Even hardcore Milwaukee baseball fans might not realize that Jason Grimsley -- the man at the center of the sport's latest, greatest controversy -- has a small tie to the Brewers.
Grimsley, a 38-year-old reliever who spent parts of 15 seasons in the big leagues, was released by Arizona on Wednesday, one day authorities revealed that Grimsley admitted to using human growth hormone, steroids and amphetamines and also implicated other players in the activity.
Although he never played for Milwaukee, Grimsley did spend most of the 1997 season with the team's Class AAA affiliate at the time, the Tucson Toros. Released by Detroit in spring training, Grimsley signed a free-agent contract with the Brewers on April 3. Playing alongside future Brewers like Geoff Jenkins, Brian Banks, Ronnie Belliard, Eddy Diaz, Tim Unroe, Sid Roberson, Jamie McAndrew, Mike Misuraca, Greg Hansell and Al Reyes, Grimsley worked in 36 games and posted a 5-10 record and 5.70 earned run average.
On July 29, the Brewers traded him to Kansas City for right-hander Jamie Brewington. Brewington didn't fare much better with the Toros. In six games, he was 1-3 with a 10.18 ERA. Brewington never pitched for the Brewers, either, but he did appear in 26 games for Cleveland in 2000.
Grimsley pitched for Cleveland in the mid 1990s and, until the developments this week, was best known for his role in what came to be known as "Batgate," the controversy that arose when Indians slugger Albert Belle's corked bat was confiscated by umpires during a game against Chicago on July 15, 1994.
During the game, Grimsley climbed through the false ceiling of the visitor's clubhouse at Comiskey Park, dropped into the umpire's room, retrieved Belle's bat and replaced it with one belonging to first baseman Paul Sorrento.
"Looking back, it might not have been the smart thing to do," Grimsley told the Chicago Sun-Times in 2000. "But, it seemed like a good thing at the time."
You wonder if he feels the same way about taking steroids.
Grimsley, a 38-year-old reliever who spent parts of 15 seasons in the big leagues, was released by Arizona on Wednesday, one day authorities revealed that Grimsley admitted to using human growth hormone, steroids and amphetamines and also implicated other players in the activity.
Although he never played for Milwaukee, Grimsley did spend most of the 1997 season with the team's Class AAA affiliate at the time, the Tucson Toros. Released by Detroit in spring training, Grimsley signed a free-agent contract with the Brewers on April 3. Playing alongside future Brewers like Geoff Jenkins, Brian Banks, Ronnie Belliard, Eddy Diaz, Tim Unroe, Sid Roberson, Jamie McAndrew, Mike Misuraca, Greg Hansell and Al Reyes, Grimsley worked in 36 games and posted a 5-10 record and 5.70 earned run average.
On July 29, the Brewers traded him to Kansas City for right-hander Jamie Brewington. Brewington didn't fare much better with the Toros. In six games, he was 1-3 with a 10.18 ERA. Brewington never pitched for the Brewers, either, but he did appear in 26 games for Cleveland in 2000.
Grimsley pitched for Cleveland in the mid 1990s and, until the developments this week, was best known for his role in what came to be known as "Batgate," the controversy that arose when Indians slugger Albert Belle's corked bat was confiscated by umpires during a game against Chicago on July 15, 1994.
During the game, Grimsley climbed through the false ceiling of the visitor's clubhouse at Comiskey Park, dropped into the umpire's room, retrieved Belle's bat and replaced it with one belonging to first baseman Paul Sorrento.
"Looking back, it might not have been the smart thing to do," Grimsley told the Chicago Sun-Times in 2000. "But, it seemed like a good thing at the time."
You wonder if he feels the same way about taking steroids.
Host of “The Drew Olson Show,” which airs 1-3 p.m. weekdays on The Big 902. Sidekick on “The Mike Heller Show,” airing weekdays on The Big 920 and a statewide network including stations in Madison, Appleton and Wausau. Co-author of Bill Schroeder’s “If These Walls Could Talk: Milwaukee Brewers” on Triumph Books. Co-host of “Big 12 Sports Saturday,” which airs Saturdays during football season on WISN-12. Former senior editor at OnMilwaukee.com. Former reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
