Biography

Gross was born in Scottsbluff, Nebraska and played college baseball both at Murray State Jc (where he was drafted in the 3rd round of the January draft) and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He was drafted by the New York Mets in the 4th round of the 1986 Major League Baseball draft. He played his first MLB game on April 21, 1990 with the Cincinnati Reds.

Gross played for four different ball clubs during his career: the Cincinnati Reds from 1990 until 1991, the Los Angeles Dodgers from 1992 until 1993, the Boston Red Sox in 1999 and the Houston Astros in 2000. He played his final MLB game on May 29, 2000.

On May 10, 1994, Gross was purchased from the Los Angeles Dodgers by the Nippon Ham Fighters of the Japanese Pacific League. This explains his absence from Major League Baseball from 1994 until 1998. He was highly successful in Japan, leading the league in wins from 1995 until 1996. He returned to the United States in 1998 to undergo surgery. He is remembered by baseball enthusiasts as one of the finest non-Japanese players to have played in the Japanese Leagues and for the Nippon Ham Fighters.

In 2010, he was the manager and pitching coach for the Victoria Seals in the Golden Baseball League.

[ Source: Wikipedia ]