Central Michigan University Athletics
Dan Griesbaum Profile
4/27/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 27, 2004
By Pam Rose
Sports Information Assistant
Most athletes receive letters of intent to play sports at a college during their senior year in high school. This was not the case for Dan Griesbaum Jr. who received his letter of intent on the day he was born from former head coach Dave Keilitz.
The unique story behind this is that Dan's father, Dan Griesbaum Sr., is a Central Michigan University alum who was MVP of CMU's baseball team in 1975 and was coached by Keilitz. When Keilitz heard that Dan was expecting a boy, he sent the letter to be delivered on the day Dan was born.
Seventeen years later, Dan received his second letter-of-intent from Central Michigan University. "It's at home in a case right next to the real letter of intent I received my senior year of high school," said Griesbaum. "I guess you could say I was earmarked to go here."
That wasn't the only reason Dan became a Chippewa. He credits his parents for picking CMU.
"It had always been in the back of my mind to go here, but the selling point for me was my parents," said Griesbaum. "They both went here and talked about how great the baseball program was."
Over the past four years, Dan has acquired the role on the team as the designated hitter, a position that he has gotten used to over the past four seasons.
"After being a pitcher in high school and being part of almost every play in the game, it was different to become a pinch hitter and only be involved in 5 to 15 pitches a game," explained Griesbaum. "It's a role that I have learned to enjoy because unlike other positions I have to be ready to go in at anytime. I've gotten used to it and like the unique challenge of it."
It seems like he has gotten used the role considering he had the second-highest batting average last year at .324 and closed the season with a 12-game hitting streak.
Wrapping up his senior year at CMU, Dan says that what he will miss the most are his teammates.
"We probably have had as many or more good moments off the field or more as we have had on the field," said Griesbaum. "It's like always having 25-30 best friends around you."
With graduation just a few weeks away, Dan says that he wants to continue in the sports field, hopefully, working in professional sports marketing. Griesbaum is a 3.67 student majoring in marketing and logistics.
"Last summer, I worked in corporate sales for the Detroit Tigers and I loved going to Comerica Park everyday," said Griesbaum. "Growing up, I went to Tigers games all the time and to actually work for them everyday was a great experience."
