He played in Major League Baseball from 1963 through 1981 for the Houston Colt .45s, New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Kansas City Royals.

[6] Grote attended Douglas MacArthur High School, where he played on the baseball team as a pitcher, catcher, and third baseman.

[7] After one season at Trinity University, Grote was signed as an amateur free agent by the Houston Colt .45s in 1962, and was assigned to play for their minor league affiliate, the San Antonio Bullets.

[5] At the age of 20, he made his major league debut with the Colt .45s on September 21, 1963 as a late-inning defensive replacement for John Bateman, and hit a sacrifice fly to score Bob Aspromonte in his only plate appearance.

[5] Grote was the Colts' catcher on April 23, when Ken Johnson became the first pitcher in major league history to lose a complete game no-hitter in nine innings.

[10] In 1965, the newly renamed Houston Astros remained unsettled behind the plate, with former All-Star Gus Triandos and prospect Ron Brand being added to the roster.

Grote spent the entire season with Houston's Triple-A Pacific Coast League affiliate, the Oklahoma City 89ers, where he batted .265 with eleven home runs.

[20][21] Grote finished the 1969 season with a .252 average and career-highs with six home runs and 40 RBIs, but it was his defensive skills that proved most valuable for the Mets.

[23] He was also credited with guiding a Mets young pitching staff that led the league in victories and shutouts and finished second in team earned run average.

Following a 4–1 loss in the series opener with Cy Young Award winner Seaver on the mound,[25] the Mets bounced back, winning the next four games to capture their first world championship.

[27] With Game Four tied, Grote doubled to start the tenth inning, then pinch runner Rod Gaspar scored the winning run when an errant throw hit J.C. Martin on the wrist.

[30][31] In 1972, Grote played in only 64 games due to injuries and in late September he had surgery to remove bone chips from his right elbow.

[5][36] Grote rebounded in 1975, posting a career-high .295 batting average in 119 games and led all National League catchers with a .995 fielding percentage.

[1][37] At Veterans Stadium on July 4, 1975, Grote stepped in as a pinch hitter against longtime teammate Tug McGraw, who had been traded to the Philadelphia Phillies during the off-season.

[40] During his two seasons with the Dodgers, he played part-time as a backup to Steve Yeager and appeared in two World Series against the New York Yankees.

[41] On June 3, at the age of 38, Grote went 3-for-4 with a grand slam, a double, and a stolen base, driving in a team-record seven runs.

On April 22, 1970, Grote set a major league record with 20 putouts in a game when Tom Seaver threw 19 strikeouts against the San Diego Padres.

[45] Grote called the pitches for some of the most outstanding pitchers of his era, including Tom Seaver, Jerry Koosman, Tug McGraw, Nolan Ryan, Tommy John, Don Sutton, and Dan Quisenberry.