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3/15 Game Thread: Brewers host Angels

By Jeff Sackmann

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Gametime: 3:05 CT. Jeff Suppan vs. Ervin Santana.

The story of the day appears to be the return of Gabe Gross. I've talked recently about how its a good problem to have more solid players than we need, but if that means Gross goes to triple-A, it's a shame. The guy is a platoon monster. I think I might rather have him on the team as my lefty left fielder than Jenkins.

Here's the Gross story from the J-S, and here's the MLB version. They even have the same picture.

From the MLB notes column comes something totally unrelated:

Wednesday's game featured one of the more bizarre plays of the spring. Chicago's Eduardo Perez hit a three-run home run off Milwaukee starter Chris Capuano but strained his right calf and pulled up between first and second base. Andy Gonzalez entered as a pinch-runner and finished the circuit per Major League rule 5.10 (c), which says that, "if an accident to a runner is such as to prevent him from proceeding to a base to which he is entitled, as on a home run hit out of the playing field ... a substitute runner shall be permitted to complete the play."

A similar thing happened on Sept. 14, 2005. Boston's Gabe Kapler was chugging hard on a Graffanino line drive that cleared the fence at Toronto's Rogers Centre, and suffered an Achilles tendon injury between second and third base. Kapler was replaced by pinch-runner Alejandro Machado while Graffanino waited at second, and the Sox went on to win, 5-3.

A number of strange coincidences were in play Wednesday. Graffanino is now a Brewer, and Machado is a former Brewers Minor Leaguer. The Red Sox third base coach at the time was Dale Sveum, who is now the Brewers' bench coach. Kapler was only on base because of a two-out throwing error by Koskie, also now a Brewer. Rob Drake, who was the home plate umpire Wednesday, was on the crew that day in Toronto.

That would have to be really strange, to hit a home run then end up standing there waiting for a guy to get pinch run for. It would be even funnier if Graffanino had had a muscle tighten up while he waited, and then had to be pinch run for himself.

In other news, a couple of tidbits about former Brewers. The Padres released Mike Adams. I wouldn't mind bringing him back as triple-A depth, if only so we can trade him to the Mets for Aaron Sele or something mid-season. And here's a classic Fire Joe Morgan piece on Scott Podsednik. The highlight:

They told him to forget everything he does in the batter's box. Then they told him to stop trying to steal bases, because his career ~75% success rate means it's barely worth it. Then they told him to gain 40 pounds of muscle so he can hit some doubles. Then they told him to walk more. Then they just said, f*** it, this is taking too long, and traded him back to the Astros for Carlos Lee, and became a way better team.
Go Brewers!

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