Detroit Tigers outfielder Robbie Grossman says the most interesting thing about him is that he’s “a pretty simple person” — he loves baseball, he loves his family and he loves his girlfriend. Whether or not that’s truly the most fascinating thing about him, Tigers fans are certainly captivated by his solid on-field performance.
Last year, his first with the Tigers, Grossman became the seventh player in Detroit history to record 20 or more home runs, doubles and stolen bases in a season. Even more impressive, Grossman started the 2022 season off without committing an error in 377 consecutive games, the longest active errorless streak by an outfielder. One month into the season, that streak remained unbroken.
The Tigers signed the 32-year-old player to a two-year, $10 million contract in January 2021. He came to Detroit by way of the Oakland Athletics, spending two seasons there after playing for the Minnesota Twins and the Houston Astros.
After signing with the Tigers, Grossman and his long-time girlfriend rented a house in Birmingham, where they live during baseball season. In the off-season, Grossman calls Cypress, Texas, home.
When Grossman has a rare moment away from baseball, he prefers to stick close to home, so it’s not unusual to see him hanging out in Birmingham.
“I enjoy the whole Downtown Birmingham area,” he says. “I can go and grab breakfast at Commonwealth [Café] and walk around. I’ll get breakfast in the morning and kind of make my way through the downtown and just relax. It’s a great city and a nice quiet community that I really enjoy living in.”
Grossman also said the food, atmosphere and staff make Tallulah Wine Bar his favorite local hangout. Although the slugger declined to say how often he’s there.
“I can’t give too much away,” he adds playfully. “I like to kind of have a private life outside of baseball.”
Grossman’s tale of baseball leaving an impression on him during his formative years isn’t unlike any other young boy who remembers going to a Major League Baseball game as a kid.
Growing up in Houston, his parents took him to the Astrodome, where he watched some of his heroes play and he told his parents he wanted to play professional baseball. For most, desire and dedication are not always enough to become a professional athlete, but Grossman spent much of his childhood mastering the sport and obviously got the results he wanted.
One of those heroes he watched was Astro’s Hall of Famer Craig Biggio. Today, Grossman admires celebrated teammate, Miguel Cabrera, for his competitive spirit and sheer enjoyment of the game.
Grossman, who got to witness Cabrera's recent record-breaking 500th home run and 3,000th career hit, said he looks forward to one day reflecting on his Major League Baseball career with his future kids. In particular, he envisions a conversation where he tells them about "how he got to play with Miguel Cabrera, one of the best players who ever played."
The switch-hitting batter said he’s always striving to be the best player he can be and hopes to be an inspiration to other young ballplayers, as his heroes were to him.
“I know that every time I step on the field, some little kid is probably watching me, and they’re taking away a good or bad impression of what I’m doing,” Grossman says. “I always have that in the back of my mind, and I know that everything I do is being watched.”
