a cup of coffee and a dip (of smokeless tobacco), I'm eating fruits and vegetables. I feel better every day because of it."

  • Greg's marriage crumbled in 2002, ending in divorce, which was final December 1, 2003. Out of respect for his ex-wife, Zaun doesn't want to say too much about the divorce.

  • Zaun is cut from a different cloth. He is tattooed, pierced, and a bit straggly. But he is a serious baseball player and a clutch one, too.

  • Zaun's mother, Cherie, was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease early in 2003. After talking with his younger sister, Kimber, he established the Gregg Zaun Foundation and decided to hold a black tie gala during the All-Star break. The event will be held July 15, 2003 at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Houston. Proceeds from the event will benefit the National Parkinson's Foundation. Individual tickets for the event start at $200. More information is available 817-416-6453, or at www.greggzaunfoundation.org.

  • "I'm pretty much a couch potato now," he said. "That's my idea of fun. I like to sit in the dark and watch TV and go to the movies and eat popcorn. It's a nice break from reality for me."

  • A fan of comedies, spy movies, and dramas, Zaun's favourite remains Tim Robbins' turn as unwavering prisoner Andy Dufresne in the The Shawshank Redemption because of its life lessons in faith and resilience.

    "Sometimes movies are just diversions and sometimes they're inspirations," he said. "For me that's an inspirational movie." (Toronto Sun-7/24/04)

  • During the off-season before 2005 spring training, Zaun was married. But he only had half a glass of champagne in the after-ceremony toast. And he had one glass of wine on his honeymoon. Once a serious wine connoisseur, Greg has stopped drinking alcohol almost totally.

    "I've completely lost my taste for it and I like my life the way it is right now. I'm not going to complicate things by going back to that kind of lifestyle."

    Of course, the wedding vows play into that peace of mind. Zaun said his wife, Jamie, has been a source of strength for him both before and after they got married.

    "Things haven't changed too much -- she's still a tremendous influence in my life," he said. "She's my biggest fan and she's always there to support me. She understands what I go through on a daily basis and she's just tremendously supportive. You can't ask for anything more than that. She's a great friend and a great partner."

  • During the 2005 season, Zaun had a fan club visit him. They call themselves the "Zaunbie Nation." That group carried a homemade sign and wore personalized jerseys that said "Zaunbie" on the back, and they got to meet their hero before the game.

    The backstop said he's never had a vocal fan following before, but the concept is starting to grow on him.

    "When you labor in obscurity for most of your career, it's nice to be noticed," he said. "It takes a lot of effort by those guys to put the gear on and come out to support me. It's fun and it's always nice to look up there and see them rooting for you. It gives me a lift -- there's no doubt about that.

    Asked if he had ever received a compliment like the fan club's vocal support: "No way. Not even close," he said. "Nobody every really took much of an interest in me, mostly because I wasn't playing. It's nice to be noticed now, and it's flattering to know that people enjoy you playing the game. I know exactly where they are. It's like going to a Raiders game, only my name's on the cardboard." (Spencer Fordin-MLB.com-6/17/05)

  • The Mitchell Report: In 2003, Zaun bought testosterone and steroids and was accused by Montreal Expos bullpen catcher Luis Perez of using the substances in 2002.

    Included in the Report is a scanned image of a check, which Radomski said was sent to him by Zaun to purchase Deca-Durabolin and Winstrol -- two specific types of anabolic steroids. The check is difficult to read, but it bears Zaun's signature and is made out to Radomski.

    According to the Mitchell Report, Radomski indicated that he believed Zaun was referred to him by former pitcher Jason Grimsley. Radomski could not recall who ordered the steroids for Zaun, who never spoke directly with Radomski about the transaction, according to the document. The drugs were then allegedly delivered to the Kansas City clubhouse.

    Earlier in the newly released Report, Mitchell wrote that Luis Perez, a bullpen catcher for the Montreal Expos, told investigators from the Commissioner's Office during an interview in January 2003 that he personally supplied Zaun with anabolic steroids. Former Kansas City manager Tony Muser was also cited in relation to a conversation with Zaun in which the catcher denied steroid use.

    Mitchell attempted to set up a meeting with Zaun to further discuss the allegations, but the catcher declined to speak with the former senator. Godfrey said that Zaun may issue further response in the coming days.

    "If you want to investigate what is going on in the game of baseball right now, fine. But what happened years ago, who cares?" Zaun was quoted as saying. "I don't think this is anything more than an attempt for certain people in the game of baseball to leave their mark on the game somehow.

  • Zaun wants to play until he's 40. Then he wants to get 20 seasons in the bigs, which will take him to 2014, when he will be 43. Then he wants to outdo Carlton Fisk, who was still catching at 45, and be known as "the oldest guy" to start a game behind the plate.

    "I know I'm (getting old), and I know I'm a catcher," Gregg said. "But a lot of people forget that the first eight years of my career were spent on the bench. So I got the benefit of those years of experience, being there watching the games and playing behind some pretty good catchers, without the mileage on my body.

    "I would like to be mentioned in the same breath as a guys like Julio Franco (who played until 48) as far longevity goes. … All the rigors of the position, the pain, the stuff you go through to play, I don't know anything else. I really don't. I really don't know what else there is to do."

    Zaun has had a couple of seminal moments along the way.

    He realized, while playing behind Ivan Rodriguez on the 1997 world champion Marlins, that he wasn't going to be that good and accepted his limitations, which made him a better player.

    He learned from Brad Ausmus during 1˝ seasons in Houston how to really call a game.

    He contemplated retirement after being released by the Expos in spring training 2004, and again a couple of weeks into a minor-league gig with the Blue Jays, but he got an unexpected chance, at age 33, to start, and manager Carlos Tosca kept him out there.

    He acknowledged his immaturity and addressed it, giving up drinking for four years, curtailing his off-field activities and settling down with his new wife, Jamie.

    "As long as I'm physically able to compete and I still feel like I'm better than the other guys, I'm going to keep going out there," Zaun said.

    "I'm not one of those guys who was like some humongous star player and is worried about his legacy, that the last three years with low numbers are going to tarnish a great career. I don't care. I really don't." (Marc Topkin-St. Petersburg Times-8/14/09)

  • Zaun likes an old-school look and a new-wave mask. He hits bare-handed because he doesn't like the feel of the batting gloves on the bat, and he usually wears his socks up and pants to the knee when he starts. He began wearing the hockey-style mask in 1998 and was grandfathered in to sport a custom paint job, though he will go generic now because the Orioles' orange wouldn't really work.

  • Gregg was was his own agent. For several years he was one of a few players who handled their own negotiations. But after jousting with Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi on a two-year, $7.25 million deal, he noted how "these guys play rough in the deep end." Now he has an agent, former Dodgers GM Dan Evans.

  • Zaun plays the drums. Ex-Ray Eric Hinske taught him when they were in Toronto and gave him an electric setup. "I always thought I'd like to be a rock star if I wasn't a baseball player," Zaun said. "And I tried for years to play the guitar, and I stunk. My hands are bludgeoning instruments — I have no dexterity whatsoever — so hitting a drum is way more natural."

    TRANSACTION REPORT

  • June 1989: He was drafted by Orioles in the 17th round out of St. Francis High School in Glendale, California.

  • August 22, 1996: The Marlins sent P Terry Mathews to the Orioles to acquired Greg.

  • November 23, 1998: The Rangers sent a player to be named to the Marlins to acquire Zaun. And Gregg was not unhappy being in a position to backup Ivan Rodriguez. "After playing so awful (in 1998), I'm just happy to still be in the Big Leagues. I know if I just keep my mouth shut and be a good backup, I can play a long time," Zaun said. He had complained early in March 1998 that he should have been given a big raise or traded to a team that would use him as a starter, because he wasn't a true backup. But Zaun then flopped terribly in his first shot as a starter when the Marlins dealt Charles Johnson to the Dodgers.

  • November 2, 1999: The Tigers sent pitchers Justin Thompson, Francisco Cordero and Alan Webb, OF Gabe Kapler, C Bill Haselman and Frank Catalanotto to the Rangers to acquire Zaun, OF Juan Gonzalez and P Danny Patterson.

  • The Royals sent a player to be named, or cash, to the Tigers on March 7, 2000, to acquire Greg. Before he left the Tigers' clubhouse, Zaun taped a serious message to C Brad Ausmus' locker: "The clubhouse in Detroit really was big enough for both of us. You didn't have to get me traded."

  • February 7, 2001: Zaun beat the Royals in arbitration, getting a salary of $1.15 million, instead of the $850,000 the Royals offered.

  • December 8, 2001: Greg signed a two-year contract with the Astros.

  • August 2003: The Astros released Zaun, but the Rockies signed him a week later, August 26, 2003.

  • December 7, 2003: The Rockies chose not to offer arbitration to Zaun, making him a free agent.

  • January 13, 2004: Zaun signed with the Expos. He turned down offers from the Baltimore Orioles and Oakland A's in hopes of getting more playing time with the Expos.

  • January 6, 2005: Zaun signed a contract that paid $950,000 for 2005, with a vesting option for 2006 (the contract becomes guaranteed if he plays in 70 games in '05) worth $1million.

  • November 28, 2006: Zaun signed a 2-year, $7.25 million contract with the Blue Jays.

  • November 3, 2008: Greg filed for free agency.

  • January 16, 2009: Zaun signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the Orioles. The deal also includes a $2 million pickup option for 2010, vs. a $500,000 team buyout.

  • August 7, 2009: The Rays sent 1B Rhyne Hughes to the Orioles, acquiring Zaun and more than $300,000.

  • November 9, 2009: The Rays did not pick up the $2 million option on Greg for 2010, instead paying him a $500,000 buyout and making Zaun a free agent.

  • December 4, 2009: Gregg signed with the Brewers, receiving a one-year, $1.9 million contract. The includes a $2.25 million option for 2011 with a $250,000 buyout, meaning Zaun is guaranteed $2.15 million.

  • January 19, 2011: Zaun signed with the Padres.

PERSONAL:
 

  • The switch-hitting Zaun says, "I'm from the old school of thought. You catch first and if you hit, it's a plus. But you can't be a liability at the plate. You have to put in a little spark and drive in some runs."
  • Several years ago, Zaun was determined to become a better hitter. He decided to develop a new swing by watching films of Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Tony Gwynn, and Wade Boggs at the plate. But, more important than these physical adjustments, Greg changed his mental approach, deciding to focus more on baseball and less on self-criticism and off-the-field distractions. He battles the pitcher and stands his ground at the plate.

    He always tends to get off to a slow start in April and May, with the bat. His bat is a question mark. But he is a switch-hitter. The left side is his natural side of the plate. He just does not hit lefthanded pitchers, though.

  • Greg says he is a switch hitter because of Rick Dempsey. "Earl Weaver was in love with lefthanded hitting catchers and Rick couldn't hit lefthanded," Zaun recalls. "He tried it one year in the Big Leagues and it didn't quite click. He was angry because he was platooning and he told me when I was about 10, 'If you want to play everyday, you better start learning how to hit lefthanded. If you want to be a Big League catcher, you are going to platoon if you don't hit lefthanded.'"

  • Zaun admits to pressing at the plate after becoming a staring catcher for the first time after the Marlins traded Charles Johnson to the Dodgers in 1998. "It's been real, real embarrassing and very humbling," Greg admitted at the time. "You look at your swing on video and it looks the same. The only thing that's missing is confidence, that aggressive edge. That's the difference between a hit and a lazy fly ball."

  • Greg chases too many fastballs up and out of the strike zone. And pitchers know he can be jammed, too.

  • In 2004, Zaun had a nice.367 on-base percentage, third on the Blue Jays.

  • In 2005, Zaun led the Jays in walks and was second on the team with a .355 on-base percentage.

    BREAKDOWN VS. LEFTIES AND RIGHTIES

  • In 2005, the switch-hitting Greg batted .278 with 2 home runs in 115 at-bats vs. lefthanded pitchers. And .241 with 9 home runs in 319 at-bats against righthanders.

  • In 2007, Greg hit .290 in 69 at-bats vs. lefties, and .229 with all 10 of his home runs in 262 at-bats vs. righthanded pitchers.

  • In 2008, Zaun managed only a .163 average with one home runs in 49 at-bats vs. lefthanded pitchers. He hit .255 with 5 home runs in 196 at-bats vs. righthanders.
  • In 2009, Greg hit .217 with no homers in 46 at-bats, and .269 with 8 homers in 216 at-bats against righthanded pitchers.

  • Entering the 2010 season, Zaun's career batting average was .251 with 86 home runs and 432 RBI in 3,387 at-bats.
BATTING:
 

  • Greg really plays a hard game. He blocks balls in the dirt real well. You can't throw anything by him.
  • "Catching is a lost art," Zaun said. "When I grew up, I learned to catch first. My uncle Pat (a former minor leaguer) and uncle Rick (Dempsey) taught me. Pitching wins pennants, and you won't have good pitching without good catching. You have to be able to know how to catch and manage all the different pitchers' egos. That's why my uncle Rick was so valuable."

    Greg takes charge of the game from behind the plate. And he throws runners out at an impressive rate. He studies the opposing hitters and has a pretty good knowledge of what his pitchers throw. He gives them a good, low target. "I'm smaller than everybody else, so I can move around a lot more," Zaun says. "I would rather give a guy a full target with the body rather than just the glove."

  • He is a short catcher, so he gives a good target. Zaun agrees: "It's easy to keep the ball low to me. The umpires have told me that they get a real good look at the strike zone because I'm so short."

  • His uncle, Rick Dempsey, gave Greg a few catching tips over the winter before the 1997 season. One was to move Zaun closer to the hitter. But Greg got called for catcher's interferrence three times in the first six weeks of the 1997 season, not easy for a backup catcher. "If it looks like you could drive a truck between me and the batter," Zaun said. "you'll know I've made an adjustment."

  • Zaun is considered to be a stubborn player. His body language when he visits the mound leaves something to be desired, many times. But, he is a gamer.

    "He's a gamer. He's an intense individual," Expos manager Frank Robinson said of Zaun in 2004. "He handles a pitching staff very well. He throws average to above-average. He's a pretty decent offensive player. He's a switch-hitter, which is a bonus. I like his intensity. I like the way he goes about his work. He hates to lose."

    THROWING OUT BASERUNNERS

  • In 1993, Zaun threw out 34 percent of opposing basestealers.

    In 1994, he led the International League with a .989 fielding percentage and threw out more than 40 percent of basestealers.

    In 1998, Greg threw out 33 percent of attempting base-thieves, ninth-best in the National League (out of 20 ranked catchers).

    In 1999, he threw out 45 percent of guys trying to steal.

    In 2000, he only threw out 13-of-70, just 18 percent. He says he was hiding a sore shoulder.

    In 2001, though he only played 35 games, he threw out 8-of-30, which is 27 percent of attempting base-swipers.

    In 2003, Zaun threw out 8 of 24 (33 percent) of runners trying to steal.

    In 2006, Greg only threw out 18 percent of attempting basestealers.

    In 2007, Zaun only threw out runners at a 15 percent rate.

  • After the 2007 season, Zaun headed home to Cincinnati with a pile of videos and a goal in mind. Toronto's catcher wanted to get to the bottom of the mechanical issues he was having behind the plate.

    During the final months of the season, the Blue Jays' pitchers were improving in their efforts to become quicker to home plate, but Zaun's footwork and throwing weren't in sync. So, at the request of Toronto first-base coach Ernie Whitt, who works with the club's catchers, Zaun used the winter months to figure out where he was going wrong.

    Zaun even turned to his uncle, former big league catcher Rick Dempsey, sending a copy of the video footage to Dempsey in California. Zaun discovered some mechanical flaws that he addressed.

FIELDING:
 

      POST-PLAYING CAREER POSITIONS

  • 2011: Zaun was an analyst for Rogers SportsNet on Blue Jays' telecasts.
RUNNING:
 

  • June 1993:  He missed a week with an elbow injury.
  • 1994 Season:  Zaun missed a couple of weeks after the season in the Arizona Fall League with a broken finger.

  • May 1998:  He didn't go on the D.L., but Greg was affected by a severe infection in his toe caused by athlete's foot, even spending a night in the hospital.

  • April 18, 2000:  He went on the D.L. with a sprained right elbow. He hurt it throwing out the Yankees' Shane Spencer, who was trying to steal second base. Then, while on a rehab assignment in the minors, he wrenched his back.

  • November 2000:  Zaun had rotator cuff surgery.

  • March 27, 2001–July 23, 2001: He started the season on the D.L. after tearing his left hamstring muscle in base-running drills before an exhibition game.

  • October 14, 2002:  Zaun had elbow surgery. He was hurting all through the 2002 season with right elbow problems caused by a torn flexor tendon that even two or three cortisone shots could not numb. He had three other cortisone shots for various other problems. He threw his shoulder out of whack while trying to compensate for the bad elbow. And neck problems also required a couple of cortisone shots.

  • May 8, 2005: Zaun suffered a head injury, a concussion, and lay motionless for quite some time.

    It all happened on a seemingly innocent ground ball late in the Blue Jays-White Sox game. With the home team trailing by one run in the ninth inning, Zaun went into second base trying to break up a double play. He didn't get down quick enough, though, and Chicago's second baseman, Pedro Lopez, made contact with him as part of his relay attempt.

    Coming across the bag, Lopez caught Zaun in the face with his trailing knee. And that was only half the impact: When the backstop fell, he hit his head on the ground. He lost consciousness briefly but was coherent at other times during a 13-minute delay. Several players and uniformed personnel stood over him, watching with obvious concern. A few Chicago players close to the incident said that Zaun's breathing was labored, and went as far to say that it sounded as if he was choking. George Poulis, Toronto's head trainer, said only that Zaun's breathing was consistent with a head injury.

    Eventually, Zaun was taken from the field on a backboard and brought to Mount Sinai.

  • March 24–April 8, 2006: On March 16, Zaun pulled a muscle in his right calf that kept him out for the rest of spring training and caused him to start the season on the D.L.

  • April 25–June 8, 2007: Zaun was on the D.L. with a hand injury. He took a foul ball off his throwing hand off the bat of Boston's Eric Hinske and suffered a non-displaced fracture in his right hand. It normally takes six to eight weeks to return.

    Greg had two pins inserted into his right hand during the operation to repair it.

  • May 26–June 15, 2008: Greg was on the D.L. with inflammation in his right elbow.

  • May 20, 2010: Zaun went on the D.L. with a torn labrum in the front of his shoulder.

    Zaun's shoulder has not been right since a home-plate collision with Washington's Ian Desmond in mid-April. He developed what he described as a "knot" in the joint which led to some embarrassing throwing problems in an April 26 game against the Pirates, but had overcome the injury with regular treatment. He tweaked the shoulder on a swinging strike .

    The injury was serious enough that there was talk that his big league career might be over. And on June 15, 2010, Gregg had season-ending shoulder surgery.

CAREER INJURY REPORT:
 
 
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