Bill Greif – Baseball Player Biography, Career, Net Worth Information

Bill Greif’s baseball career really captures the journey of a promising young pitcher who faced the tough reality of playing for struggling teams in the 1970s. Born William Briley Greif on April 25, 1950, in Fort Stockton, Texas, he spent six seasons in Major League Baseball from 1971 to 1976. He played for the Houston Astros, San Diego Padres, and St. Louis Cardinals.

Greif retired from professional baseball after the 1976 season, wrapping up a career that left him with a 31-67 record in 234 games. He experienced both personal achievements and the frustration of pitching for teams that rarely gave him much offensive support.

He spent his most significant years with the San Diego Padres. There, he became a key member of their starting rotation during some of the franchise’s roughest seasons.

When you look at Greif’s career, you see his journey from a multi-sport kid in Texas to the major leagues. He grew as a pitcher and eventually found a new path after baseball.

His story really shows what professional baseball was like in an era when player movement was limited and team success often dictated individual stats. Greif’s life after baseball included working in real estate and getting involved in cancer support advocacy.

Early Life and Education

William Briley Greif was born on April 25, 1950, in Fort Stockton, Texas. He grew up in a family that put a lot of value on both athletics and academics.

His dad worked as a civil engineer, so the family moved around Texas pretty often. Still, baseball stayed a constant for Greif.

He eventually landed at John H. Reagan High School in Austin. There, he excelled in several sports but ultimately picked baseball over a football scholarship to the University of Texas.

Childhood in Fort Stockton, Texas

William Briley Greif started life in Fort Stockton, a small town out west in Texas. Doc and Marian Greif, his parents, raised four kids, always pushing for both athletic achievement and academic success.

As the second child, Bill found his athletic side early on. His dad’s job meant the family moved a lot across the state.

Even with all the moving, baseball gave Greif some stability. He started playing organized ball at age 8.

By 9, while in little league near Snyder, Texas, he realized he could really throw a baseball. Mut Thompson, his coach back then and a former semi-professional baseball player, made a big impact on him.

“He was an inspiration,” Greif later said, “and helped me with mechanics. He had a concept of how to throw a pitch.”

Throughout these years, the family kept academics front and center. They expected Bill to do well in school, not just on the field.

This balance between sports and school shaped how Greif approached his future baseball career.

John H. Reagan High School Achievements

Greif’s athletic career really took off at John H. Reagan High School in Austin, Texas. He became a standout in multiple sports and drew attention from college recruiters everywhere.

Standing 6’5″ and weighing 200 pounds, Greif made his mark in four sports. He competed in track and field and earned a spot on the basketball team.

On the football field, he played quarterback and led the team to a state championship. That kind of success caught the eye of legendary Texas coach Darrell Royal.

Even so, baseball was his real love. As a pitcher, Greif had scouts watching him for three years. His fastball and overhand curve were tough for anyone to hit.

His size, athleticism, and skills made him one of the most sought-after high school athletes in Texas. He got a ton of scholarship offers for college sports.

His multi-sport success showed just how naturally athletic he was—and it definitely helped him as he moved into professional baseball.

University of Texas and Academic Success

At first, Greif committed to play football at the University of Texas under Darrell Royal. “I had signed to play college football at the University of Texas,” he said later. The football program’s reputation made it a tempting choice.

But then the 1968 MLB draft happened. The Houston Astros picked him in the third round. Suddenly, he had a shot with his home state’s only major league team, and that changed everything.

Greif pulled back his letter of intent for football and started his baseball career. Even after choosing baseball, he stuck with his academic goals. His family always put school first, and he planned to get a degree no matter what.

During his pro career, Greif kept going to college during the offseasons. He earned his bachelor’s degree while playing in both the majors and minors.

He even enrolled in graduate programs, showing the academic focus his parents had encouraged. That commitment to education stuck with him throughout his baseball life.

Path to Major League Baseball

Bill Greif’s road to the majors started when the Houston Astros drafted him in 1968. He spent four years in the minors before finally making his MLB debut in 1971.

1968 Major League Baseball Draft and Signing

The Houston Astros picked Bill Greif in the third round of the 1968 draft. For Greif, it was both expected and a surprise.

“I expected to be drafted. But it was a surprise who did and what round,” he said. Getting chosen by Texas’s only MLB team made the decision easier.

Before the draft, Greif had signed on to play football at Texas under Darrell Royal. But the chance to play pro baseball was just too good to pass up.

Stan Hollmig, representing the Astros, negotiated his contract with the 18-year-old pitcher. Greif’s family wanted him to keep up with school, so they worked out a deal that let him take college classes in the offseason.

That signing kicked off Greif’s professional baseball journey. He spent the next few years working his way up through Houston’s farm system.

Minor League Development

Greif started his pro career with the Covington Astros in the Appalachian League’s Rookie Class. The small Virginia town was a far cry from Texas.

“It was a big come down in terms of where I had been and where I ended up,” Greif said, “but I was extremely excited to play professional baseball.”

He put up a 2.84 ERA in 76 innings his first season. The coaching stood out to him, especially from Cuban-born manager Tony Pacheco.

His second year with the Class-A Peninsula Astros didn’t go as planned. He missed spring training for college, then injured his elbow and pitched just 30 innings.

In 1970, Greif bounced back at Double-A Columbus in the Southern League. He went 10-12, but his ERA stayed strong at 2.89 over 190 innings. The team took the league pennant that year.

Breakthrough with Houston Astros

Greif made the Astros’ major league roster before the 1970 season. This was a big moment, especially after his injury-shortened year in 1969.

“I was put on the major league roster after the 1969 year, and that was one of the finest things that ever happened to me,” Greif remembered.

In 1971, he pitched for Triple-A Oklahoma City with other top Houston prospects like J.R. Richard and Scipio Spinks. He finished 5-8 but pitched well enough to earn a July call-up.

On July 19, 1971, Greif debuted in the majors against the Phillies in Houston. He threw 6⅓ innings, struck out six, and allowed just two runs in a no-decision.

He picked up his first MLB win on September 24, in a wild 21-inning game against San Diego. That first season put Greif on the map as a real major league pitcher.

San Diego Padres Years

Bill Greif’s years with the San Diego Padres, from 1972 to 1977, shaped the heart of his big league career. He developed as a starter, added a knuckle-curve, and eventually moved to bullpen work before the trade to St. Louis.

Trade to San Diego Padres

On December 3, 1971, the Astros traded Bill Greif to the Padres along with Derrel Thomas and Mark Schaeffer for lefty Dave Roberts. The deal caught Greif off guard.

“I wasn’t expecting to be dealt to San Diego,” he admitted. But the move ended up helping his career.

In Houston, he’d been competing with established pitchers like Ken Forsch and J.R. Richard. In San Diego, he had a real shot at the starting rotation.

Greif earned a starting spot out of spring training in 1972. That first season was tough, though, with little offensive help from his teammates.

He finished 5-16 in 1972. Even so, Greif worked closely with pitching coach Roger Craig, who helped him stay focused when things got rough.

Becoming a Knuckle-Curve Specialist

In 1974, Greif started working on a knuckle-curve to add something new to his fastball and breaking ball. He teamed up with catchers Fred Kendall and Bob Davis to figure it out.

The knuckle-curve soon became his signature pitch. “We had to call it a knuckle curve rather than a knuckleball,” Greif explained, wanting to make the distinction clear.

This pitch helped Greif stand out as a knuckle-curve specialist for the Padres. It kept him competitive, even as the team’s offense continued to struggle.

Trying out new pitches showed his willingness to adapt. Greif knew he needed more weapons to survive in the majors, especially with the Padres’ weak run support.

Role in the Starting Rotation

Greif anchored the Padres’ starting rotation from 1972 through 1974. His best year came in 1973 when he went 10-17 with a 3.21 ERA, even as the team faced financial trouble.

1973 Performance Statistics:

• Record: 10-17
• ERA: 3.21
• Innings Pitched: 199⅓
• Strikeouts: 120
• Walks: 62
• Complete Games: 9
• Shutouts: 4
• Saves: 1

That 1973 season really showed off his durability and skill. He threw nine complete games and four shutouts, all while the Padres nearly moved cities before Ray Kroc bought the team.

By 1974, Greif had become the veteran leader for a young pitching staff that included Randy Jones, Dave Freisleben, and Dan Spillner. Clay Kirby, their old ace, had been traded away.

Greif also picked up a slick pickoff move to second base. Randy Jones said, “He was the first guy I saw to use the leg kick on a pick off move to second base.”

Transition to Bullpen Duties

The Padres shifted Greif to the bullpen for the 1975 season, ending his time as a starter. “I preferred starting, almost any pitcher does,” Greif admitted, but he took the change in stride.

At first, the move to relief worked out. In 1975, he pitched in 56 games and notched nine saves with a 3.88 ERA, splitting closing duties with Danny Frisella.

But 1976 wasn’t so kind to Greif in the bullpen. He ended up 2-8 with six saves, and his ERA jumped to 5.26, showing he was losing his edge.

Manager John McNamara gave him another shot as a starter in spring 1977. Greif had a great spring, even throwing 13 scoreless innings in a row, but then struggled in five starts with an 8.06 ERA.

On May 19, 1977, the Padres traded Greif to the St. Louis Cardinals for outfielder Luis Melendez. That trade ended his five-year run in San Diego, where he built most of his career stats and made his name as a knuckle-curve specialist.

1976 Season and Career Transitions

The 1976 season really changed things for Bill Greif. That year brought his last appearance in Major League Baseball and a whirlwind of team changes that, in the end, finished off his pro career.

He started off struggling with the San Diego Padres, and the team decided to trade him to the St. Louis Cardinals. In St. Louis, he found a bit of new energy as a reliever, but after the season, they sent him off to Montreal.

Move to St. Louis Cardinals

Greif landed with the St. Louis Cardinals during the 1976 season after things went south in San Diego. The Cardinals picked him up, hoping he’d help bolster their bullpen as they pushed through the second half.

Right away, St. Louis put Greif back in the bullpen, where he’d had some success before. That move worked out for both him and the team, honestly.

He made 47 appearances for the Cardinals, picking up a 1-5 record and a 4.12 ERA. They mostly used him as a middle reliever, and sometimes he even closed out games.

In 21 games he finished, Greif recorded 6 saves. Over 54.2 innings, the Cardinals kept showing they trusted him with some pretty important relief work.

Even though he had a losing record, his ERA in St. Louis looked way better than the ugly 8.06 ERA he put up earlier with San Diego. The Cardinals’ coaches really helped him find some of his old form again.

Stint with Montreal Expos

On November 8, 1976, the Cardinals traded Greif, along with Sam Mejías and Ángel Torres, to the Montreal Expos. In exchange, the Expos sent Tony Scott, Steve Dunning, and Pat Scanlon to St. Louis.

People thought the trade to Montreal might give Greif a fresh start. The Expos wanted more depth in their pitching staff for 1977, and Greif’s experience made him a decent bet.

But, things just didn’t pan out in Montreal. During spring training in 1977, the Expos released Greif on March 30. The team simply chose not to offer him a contract for the regular season.

That move basically ended Greif’s Major League Baseball career. At just 26, he suddenly had no team, despite six years in the big leagues. Honestly, a lot of folks were surprised, thinking he still had something to offer as a reliever.

New York Mets and Tidewater Tides Experience

After Montreal let him go, Greif tried to keep his career alive with the New York Mets organization. The Mets gave him a shot to prove himself at the Triple-A level.

They sent him to the Tidewater Tides, their top minor league team. It was a big step down from the majors, but it was still a chance to work on his pitching and maybe get called back up.

Tidewater ended up being Greif’s last stop in organized baseball. He gave it a real shot, but couldn’t quite get back to the majors. The Mets didn’t move him up beyond Triple-A.

Not long after his stint with the Tides, Greif retired from pro baseball. He wrapped up his career after six seasons in the majors, finishing with a 31-67 record and a 4.41 ERA in 231 games.

Pitching Style and On-Field Achievements

Bill Greif’s knuckle-curve really set him apart, and his stats showed both flashes of promise and the headaches of playing for some tough-luck teams. He managed a few shutouts and racked up some great strikeout numbers, even when things weren’t going his way.

Signature Knuckle-Curve Technique

Greif’s best pitch was his oddball knuckle-curve, which he’d been messing with since he was a kid. He started throwing a knuckleball in Little League, but only got serious about it in Triple-A around 1971.

The pitch was pretty weird compared to others. Instead of lobbing it in slow like most knuckleballs, Greif threw his knuckle-curve overhand, almost as hard as his fastball. “I threw it as hard as I could,” Greif said. He called it a knuckle-curve because it reminded him of Burt Hooten’s style.

The Astros didn’t want him using the pitch, preferring he stick to his fastball and curve and work on a slider. But after he got traded to San Diego, Greif brought the pitch back with catcher Fred Kendall during spring training.

The knuckle-curve had some wild movement. Kendall once said umpires kept thinking it was a spitball because it moved so much. “I made a point of telling them, but they still checked the ball once in a while,” Kendall said.

Career Statistics and ERA

Bill Greif finished with 31 wins and 67 losses in 234 games across three teams from 1971 to 1976. His stats really show how tough it was pitching for teams that couldn’t hit, especially in San Diego.

His roughest year was 1972, when he went 5-16 with a 5.60 ERA in 125⅓ innings. That was the highest ERA in the league for pitchers with at least 20 starts. The Padres hit just .227 as a team, which didn’t help at all.

Things looked up a bit in 1973. Greif put up a 2.05 ERA through his first nine starts, and all four of his wins were complete games. Still, he hit a rough patch and lost seven straight starts in the middle of the season.

By 1975, Greif switched mostly to relief, pitching in 56 games with a 3.88 ERA and notching 9 saves while splitting closing duties with Danny Frisella. That role change really showed off his ability to adapt.

Strikeouts and Key Performances

Greif’s strikeout ability popped up all throughout his career. He had a few games that really stood out. In his major league debut on July 19, 1971, against Philadelphia, he struck out six batters in 6⅓ innings, allowing just two runs.

Maybe his best strikeout performance came in his Padres debut on April 16, 1972. He threw a complete-game shutout against Atlanta, struck out eight, and gave up only six hits. That was his first win as a starter.

Notable shutout performances:

• April 15, 1973: Two-hit shutout vs. Houston Astros
• June 1, 1973: Complete-game shutout vs. New York Mets
• August 8, 1973: Two-hit shutout vs. Philadelphia Phillies

Greif tossed three shutouts in 1973, and, honestly, he was probably San Diego’s most reliable pitcher that year. He could really dominate hitters when things were clicking.

That knuckle-curve was a big reason for his strikeouts. Hitters just couldn’t figure out the movement and speed. According to Baseball Reference, his strikeout rates jumped up once he started using the pitch more often.

Post-Retirement Endeavors

After baseball ended for him in 1976, Bill Greif made a pretty smooth transition into regular life. He went back to school and then built a career in real estate. Later, he spent a lot of time helping cancer patients through nonprofit work, which really shows the kind of person he is beyond the ballpark.

Educational Achievements After Baseball

Bill Greif kept the promise he made to his parents while he was still playing. He told them he’d keep up his education during the off-seasons.

After hanging up his cleats, Greif focused on finishing his studies in psychology. That foundation helped him later on, both in community work and in his personal growth.

He credited his commitment to education to the values he learned growing up in Austin, Texas. The discipline it took to succeed in school wasn’t all that different from what he needed to stick it out in the majors.

Career in Real Estate

After retiring from baseball, Greif started working as a real estate agent and broker. That new career gave him financial stability and a sense of accomplishment outside of sports.

He used a lot of the people skills he picked up during his baseball days in real estate. Building relationships and communicating well made a big difference for him.

Switching from pro sports to real estate took some flexibility and business sense. Greif managed the transition well, carving out a solid career in a pretty competitive field.

Community Involvement and Other Pursuits

Back in 2004, Bill Greif and his wife Karen started Cancer Connection, a nonprofit close to their hearts.

They wanted to help cancer patients handle both the physical and emotional parts of their diagnosis.

Greif leans on his psychology background when he works with survivors. He often urges them to open up about their experiences, hoping their stories might comfort others in similar situations.

Key Services of Cancer Connection:

• Emotional support for cancer patients
• Physical assistance during treatment
• Survivor story sharing programs
• Community outreach initiatives

You can really see how Greif’s nonprofit work lets former athletes give back in a big way. His commitment to others says a lot about who he is, well beyond what he did on the baseball field.