Grant McCray
Stories this photo appears in:
Squirrels’ McCray takes flight
There is a posted speed limit on Arthur Ashe Boulevard that runs by The Diamond, but there is no limit on speed on the base paths or in the outfield grass inside the stadium. Grant McCray, perhaps the swiftest man in the San Francisco Giants organization, is building momentum in his first season with the Richmond Flying Squirrels. The 23-year-old centerfielder was named Eastern League Player of the Week for May 20-26. Competing on the road at Bowie, Md., McCray was 11-for-20 with a homer, three doubles, two triples, eight runs scored and five runs batted in. It took the 6-foot-2 left-handed swinging native Floridian a spell to hit his stride on the Class AA level. His batting average was hovering in the mid .100’s before the recent surge. Through games of May 31, he had juiced his average to .220 in 150 at bats with six homers, 33 RBI and six stolen bases in six tries. McCray ranks 19th in the EL in extra-base hits with 19 and sixth in doubles with 11. All the while he’s run down numerous fly balls in center with his blazing speed and sure glove. His stolen base totals will likely expand once his on-base percentage does. McCray stole 52 bases last season for High-A Eugene, Ore., and 43 bases the year before for Eugene and Low-A San Jose. His minor league total of 125 steals has come with just 35 times caught stealing. Still, even the wing-footed McCray will be challenged to run down another fast man — his father, Rodney. Between 1984 and 1993, Rodney McCray swiped 365 bags, including nine in brief big league stints with the Chicago White Sox in 1990 and 1991 and New York Mets in 1992. There’s more to this speedy family. Grant’s younger sister, Sydney, stole 51 bases in 53 tries this spring for Florida Southwestern State College, while hitting .347. The Flying Squirrels’ record for most steals in a season is 50, set by outfielder Johneshwy Vargas in 2019. Vargas is now playing in Mexico. Richmond’s all-time record for pilfering bags likely won’t be broken soon. In 1969, Ralph Garr, “The Roadrunner,” stole 63 bags in 76 attempts for the AAA Richmond Braves. Negro Leagues remembered The Flying Squirrels return to The Diamond for a six-game series, June 25-30, against the Somerset Patriots, the AA affiliate of the New York Yankees. On Saturday, June 29, the 6:05 p.m. game promotion will be Negro Leagues Heritage Night, followed by fireworks.
