[2] His father, Curtis Sr., was a dean and physical education teacher at Nathan Hale Elementary School in Illinois.

Determined to complete his college education, though the fall semester began before the minor league season ended, Granderson made arrangements to begin his senior year at UIC via internet courses.

[12] Baseball America named Granderson the Tigers' minor league player of the year and top prospect after the 2004 season.

[13] Granderson competed for the role as the Tigers' starting center fielder in 2005 spring training, but the organization decided he needed more seasoning, and assigned him to the Toledo Mud Hens of the Class AAA International League.

[18] Granderson became the Tigers starting center fielder for the 2006 season after beating out Nook Logan for the position during spring training.

[25] He became the sixth member of baseball's 20–20–20 club on September 7, joining the Kansas City Royals' George Brett (1979), Willie Mays of the New York Giants (1957), Cleveland's Jeff Heath (1941), St. Louis' Jim Bottomley (1928), and Frank Schulte of the Chicago Cubs (1911).

Granderson stole his 20th base of the season on September 9, joining Mays and Schulte as the only players in major league history to reach 20 doubles, 20 triples, 20 home runs, and 20 stolen bases in a season, a feat accomplished by the Philadelphia Phillies' Jimmy Rollins 21 days later.

[28][29] He was one of only six batters in the AL to have at least 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases, along with teammate Gary Sheffield, Ian Kinsler, Alex Rodriguez, Grady Sizemore and B. J.

Prior to the start of the 2008 season, the Tigers signed Granderson to a five-year, $30.25 million contract with a club option for 2013.

[31] Granderson continued hitting well during the 2008 regular season, finishing with a .280 batting average, 13 triples and 22 home runs.

[33] With the Tigers failing to make the playoffs in 2007 and 2008, TBS employed Granderson as a commentator alongside Cal Ripken Jr., Dennis Eckersley and Frank Thomas for its coverage of the 2007 and 2008 postseasons.

In the deal, the Yankees received Granderson while sending Phil Coke and centerfielder Austin Jackson to Detroit.

[4] In August 2011, Granderson and Mark Teixeira became the first Yankees teammates to hit 30 home runs in 115 games since Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle in 1961.

[44] Granderson was named American League Player of the Month for August 2011, in which he batted .286, with a .423 on-base percentage, slugged .657, hit ten home runs, recorded 29 RBI, and scored 29 runs, and had the highest number of pitches per plate appearance in the major leagues (4.44).

On May 24, 2013, Granderson broke the knuckle of his left pinkie finger after getting hit by Tampa Bay's Cesar Ramos's pitch in the 5th inning.

Granderson agreed to terms with the New York Mets on a four-year contract worth $60 million on December 6, 2013.

Granderson and Daniel Murphy were the two most productive hitters in the Mets lineup during their 2015 postseason run to the World Series.

He became only the eighth player in Major League history to hit multiple home runs in extra innings of the same game.

[64] On August 18, 2017, the Mets traded Granderson to the Los Angeles Dodgers for a player to be named later, identified as Jacob Rhame.

[70] On April 18, facing the Kansas City Royals, Granderson hit his ninth career grand slam.

On April 24, Granderson hit his first walk-off home run since 2016 in a 10th inning victory against the Boston Red Sox.

On May 15, Granderson returned to Citi Field for the first time since he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers and went 1 for 4 with a single.

On June 10, against the Baltimore Orioles, Granderson hit for a career high six RBIs with a home run, two doubles, a single and a walk.

[71] On June 25, while playing the Houston Astros, Granderson hit his eighth and ninth home runs of the season off of former teammate Justin Verlander to lead the Jays to victory.

He considers The Ultimate Warrior, The Undertaker, Junkyard Dog and "Macho Man" Randy Savage to be his favorite wrestlers.

[85][86][87] In appreciation for his efforts, Commissioner Bud Selig penned a thank you letter to Granderson which read in part, "There are so many fine young men playing Major League baseball today, but I can think of no one who is better suited to represent our national pastime than you.

"[3] He has also served as something of an unofficial baseball ambassador to the African-American community, often participating in and initiating dialogue about the lack of Black players at all levels of the sport.

[88][89] When he endorsed Nike, Inc., Louisville Slugger and Rawlings, he asked them to donate money to his foundation or equipment to inner-city baseball programs rather than pay him.

[2] In February 2010, Granderson represented MLB at a White House function announcing Let's Move!, a childhood anti-obesity effort sponsored by First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama.

[4] Granderson was chosen as the 2009 Marvin Miller Man of the Year by the MLBPA for his off-field work, an award he won again in 2016, 2018 and 2019.