**Managerial/Coaching Career**
In 1st season as Red Sox hitting coach after being named to the post on 11/28/12...2013 marks his 1st season
on a major league staff and 1st in the Red Sox organization.
Spent the past 6 years with the Yankees' Single-A Charleston affiliate, serving 5 seasons as the RiverDogs'
hitting coach from 2007-09 and 2011-12, and as the club's manager for the 2010 campaign.
The 2012 RiverDogs finished 4th in the 14-team South Atlantic League with a .268 AVG (1,230-for-4,597), 5th
with a .727 OPS, and tied for 5th with 672 runs scored.
In only season as Charleston's manager in 2010, led the club to a 65-74 (.468) record.
Under his guidance, RiverDogs batters led the SAL in triples (46) and walks (495), and placed 2nd in hits
(1,228), and 3rd in AVG (.260) and OBP (.337) in 2009...Charleston finished 2nd in the league in AVG (.265),
OBP (.334), hits (1,254), and runs (705) in 2008.
**Playing Career**
Selected by MON in the 6th round of the June 1987 draft as a catcher...Played 13 years in the Major Leagues
and hit .289 (801-for-2,769) with 98 home runs and 422 RBI over 992 career games with the Expos (1992-93),
Marlins (1994-96), Twins (1997), Braves (1997-98), Rockies (1998), Diamondbacks (1999-2002, '04), and Mariners (2003)...Appeared primarily at 1st base.
His teams reached postseason play 5 times and he won a World Series with the Diamondbacks in 2001...Compiled a .344 AVG (11-for-32) in 21 career postseason games, including 6 with the D-backs during their 2001 title run.
Owns .310 AVG and .476 SLG as a pinch-hitter, both the 2nd-best career marks among players with at least
250 plate appearances in the pinch since 1974.
Hit for the cycle on 8/18/02 at SD while playing for ARI, collecting 5 hits including 2 home runs...Became the
1st player with a multi-homer cycle in a 9.0-inning game since Ralph Kiner did it in 1950.
**Personal**
Married to Erika...The couple has 3 daughters, Danielle, Kelsey Paige and Vanessa.
Graduated from Fontana (CA) High School in 1987...Earned All-State honors in baseball and All-Conference
honors in football...Turned down a baseball scholarship to Stanford in order to sign with Montreal.
2004
Battled a right wrist injury to appear in only 20 games with Arizona, his lowest total in 13 major league seasons...also played 3 games
during a rehab assignment to Tucson (AAA).
Arizona: Batted .111 (3-27) with one RBI while starting 2 games at DH, one at first base and appearing in 16 as a pinch-hitter for the
Diamondbacks...made lone start at first base on April 30 at Philadelphia, going hitless in 4 at-bats...was batting .125 (2-16) when
placed on the disabled list with right wrist tendinitis on May 16...was activated on June 21...appeared in only 6 games, including starts
at DH on June 25 and 27 at Detroit, before returning to the DL on June 29 to undergo surgery on his wrist...was activated again on
Sept. 15, but did not appear in any games...was 2-15 (.133) with a walk as a pinch-hitter in 2004, but has a .310 (71-229) lifetime
average with 9 HR and 48 RBI in 260 games in that role.
2000
Opened the year in familiar role of coming off the bench and spot starting when needed, but wound up the everyday first baseman after Erubiel Durazo succumbed to wrist surgery in mid-August...it was his most extensive work since serving as Florida's everyday first baseman in 1995-96.
Set a franchise record by reaching base in 9 consecutive plate appearances from April 22-30...the streak consisted of 6 hits and 3 walks, featuring a career-high tying 4-hit game on April 29 in Chicago.
Set a franchise record with 3 consecutive pinch hits from May 6-17, starting with a 2-run double vs. Pittsburgh on May 6, continuing with a run scoring single at San Diego on May 13 and ending with a single in Montreal on May 17.
Batted .349 (66-for-189) in his last 50 starts with 16 doubles, 9 home runs and 38 RBI.
Once becoming a regular in the lineup on August 6 his longest RBI drought was 4 games (September 18-21)...other than the 4-game dry spell, Colby never went more than 2 straight without knocking in a run from August 6 through the end of the season, a span of 47 starts.
Finished the year with 15 home runs...5 of his first 7 roundtrippers came against lefthanded pitching due to platoon duty, but 7 of his last 8 were off of righthanded pitching after becoming a regular in the lineup.
Was hit by pitches four times in four games from June 4-7...finished 2nd on the club with 10 hit by pitches.
Had his 2nd 4-hit game of the year, 6th career, on July 27 in St. Louis featuring 2 doubles and 3 RBI in 17-5 win.
Went 6-for-24 (.250) as a pinch hitter but was not used that role after August 14...he is a lifetime .340 pinch hitter (53-for-156) with 37 RBI.
1999
Greg was signed to add righthanded strength to the bench and spell the first basemen on occasion, and he more than filled the bill...the D'Backs possessed a rather anemic bench attack in '98, with pinch hitters providing a composite .173 average, but the N.L. West championship group led by Colby, Bernard Gilkey, David Dellucci prior to his injury and the late-season addition of Lenny Harris, helped combine to provide Arizona with the best overall pinch-hit average in the National League at .319 (60-for-188)...Greg hit .375 (9-for-24) as a pinch hitter, including a season-ending stretch in which he went 5 for his last 8 with 6 RBI...combined with his career numbers entering 1999, Colbrunn has hit .356 as a pinch hitter in his career (47-for-132) with 4 home runs and 33 RBI...his lone pinch homer last year was the icing on a 10th inning cake in Montreal on May 31, taking Steve Kline deep just minutes after Kelly Stinnett had snapped a 5-5 tie with a 2-run shot...Greg opened the year just 2-for-his-first-11 as a pinch hitter, but rebounded to go 7-for-13 over the last 16 times he was summoned from the bench...signed to offset the opposition's lefthanded pitching, Colby hit .361 (35-for-97) against southpaws...he also shined during his limited duty at first base, hitting .324 (34-for-105) in his 31 starts on the infield, committing only 1 error...consistent all year, he saved the best for last, going 10-for-19 (.526) in 6 games to close the year...included was a "bi-cycle" in a 2-game stretch on September 26-27, going 3-for-5 with a homer in San Francisco on the 26th, then adding a double and triple in the opener of the final homestand against Colorado the next night...Greg added another home run on Sept. 30 vs. the Padres, hitting a 3-run shot in the first to tie the game at 3-3, allowing Randy Johnson to regroup and post his 17th win...Colby keyed an August 17 win at home over the Cubs with a bases loaded triple in the first inning, as Arizona scored all of its runs in a 4-0 win, Brian Anderson's first shutout of the year...a clutch performer, Greg hit .343 (12-for-35) with runners in scoring position, including a .368 mark (7-for-19) when there were less than 2-out in the inning.
1998
For the second consecutive season, Greg opened the year with a new club, but found himself participating in post-season play as a member of the Atlanta Braves...this time, he inked a free agent contract with Colorado, performing for the Rox through July 29, before being shipped to the Braves for a player-to-be-named on July 30...in '97, he had signed a free agent deal with Minnesota, only to be moved to Atlanta for the player-to-be-named on August 14...he combined his stops in 1998 to see duty at first base, the outfield and even an inning behind the plate while with Colorado...all told, he led the majors in pinch-hit average, batting .364 (16-for-44) with 3 doubles and 11 RBI, while his 16 hits ranked second to Houston's Dave Clark...was an overall .340 hitter (17-for-50) with men in scoring position, knocking in 21 runs...he went 2-for-8 in the post-season, with both hits coming in consecutive pinch-hit appearances vs. the Padres on October 7 & 8.
1997
Made his first career post-season appearance, courtesy of the mid-season trade from Minnesota to the Braves...appeared in 70 games for the Twins, making 52 starts at first base...had a season-high 8-game hitting streak from April 2-13, hitting .344 (11-for-32)...had 3rd career 4-hit game on May 12 vs. Toronto...hit his 2nd career grand slam vs. Blue Jays on August 4 off of current teammate Omar Daal... was hitting .281 with 5 homers and 26 RBI at the time of his August 14 trade to Atlanta...went 8-for-16 as a pinch hitter upon his arrival to the Braves, including a pinch home run...enjoyed a terrific post-season, delivering a 2-run single in lone pinch-hit appearance vs. Houston in Division Series, then going 2-for-3 off the bench in the NLCS vs. the Marlins.
1996
The end of a 3-year stay with the Marlins, he was the everyday first baseman for the 2nd straight campaign, establishing career bests in doubles (26), walks (25) and games (141)...also had a career-high 21-game hitting streak from May 31-June 23, hitting .386 (34-for-88)...was disabled from July 24-August 8 with a right wrist bruise...he set a Marlin record and ranked 6th in the N.L. by getting hit with 12 pitches.
1995
Enjoyed a career season, his first as a full-time player, establishing personal bests in at bats (528), runs (70), hits (146), homers (23) and RBI (89)... the home run and RBI totals were Marlin franchise records for a first baseman... set a club record and personal best with 7 RBI on July 18 at San Francisco, his first career 2-homer game, which featured his first career grand slam (off of Chris Hook)...also blasted 2 homers on August 18 at Pittsburgh in the 2nd game of a doubleheader...set a then club standard with a 17-game hitting streak from August 20-Sept. 6...finished the year hitting .333 (49-for-147) with runners in scoring position.
1994
Injury riddled campaign, he made the Marlins' opening day roster just 9 months after undergoing surgery to repair a ligament tear in his right elbow...was disabled from April 9-May 27 with torn cartilage in his left knee...returned to action and had a 10-game hitting streak (May 31-June 21)... was once again disabled from July 15-30 with a pulled rib cage muscle...he returned to hit .324 with 30 RBI over final 38 games.
1993
What turned out to be his final year in the Montreal organization, the campaign began on the D.L. due to bursitis in his right elbow...had an 8-game rehab stint with West Palm, then was activated on April 21...enjoyed first career 4-hit game on April 29 in Los Angeles...had first career pinch-hit home run on May 30 at Chicago off of Randy Myers...had season-ending surgery on August 10 to repair ligament tear in right elbow (Dr. Frank Jobe and Dr. Larry Coughlin)... was claimed off waivers by Florida on October 7.
1992
Opened the year in AAA at Indianapolis, but was recalled by the Expos and made major league debut on July 9 at San Francisco, collecting first big league hit that day off of Francisco Oliveras...hit first major league homer on July 22 off Giants' Rod Beck...was disabled August 4-18 with a muscle strain in the left side of his back...started 44 games at first base for the Expos.
1991
Missed the entire season after Dr. Jobe performed surgery to repair a tendon in his right elbow.
1990
Led Jacksonville (AA) in hits, doubles and at bats, while ranking 7th in Southern League with .301 average...earned league and Class AA All-Star honors as a catcher by Baseball America, who also named him the top offensive catcher in the minor leagues.
1989
Split the year between West Palm (A) and Jacksonville (AA), earning Baseball America's tag as Montreal's 10th best overall prospect.
