A lot of people want to see Adam Greenberg get an at bat in the bigs - MLB

Adam Greenberg made his major league debut for the Chicago Cubs in 2005. In his first trip to the plate he was hit in the head and suffered a severe, major league career-ending concussion and positional vertigo.

Though he came back and played in the Cubs, Dodgers, Royals and Angels organizations — and while he has taken his hacks in indy ball — a man named Matt Liston has started a push to get the Cubs to give Greenberg another chance at a major league at bat:

Sports activist Matt Liston, a diehard Chicago Cubs fan, has rallied more than 10,000 people who have signed a Change.org petition calling on the Cubs to give former player Adam Greenberg one more opportunity to bat in a Cubs uniform … “For anyone who’s ever dreamed of playing professional sports — Adam was there and had his dream taken from him with one pitch,” said Liston. “As a lifelong baseball fanatic, I want to see Adam get the at bat he deserved after working so hard in college and the minor leagues to pursue a career in Major League Baseball.”

I am sympathetic to the impulse, and it’s sad that Greenberg was never able to make it back. But there are a lot of guys who never even got Greenberg’s chance. And a lot of guys who, even if given the chance, also had their careers ended by bad luck and injury. Even if he’s never had an official at bat, he has had a plate appearance, and as everyone knows, that counts. And even if he gets one more shot, his real legacy is and always will be fighting for three years to make the bigs in the first place. Which is noble, honorable and is a far greater success than almost every other person who has played organized baseball.

I won’t mind if the Cubs give him another shot, but even though it makes me something of a killjoy, I don’t know why Greenberg should get it when no one else gets it. And I don’t know what it accomplishes.

BALTIMORE — The Baltimore Orioles signed outfielder Aaron Hicks less than 24 hours after Cedric Mullins went down with a strained right groin.

Mullins went on the 10-day injured list, but the Orioles are hoping Hicks can help defensively in the spacious outfield at Camden Yards. Hicks was released last week by the New York Yankees with more than 2 1/2 seasons left on his contract.

“We had noticed that he was a free agent even before the injury,” Orioles general manager Mike Elias said. “When the injury occurred and it became pretty clear this was going to be an IL, it seemed like a good fit even more so at that time.”

The Orioles are responsible for paying Hicks just $483,871, a prorated share of the $720,000 minimum salary. The Yankees owe him the rest of his $10.5 million salary this year, plus $9.5 million in each of the next two seasons and a $1 million buyout of a 2026 team option.

The 33-year-old Hicks hit just .188 in 28 games for the Yankees this year.

“We have stuff that we look at from a scouting and evaluation perspective,” Elias said. “It’s very different from just looking at the back of a baseball card, and we hope that we get a bounceback from anyone we bring here.”

Hicks batted .216 last season.

“Hopefully that’s a good thing for him,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said of the Baltimore deal. “A lot of time here and a lot of good things happened for him here. I know the last couple of years have been a struggle. But hopefully it’s a good opportunity for him and certainly wish him well. Not too well being in our division and a team we’re chasing, but hopefully it’s a really good fit for him.”

Mullins left a loss to Cleveland after he pulled up while running out an infield grounder. Outfielder Colton Cowser – the fifth pick in the draft two years ago – is hitting .331 at Triple-A Norfolk, but he went on the IL in the past couple weeks.

“Certainly he was building a case towards promotion consideration prior to his injury and prior to Cedric’s injury,” Elias said. “We’ll just see where we’re at.”

Hicks was active for the game but not in the starting lineup. Austin Hays, normally Baltimore’s left field, was in Mullins’ usual spot in center.

When the wall in left at Camden Yards was pushed significantly back before last season, it made left field a bigger challenge defensively.

“In this park … you really need two center fielders,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “Aaron’s got a lot of center-field experience. Played left field here before also. Brings the defensive aspect and then the switch-hitting.”