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Sunday, July 22, 2007

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel: Gross gone, Spurling returns

[Gabe] Gross, who accumulated only 89 at-bats in 96 games, was sent to Nashville to make room on the roster for reliever Chris Spurling, who was reactivated after bereavement leave… “It’s beneficial to Gabe to get some at-bats,” manager Ned Yost said. “He just needs to play.”
...
Centerfielder Bill Hall, on the disabled list with an ankle sprain, is expected to be activated in the middle of the week.
...
Spurling said he went home to Cooper City, Fla., because his 1-year-old son, Logan, had a swimming pool accident in which his life was in jeopardy.

“It was the worst plane ride of my life,” said Spurling, who returned to action with a tough outing against the Giants (one-third inning, 3 hits, 2 walks and 5 runs). “When I got to the hospital, he was hooked up to a breathing machine. But he’s OK now. He’s out of the hospital and all the tests were good. He has no brain damage.”

Gross had a line of .202/.321/.382 in limited action…

NTNgod Posted: July 22, 2007 at 03:39 AM | 13 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: brewers

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1. Crispix Attacks Posted: July 22, 2007 at 03:45 AM (#2450290)

Gross has been on the major-league roster for the entire season and has only 89 at-bats? That's some EXTREMELY limited action.

Is he an end-of-game defensive replacement or pinchrunner, or does he just sit on the bench night after night?

2. Frisco Cali Posted: July 22, 2007 at 04:13 AM (#2450314)

He just sits on the bench night after night.
His sunflower seed skills are unprecedented.
Don't name your kid "Gabe".

3. Rear Admiral Piazza Posted: July 22, 2007 at 05:08 AM (#2450331)

Gabe actually also played football at Auburn. I can think of two other people in MLB at some point who fill that description; perhaps Gabe should play more?

4. BeanoCook Posted: July 22, 2007 at 05:27 AM (#2450339)

21 starts, 14 replacements/PHs. 89 is not as small as it seems for this point in the season for a 5th OF.

5. NTNgod Posted: July 22, 2007 at 06:33 AM (#2450351)

The game completely got away from the Brewers in the ninth when the Giants scored five runs, all charged to reliever Chris Spurling, who had just returned from bereavement leave after the near-drowning of his 1-year-old son, Logan.

"I thought I was ready to go and get past that, but I wasn't," Spurling said. "My focus wasn't 100% there. I apologize to my teammates. I hope they understand."

MIL Journal-Sentinel

6. Ozzie's gay friend Posted: July 22, 2007 at 07:41 AM (#2450363)

Frank Thomas and....

7. Russlan will never be fond of Jason Bay Posted: July 22, 2007 at 07:54 AM (#2450367)

Bo Jackson.

8. Walt Davis Posted: July 22, 2007 at 10:12 AM (#2450376)

14 replacements/PHs

Only 14 PH appearances? You're usually looking at 1-2 PH for the pitcher alone. Why wasn't he the top LH PH off the bench?

9. Russ Posted: July 22, 2007 at 12:52 PM (#2450389)

"I thought I was ready to go and get past that, but I wasn't,"

Who is this on... Spurling, the manager, or neither? If Spurling said he was ready, does that absolve the coach of blame? I would guess that Spurling would have trouble returning no matter what.

10. Jonk Posted: July 22, 2007 at 06:11 PM (#2450498)

Gross actually has 21 at-bats as a pinch-hitter this year. I'm not sure where the 14 figure comes from. Regardless, I don't know why he wasn't the top lefty PH off the bench. There's no good reason to have given him so few at-bats, especially when you PH for the pitcher once or twice a game (as Walt Davis points out).

11. NTNgod Posted: July 23, 2007 at 12:13 AM (#2451099)

Center fielder Bill Hall was at Miller Park on Sunday morning but was scheduled to be on an afternoon flight to Phoenix, where he will begin a Minor League rehabilitation assignment with the Rookie League Arizona Brewers on Monday. If all goes well, Hall will rejoin the Brewers on Wednesday night.

If that's the case, he will have missed 15 games. It has been a dramatic recovery considering the initial worry was that Hall would miss four to six weeks.

"I surprised myself a little bit," Hall said. "But I just kept working hard, done all the extra stuff they asked me to do to try to get back. So I surprised myself, yes, but I expected it as well."

Hall was told he will bat leadoff in both games to maximize his at-bats. He will play five or six innings Monday and the full game Tuesday.

"More than likely, I will be facing some Latin guy throwing 110," Hall joked. "And he'll have no idea where it's going."

MLB.com

12. Crispix Attacks Posted: July 23, 2007 at 12:27 AM (#2451109)

OMG BILL HALL IS A RACIST!

IN VINO VERITAS!

Seriously, please, nobody post a link to that. We don't need another one of those threads.

13. NTNgod Posted: July 23, 2007 at 12:29 AM (#2451111)

We don't need another one of those threads.

Especially since Bill Hall is one those people that is frequently mistakenly assumed to be a white guy.

("Another example of a racist white guy!"

"No, no - for the nth time, Bill Hall is a black guy, Khalil Greene is a blonde dude, Chip Ambres is black...")

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Sunday, July 22, 2007

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel: Gross gone, Spurling returns

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