One of Adam Greenberg’s recent tries to play baseball on a major stage ended prematurely a few days ago when Team Israel bowed out one victory short of qualifying for next spring’s World Baseball Classic, but the outfielder had a major wish granted this very day when the Miami Marlins surprised the 31-year-old during a Today Show appearance that they will sign the Guilford, CT resident to a one day contract and give him his second major league plate appearance against the New York Mets on Tuesday.
Many fans are familiar with the heart-tugging story of Greenberg’s first major league game July 9, 2005 when as a Chicago Cubs pinch hitter the first pitch thrown struck him on the back of the head. Months of post-concussion syndrome, vertigo and severe headaches followed although the determined left-handed hitter came back to play in four major league farm systems as well as four seasons (’08-11) with the Bridgeport (CT) Bluefish for whom he stole 126 bases and set the Atlantic League team’s record for triples (28), mostly as a pesky leadoff hitter.
Bridgeport Manager Willie Upshaw, a longtime major league player and coach, called Greenberg “one of the hardest workers I have ever managed, and he has persevered through his setback to earn this chance.”