Adam Greenberg got his second chance to bat in the major leagues Tuesday – striking out on three pitches for the Miami Marlins, but getting a standing ovation from an appreciative Marlins Park crowd.
Greenberg, 31, signed a one-day contract to play for the Marlins earlier in the day, getting another taste of life in the big leagues seven years after he was hit in the head in his first at-bat with the Chicago Cubs.
Greenberg took New York Mets 20-game winner R.A. Dickey's first pitch for a strike, then swung at the next two and missed.
Greenberg's baseball career was cut short in 2005 when he was beaned by a Florida Marlins pitcher.
But he got another chance to make a lifelong dream come true Tuesday night.
"I'm overwhelmed with emotion and I’ve been able to enjoy every minute of this, and trying to separate the media and the attention from the task at hand, the fun is playing ball – and I want to show everyone that I can play,” he said at a news conference.
Ozzie Guillen: 'I Take the Blame 100 Percent'
Local
Greenberg said he never lost sight of his goal.
"I've never lost the dream and the desire to play Major League Baseball. I had it when I was a little kid,” he said. “And after 2005 when what happened, happened to me, I never lost that dream no matter how down I got."
He credited his wife and family with helping him get through the tough times. And Lindsey Greenberg said she was just as excited about his opportunity.
"We're absolutely happy about it, and overjoyed, and so grateful to the organization. They’ve been fantastic,” she said.
Adam Greenberg said he is hoping that his second-chance major league at-bat won’t be his last.
“This is the start of hopefully part two of my career – and that’s what I’m most grateful for,” he said.
