Helmut Grun, pictured here enjoying the satisfaction that only a .383 average can give a hitter
Helmut Grun just may be the best player in the Johnson League these days. He's leading the league in avg (.383), WAR (2.2), and is second in OBP (.421), RC/27 (10.22). On top of that he's played second base almost two-thirds of the time and has been flawless in the field while covering enough ground at the position.
On May 5th, against Mexico City, Grun led off the bottom of the fifth inning with a single. Tom Rudge then hit a sharp ground ball to Aztecs second baseman Zhi-fu Huang, who threw to shortstop Ettan Cherakuri at second base. Grun slid in hard, was forced out, and came up in pain. "Excruciating pain," said Grun. "My foot felt like someone hit it with one of those mallets you see at carnivals, you know, the test your strength thing where you hit the bell? Except the bell was my foot."
He was taken out of the game, and the next day the diagnosis came. Fractured foot. Out five weeks. "Could have been worse, I suppose," mused Grun. "Could have ripped up my knee or something."
Luckily for the Hustlers, they had recently signed veteran Michael Pederzolli to a minor league deal. He signed a similar deal last year, was eventually brought up to the big league roster after destroying AAA pitching, and played a part in the Hustlers' second half success last year. He'll become the designated hitter against left-handers while providing power off the bench when not starting. With Grun out, the late spring signing of Abu Wamukota now looms large. He's turning back the clock thus far, slashing .306/.378/.398 in 98 at-bats, and will now get regular playing time in Grun's absence at first base. Carson Stauffer, back in his native Las Vegas, will see more time at second base and the Hustlers expect to recall 20-year old top prospect Randy Wright this week to play most of the time at second base. Having been sent back to Milwaukee mid-April due to a roster crunch, Wright clearly doesn't have much left to prove in the minors (.338/.402/.527/.929 in 74 at-bats with Milwaukee this year).
"We'll get through this," said manager Henry Rectenberg. "That's why we take so much time building minor league depth. At some point, you're going to need it."
