Harry Harris/AP
NEW YORK — Jerry Grote, the catcher who helped transform the New York Mets from a perennial loser into the 1969 World Series champion, died Sunday. He was 81.
Grote had suffered from heart issues and died in Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute at St. David's Medical Center in Austin, Texas, Mets spokesman Jay Horwitz said. Grote had been scheduled for a procedure and died of respiratory failure during the procedure, Horwitz said.
A two-time All-Star, Grote played 16 major league seasons and batted .