Joseph Grose
2021 Hall of Fame Inductee
Waterville, MN
Waterville, MN
Joe’s amateur baseball career began at age 13 and extended over 33 seasons. He played high
school baseball for Waterville-Elysian as their shortstop while also excelling in football and
basketball earning him Male Athlete of the Year honors in 1986. He played collegiate baseball
for two years at Bethany Lutheran College and two years at St. Cloud State University.
A very versatile player, Joe could play any position but was primarily an infielder, pitcher and
catcher. Well known as a powerful hitter, he hit .350 for his career with 165 home runs. He
played in 10 state amateur tournaments—three times as a draftee. Later in his career, he
became the team’s manager and served in that capacity for 12 years before retiring in 2016.
Joe has held every office on Waterville Baseball Club’s (WBC) Board of Directors and is currently
its President. He has also served the 13-60 League for over 25 years where he is a past
President and is currently Vice President. He handles player contracts and team registrations
for Waterville along with scheduling games and umpires.
Joe coached junior high, junior varsity and varsity baseball at Waterville-Elysian-Morristown
High School for over 10 years. His varsity teams won the Gopher Conference three times. He
also coached Jr. Legion baseball. Waterville has hosted many Legion and high school tournaments where Joe has volunteered countless hours to ensure their success.
Perhaps one of Joe’s largest contributions to the game of baseball is his maintenance of Waterville’s William J. Grose Park, named after his father who is also a member of the Minnesota Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame. Joe can normally be found at the ballpark after his daily postal route and on weekends. He takes care of mowing, trimming, edging and everything else that keeps the park in pristine condition. He is the first one there several hours before game time and the last to leave after everything is cleaned up. For over 25 years, Joe has been the “go-to-guy” for the WBC and does so with humble pride and integrity.
Baseball is a family affair for Joe, his wife, Michele, and sons, Nolan and Dalton.
school baseball for Waterville-Elysian as their shortstop while also excelling in football and
basketball earning him Male Athlete of the Year honors in 1986. He played collegiate baseball
for two years at Bethany Lutheran College and two years at St. Cloud State University.
A very versatile player, Joe could play any position but was primarily an infielder, pitcher and
catcher. Well known as a powerful hitter, he hit .350 for his career with 165 home runs. He
played in 10 state amateur tournaments—three times as a draftee. Later in his career, he
became the team’s manager and served in that capacity for 12 years before retiring in 2016.
Joe has held every office on Waterville Baseball Club’s (WBC) Board of Directors and is currently
its President. He has also served the 13-60 League for over 25 years where he is a past
President and is currently Vice President. He handles player contracts and team registrations
for Waterville along with scheduling games and umpires.
Joe coached junior high, junior varsity and varsity baseball at Waterville-Elysian-Morristown
High School for over 10 years. His varsity teams won the Gopher Conference three times. He
also coached Jr. Legion baseball. Waterville has hosted many Legion and high school tournaments where Joe has volunteered countless hours to ensure their success.
Perhaps one of Joe’s largest contributions to the game of baseball is his maintenance of Waterville’s William J. Grose Park, named after his father who is also a member of the Minnesota Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame. Joe can normally be found at the ballpark after his daily postal route and on weekends. He takes care of mowing, trimming, edging and everything else that keeps the park in pristine condition. He is the first one there several hours before game time and the last to leave after everything is cleaned up. For over 25 years, Joe has been the “go-to-guy” for the WBC and does so with humble pride and integrity.
Baseball is a family affair for Joe, his wife, Michele, and sons, Nolan and Dalton.