Lou Grasmick

Louis Junior "Lou" Grasmick (September 11, 1924 – May 26, 2016)^[1] was an American businessman, philanthropist, and professional baseball pitcher.

Baseball career

Grasmick appeared in two games, pitching five innings in relief for the Philadelphia Phillies during the 1948 season. Grasmick batted and threw right-handed; he stood 6 feet (1.83 m) tall and weighed 195 pounds (88 kg). He was born in Baltimore, Maryland and made his minor league debut in 1943. He moved through various team farm systems throughout the war years, and joined the Terre Haute Phillies in 1947, winning 12 games for them.

Grasmick was treated roughly in his MLB debut on April 22, 1948, against the eventual National League champion Boston Braves, allowing three earned runs, three bases on balls and two hits in one inning of work. Two days later, he allowed one run in four innings against the Brooklyn Dodgers (on a home run to Arky Vaughan), but did allow two inherited runners to score in an 11–4 Phillie defeat. He then returned to minor league baseball for the rest of his career. A single in his only at-bat left Grasmick with a rare MLB career batting average of 1.000. When once asked about knockdown pitches he stated: "If you didn't thrown a knockdown, you were going to have problems with your teammates. You were expected to protect them. If the other pitcher threw at one for your players, then you had to square the account. It was the way the game was played. A different era now. And players then didn't have protective helmets."^[2]

Business

Grasmick founded the Louis J. Grasmick Lumber Company in 1951. Since, it has grown to be one of the largest lumber suppliers on the East Coast of the United States. The company initially focused on development of business within the local maritime community. It diversified by expanding to serve industrial and manufacturing plants, residential and commercial construction, bridge and highway building, and more. Some of the projects in which the company has participated include:

• The National Aquarium – Baltimore, Maryland
• The World Trade Center – Baltimore, Maryland
• Oriole Park at Camden Yards – Baltimore, Maryland
• The Chicago Stadium – Chicago, Illinois
• Dulles International Airport – Arlington, Virginia
• Smithsonian Museum of Natural History – Washington, D.C.
• MCI Sports Arena – Washington, D.C.
• U.S.S. Constellation Refurbishment – Baltimore, Maryland
• Washington National Baseball Park – Washington, D.C.
• Freedom Tower (at the site of the former Twin Towers) – NYC
• Reconstruction of the Pentagon (post 9/11/01) – Arlington, Virginia

Roles and Titles

• Serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Grasmick Lumber Company, Inc.
• Has been a Director of Harbor Bankshares Corp. since 1992 and its subsidiary, Harbor Bank of Maryland since 1982.
• Has been a Director of Capricor Therapeutics, Inc. since 2006.^[3]
• Serves as a Director of The Johns Hopkins Hospital Broccoli Center.^[3]

Philanthropy

Grasmick has ties to many community organizations in Baltimore through both volunteerism and philanthropy. He planned and delivered the Anchorage in Boston Street back when Canton was a "rat-infested dump". He is an investor in Harbor East. Grasmick's lumber company enabled the rebuilding of the Pentagon after 9/11. They also led the B&O Museum's roof rehabilitation. Grasmick is quoted as saying "There are ways to give back to the community other than money. You probably have a following, whether it's friends and families or coworkers. We all have followings. To be a good leader, decide to take the role of motivating those followers with energy and ideas."

Activities

• 1992 – Founded House With a Heart Foundation – dedicated to the betterment of the lives of needy Marylanders.
• 1994 – Co-Chaired Paul Anka Concert ($50,000.00 for Signal 13)
• 1995 – Co-Chaired Eddy Arnold Concert ($30,000.00 for Childhood Learning Disabilities)
• 1997 – Chaired "Minds Across America" raising funds to purchase 100,000 books for needy children
• 1998 – Chaired 007 Tomorrow Never Dies Movie Premier raising $250,000.00 for Johns Hopkins Broccoli Center
• 2003 – Chaired 007 Die Another Day Movie Premier raising $300,000.00 for Johns Hopkins Broccoli Center.
• 2004 – Louis and his wife Nancy Grasmick donated $1 Million to Hopkins Heart Institute^[4][5]
• 2005 – Capital Campaign for the Johns Hopkins Heart Center
• 2005 – Louis and his wife Nancy Grasmick donated a second $1 Million to Hopkins Heart Institute^[4]
• 2009 – The Children's Guild of Maryland – Honored with their annual award for making the impossible possible^[3]

Awards and Honors

• Voted "Man of the Year" by both the Baltimore Junior Association of Commerce and the Variety Club^[3]
• Awarded "Making the Impossible Possible" by the Children's Guild of Maryland in 2009^[3]
• Honors from the following organizations:
  • The B'nai B'rith
  • Boumi Shrine
  • Epicurean Society
  • Youth for Christ Organization
  • The Save-A-Heart Foundation
  • The Fraternal Order of Police
  • Project Survival

References

External links

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or Baseball-Reference, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)
• Bloomberg Executive Profile