Brewers’ coach Jason Lane homered in an exhibition game
The weekend that bridges spring training to the regular season tends to be a little awkward.
Of course, there’s always an uneasy feeling about last-minute injuries, which unfortunately impacted the Arizona Diamondbacks and A.J. Pollock. Then there are the odd games in odd locations that sometimes don’t make geographical sense. Some teams seem to have firm plans, such as the Blue Jays, who make annual trips now to Montreal for two exhibition games, while others seem stuck in limbo.
[Sign up for Fantasy Baseball | Play for $40K | Expert rankings | Mock draft ]
Take the Phillies for example. They killed time this weekend playing their future selves in an exhibition series at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies won, by the way, but only because they couldn’t lose.
The Milwaukee Brewers were another team that went the minor league route, scheduling an exhibition game against the Biloxi Shuckers, their Double-A affiliate, on Saturday afternoon. And it was during that game that perhaps the strangest moment of an awkward weekend occurred.
Brewers assistant hitting coach Jason Lane, a former major league outfielder who later converted to pitcher, was actually called upon to pinch hit during the game. But not only that, he took advantage of his opportunity by launching a home run.
Yes, absolutely. Score one for Jason Lane.
It’s interesting too. While never a true impact player at the plate, Lane has been pretty good with his timing. As you might recall, he also homered during two different games in two different seasons that were filmed for the movie “Boyhood.” As a result, he’s also kind of a movie star to go along with his baseball accolades.
[Ranking all 30 MLB opening day starting pitchers]
Here’s another little fun twist too. Both of those home runs came against the Brewers, so they’ve seen him at his offensive best. No wonder they want him working with their hitters.
Though it seems his playing days are behind, Lane might have something left in the tank at age 39. Who knows, if the rebuilding Brewers really need someone in a pinch this season, maybe they can activate the coach. He’s versatile, to be sure, and the clutch factor might be exactly what they need.
More MLB coverage from Yahoo Sports:
– – – – – – –
Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813
