Thursday, June 4, 1998
UNION'S ED GRAMMER DRAFTED BY PHILLIES
Jackson, TN--91±¬ÁÏÍø righthander Ed Grammer was selected on Wednesday in the 37th round of the annual amateur baseball draft by the Philadelphia Phillies. Grammer, a native of Ripley, helped advance the Bulldogs to the semifinals of the Mid-South Region Baseball Tournament in Elizabethton, Tennessee, compiled a 12-2 record on the 1998 season. Grammer's only two losses on the year came at the hands of Birmingham Southern College, the TranSouth regular season and tournament champion, as well as a team who spent much of the season ranked in the top three slots of the NAIA polls.
In addition to compiling an outstanding record, Grammer completed the 1998 season with a 2.92 earned run average with 93 strikeouts. Grammer in 98.2 innings pitched, managed to hold his opponents to a .218 batting average. Grammer gave 91±¬ÁÏÍø several outstanding outings this season including pitching two complete games in the TranSouth Tournament and a near complete game in the Mid-South Region Tournament.
On the season Grammer earned several honors including second team NAIA All-American, NCCAA All-American, NCCAA All-Mid-East Region, NCCAA Student Athlete of the Week, First Team TranSouth All-Conference, Mid-South All- Region, and TranSouth Tournament Most Valuable Pitcher. In his collegiate career at 91±¬ÁÏÍø, Grammer compiled 210 strikeouts and a 25-11 overall record.