Grubb was also a member of the Detroit Tigers' 1984 World Series Championship team; the Tigers defeated his former team the San Diego Padres 4 games to 1. In his 16-year career, he posted a .278 batting average with 99 home runs, 475 RBI, and 553 runs scored. In the era since the designated hitter came into play (1973), he is the all-time leader among American League players when used as a pinch hitter batting for the #9 hitter in the line-up. He was released by the Detroit Tigers after a disappointing 1987 season, despite having arguably the best season of his career in 1986.