It has been over 7 years since Adam Greenberg strolled to the plate in Miami for the first time in his ever so short Major League career. He saw one pitch, and you could say he never really saw it.
That one pitch started and ended his Major League career as it hit him flush in the back of the helmet. Causing a concussion and the problems that can occur afterwards effectively ended his chance to ever take his place in a Major League batter’s box again.
Until Matt Liston came along. Liston, a filmmaker and passionate baseball fan, started a campaign to get Adam one more at bat with the team he started with, the Chicago Cubs. Over 26,000 people, including yours truly, signed an online petition to get Adam one more at bat.
The campaign was unsuccessful getting Adam an at bat with the Cubs, but in the end it was a huge success.
It was announced on Thursday that Adam will get one more at bat where it all began, in Miami. The Marlins have stepped up and are giving Adam a one day contract for next Tuesday October 2.
I’m excited that Adam will get his chance. Like so many others growing up my dream was to have an at bat in the majors, but like most I wasn’t good enough. Adam was, and he had it all taken away in one moment.
I think what makes this story so heartwarming and why I got behind it was Adam himself. He never complained. He never lobbied. He never said the Cubs or MLB owe him anything. He just went back to work. He played through the 2011 season in the minor leagues trying to get back to the big leagues. He kept working like so many others but his time past him by.
Adam isn’t doing it for the money. His one day pay will be donated to the Marlins Foundation, which will donate the money to the Sports Legacy Institute that studies the treatment and prevention of brain trauma in athletes.
I am glad the Marlins stepped up to do this. It shows some class and compassion from an organization as a whole, MLB, that can seem less than friendly at times.
I know I’ll be watching the Marlins play the Mets that day. I’m excited to see Greenberg get an at bat no matter what the outcome.
What do you think?
Below is the Today Show footage of the Marlins announcing the move with Greenberg and Liston in studio.
Also check out the OneAtBat.com video that Liston made to help spread the word.
You can also follow the One At Bat campaign on Twitter by searching for the hashtag #OneAtBat
This post was written by
Eric Bynum is Managing Editor here at Baseball de World and an ESL teacher in South Korea. He has played and/or written about baseball for the past 30 years and is an avid Atlanta Braves fan. Eric also writes for Braves Baseball World and for Call to the Pen.
