Adam Greenberg, who finally got his official MLB at bat on October 2, 2012 on a one-day contract with the Miami Marlins, has signed a minor league deal with the Baltimore Orioles.
In his one previous MLB plate appearance (which didn’t count as an official at bat) with the Chicago Cubs in the ninth inning on July 9, 2005, Greenberg — who was a highly regarded prospect — was hit in the head on the very first pitch by Marlins reliever Valerio de los Santos and never made it back to the big leagues until that night in Miami.
According to ESPN , the 2005 beaning was devastating to Greenberg’s health and his career: “He suffered a concussion that caused vision problems, vertigo and headaches lasting hours at a time, and it was nearly two years before he regained full health.”
Greenberg, 31, went to the MLB winter meetings this month and personally spoke with Orioles Manager Buck Showalter and other team officials about his desire to make a comeback. The Orioles ultimately offered him a Triple-A contract.
According to the Hartford Courant , Connecticut native Greenberg, a left-handed outfielder, had this to say about the opportunity with the Orioles organization:
“It’s beyond gratifying. I don’t want a handout, I don’t want a gift. All I want is the opportunity, and I’ve always proven, if you give me that shot, I will make the most of it.”
Greenberg played in the minors for several MLB teams and more recently in the Independent League. Earlier this year, he played for the Israeli team in the qualifying round of the World Baseball Classic.
