was eighth highest all-time among catchers. On April 22, , Grote set a major league record with 20 putouts in a game when Tom Seaver threw 19 strikeouts against the San Diego Padres. He is the Mets all-time leader in games played as a catcher (1,176). Grote caught 116 shutouts in his career, ranking him 15th all-time among catchers. Grote called the pitches for some of the most outstanding pitchers of his era, including Tom Seaver, Jerry Koosman, Tug McGraw, Nolan Ryan, Tommy John, Don Sutton, and Dan Quisenberry. He possessed a strong and accurate throwing arm against opposing baserunners. Hall of Fame inductee Lou Brock found Grote to be one of the most difficult catchers on which to attempt a stolen base, and though Hall of Fame catcher Johnny Bench was the perennial Gold Glove winner during their careers in the National League together, Bench once said of Grote, "If Grote and I were on the same team, I would be playing third base." <div align="left"> Post retirement and honors After his playing career had ended, Grote spent as manager of the Lakeland Tigers and the Birmingham Barons. In , he played for the St. Lucie Legends in the Senior Professional Baseball Association. He was inducted into the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame in 1991, and the New York Mets Hall of Fame in . In , he was inducted into the San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame. On October 8, 2011, Grote was inducted into the Trinity University Athletic Hall of Fame. Grote appeared as a Mystery Guest on the television game show What's My Line?. He can also be seen as a TV guest star, along with his other 1969 N.Y. Met teammates, on Everybody Loves Raymonds episode of "Big Shots", filmed in 1999. In 2010 and 2011, Grote was color commentator with Mike Capps on the Round Rock Express (PCL) radio home broadcasts. Personal life Grote has three children, Sandy, Jeff and Jennifer and six grandchildren. Grote and his wife, Cheryl, were married on November 16, 1997. They met in San Antonio, Texas and moved to Belton, Texas in January 2008. He is the step-father to Cheryl's triplets, Laurel, Joseph and Jacob and step-grandfather to her two grandchildren. Grote's current interests are church, family, baseball, gardening, and volunteering for the Belton Police Department. References External links Jerry Grote home page "69 Mets Remembered: Where Have They