Gruber was born in Hamden, Connecticut, in December 1863. He began his professional baseball career at age 21, playing for the Hartford Babies of the Southern New England League. He compiled a 16-11 record and a remarkable 1.27 ERA in 241 innings pitched for the Babies. No records exist indicating where or whether Gruber pitched during the 1886 season.\n', '

Gruber spent most of the 1887 season with the Hartford Dark Blues of the Eastern League. He compiled a 21-7 record and 1.48 ERA in 255 innings for the Dark Blues.\n', '

After a second impressive season in the minors, Gruber was deemed ready for the major leagues. He made his major league debut on July 28, 1887, for the Detroit Wolverines of the National League. He appeared in seven games for the 1887 Detroit Wolverines, compiling a 4-3 record. His 2.74 ERA was the lowest on a team that won the National League pennant and went on to defeat the St. Louis Browns in the 1887 World Series. Gruber did not appear in any World Series games.\n', '

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