Yankees World Series champion Jason Grimsley reveals in his new book, “Cross Stitched: One Man’s Journey from Ruin to Restoration,” that he tried to kill himself with a pistol on the afternoon of Aug. 21, 2015.
That day, Grimsley — who was high on an ounce of cocaine, six bottles of vodka and a few cans of beer — put a pistol next to his left eye, and pulled the trigger, according to USA Today Sports.
“I was waiting, but nothing happened,” Grimsley told the outlet while recalling the day he tried to take his own life. “I guess I didn’t take off the safety feature.
“I didn’t have the [guts] to do it again. I just remember thinking, ‘I can’t even do that right.’”
Grimsley, 55, began sharing his story after being persuaded by his wife Dana and others close to him.
Pitcher Jason Grimsley #38 of the Yankees in action during a game against the Royals at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York. Getty Images
Jason Grimsley (L) and Chuck Knoblauch (R) celebrate their win over the Oakland Athletics in Game 5 of the American League 2000 Division Series in Oakland, Calif. AFP via Getty Images
“I told Dana, ‘I don’t want to be in the papers. I don’t want to be in the limelight. I’m just a redneck from East Texas,’” he said. “I had such a bad taste of life from a personal standpoint, I did not want to relive any of it. I just wanted to push it back and bury it. I didn’t want it to be about me. I didn’t see any purpose.
“But now that I look back, I want to point to the Lord and his grace and his salvation. There’s no reason I should be alive today. I should have died. Now I know why I’m here.”
Grimsley pitched for seven teams over 15 years — the Yankees, Phillies, Indians, Angels, Royals, Orioles and Diamondbacks. He was a middle reliever in the dominant Yankees bullpens during a portion of their most-recent dynasty.
Grimsley, who signed with the Yankees before the 1999 season, won back-to-back World Series in his two years in The Bronx. He went 10-4 with a 4.41 ERA over 171 1/3 innings in pinstripes.
Jason Grimsley of the Arizona Diamondbacks pitches during a game against the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California on April 23, 2006. MLB via Getty Images
Elsewhere in the book, according to USA Today, Grimsley talks about his use of performance-enhancing drugs, including human growth hormones, steroids and amphetamines. He also delves into his stints in rehab for drugs and alcohol, psych wards, and his journey toward redemption.
All proceeds from the book will be donated to Emerging Grace Ministries, a non-profit organization trying to end adolescent sex trafficking.