WHEELING – When Walker Buehler struck out Alex Verdugo on a 1-2 pitch to end the 2024 World Series and give the Los Angeles Dodgers another title, Wheeling native Michael Grove realized a lifetime dream.
The 27-year-old Wheeling Park and WVU graduate is a member of the Dodgers and was watching intently from the bullpen in Game 5 at historic Yankee Stadium.
“I think it’s one of those things you dream about like every little kid does. I don’t know if it has completely sunk in yet, but with the group of guys we had on the team and how close we all were, winning the World Series is something that I will always remember,” Grove said.
Sidelined by pain in his right shoulder that occurred after a Game 1 appearance during the National League Divisional Series against San Diego, Grove remembered where he was for the final out.
“I was out in the bullpen, living and dying on every pitch like everyone else,” he recalled. “When the final out was recorded, we all sprinted out towards the mound going crazy.
“I can’t remember the last time that I ran that fast,” he admitted. “By the time I got there, everyone was just jumping around in celebration.”
Grove was taken off the NLDS roster with the shoulder ailment, but remained with the team.
“I had been dealing with it (the injury) for a while,” Grove explained. “It just got to where I would pitch one day, but then I wouldn’t be able to for the next couple of days. They needed me to be available more than I could, so they decided to shut me down.
“It was extremely frustrating to not be able to help the team, especially in games we would lose or have to use a lot of arms in to win. It was probably the toughest thing I’ve had to go through as a professional,” he said. “I did whatever it took though to be a good teammate and keep the vibes good. The rest of the team picked us up and we won it all.”
The celebration parade also was something that Grove will never forget.
“That was an incredible experience. It’s hard to explain how many people were there,” he said. “It was a sea of people everywhere you looked. It was really special. Then we went back to Dodger Stadium and there were 50,000 people that had bought seats to welcome us back. We get a ton of support.”
Being in a locker room full of superstars – among them Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts and Clayton Kershaw – is a daily routine for the 6-foot-3, 200-pound relief pitcher.
“It’s pretty crazy. There’s a lot of media attention,” he noted. “But they are all normal guys like the rest of us … pretty low-key for being superstars. It’s a good locker room.”
He also talked about his interactions with Ohtani, the three-time league MVP who, this season, became the first player in MLB history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a season.
“He speaks English OK, but he still needs a translator,” Grove added. “He communicates well enough that I can talk with him. I’ve learned a couple of Japanese words, but not enough to hold a conversation with him.”
As if the Dodgers didn’t have enough superstars, they recently added lefty Blake Snell to an already deep pitching rotation.
“He’s a two-time Cy Young Award winner. We didn’t have a left-handed starter after Clayton (Kershaw) got hurt, so he brings a left arm that is powerful. He strikes out a lot of people. Just another talented arm that we get to bolster our rotation.”
Before winning the World Series, Grove’s season highlight came in early June at PNC Park in Pittsburgh.
Entering a 4-4 game in the bottom of the fourth inning against the Pirates with family, friends and a nationwide television audience watching, Grove showed why Los Angeles drafted him in the second round and 68th overall in the 2018 MLB Draft.
He struck out Bryan Reynolds on three pitches; got Ke’Bryan Hayes on strikes and retired Oneil Cruz on a grounder to first that Freeman flipped to Grove covering the bag.
The Dodgers rewarded the righty with six runs in the top of the fifth, putting him in position for the win. He responded by retiring the first two Pirates in the bottom of the inning before giving up a clean single to Rowdy Telez. He finished his night by getting Henry Davis swinging at a pitch in the dirt.
“The win in Pittsburgh was especially big because I had a lot of family and friends there that had never seen me pitch before,” he recalled. “Then, we fly out to New York and next night we get into an extra-inning battle with the Yankees. We needed an arm and I was available.”
What is Grove’s goal heading into 2025?
“Honestly, I just want to get better and be the best version of myself that I can be,” he acknowledged. “We’ve got a lot of really talented players, so wherever I can fit in to help the team win another World Series, that’s what I want to do.
Despite his success as a professional baseball player, he hasn’t forgotten his roots.
“The first thing I did when I got back was to go to the West Virginia University Children’s Hospital in Morgantown,” he said. “That was a pretty special experience. Hanging out with the kids was kind of my way of giving back.
“I met some friends earlier in the week, some guys that I played with in high school,” he said. “A lot of people have come up and said congratulations and stuff like that. I really appreciate that.”
With spring training just two months away, Grove said he feels good and is ready to go.
“I haven’t thrown since the end of the season, but when I do, I hope not to have any setbacks, and I should be ready to go by spring training.”
— Story by Kim North