Geoff Jenkins’ glorious, game-winning trot around the bases Wednesday night at Miller Park lasted only a few seconds, but that was long enough for him to ponder both the pain of the past few weeks and the possibility that he may be playing his final games in a Brewers uniform.
"I’d be lying if I didn’t say it’s on my mind," Jenkins said after his solo homer off left-handed reliever Tyler Johnson in the bottom of the ninth lifted the Brewers to a 1-0 victory over St. Louis.
"I know that Sunday could be my last game here (at Miller Park). It’s a weird feeling to think when all you’ve done is play on one team. You don’t know any different. All I know is putting on the Brewer uniform.
"It’s been a great time here. I don’t know what’s going to happen. It’s kind of out of my hands a little bit. For me, I’m just going to enjoy the time I have the last 10 games I have left and do the best I can out there."
After struggling mightily in the first four months of the season, Jenkins was benched in August as the Brewers decided to give at-bats to Corey Hart and Gabe Gross. Injuries to Gross and Laynce Nix created opportunity for Jenkins, who has responded by hitting .477 (21 for 44) with six homers and 10 RBI in September. His homer Wednesday, the second "walkoff" shot of his career, was his second of the season against a left-handed pitcher. He's hitting .133 against them.
"He's swinging the bat, and he's hot," manager Ned Yost said of Jenkins, who has raised his average to .271. "I'm pleased he didn't bury his head in the sand. He didn't lie down or quit."
Recent hot streak aside, it seems likely that the team will try to trade Jenkins and his $7.5 million contract during the off-season. The late rally, coupled with Jenkins’ history of hard-nosed play, convinced two fans to carry a sign to the ballpark Wednesday. It said, simply: "Keep Jenkins."
"I know that over the nine years that I’ve been here, I know that just going out and working hard and hustling and doing the things that you do every day hopefully impresses the fans," Jenkins said. "I’ve got a big support group. It’s definitely nice when you see that from the fans. It’s pretty awesome. And, they get a baseball, too. I throw them a baseball."
Brewers rookie Carlos Villaneuva, a promising right-hander trying to earn a spot in the 2007 rotation, shut out St. Louis over seven impressive innings, then watched Chris Spurling and Francisco Cordero record the final six outs to set up Jenkins' homer, which came a half-inning after Corey Hart was picked off first with Jenkins at the plate.
"I’d be lying if I didn’t say it’s on my mind," Jenkins said after his solo homer off left-handed reliever Tyler Johnson in the bottom of the ninth lifted the Brewers to a 1-0 victory over St. Louis.
"I know that Sunday could be my last game here (at Miller Park). It’s a weird feeling to think when all you’ve done is play on one team. You don’t know any different. All I know is putting on the Brewer uniform.
"It’s been a great time here. I don’t know what’s going to happen. It’s kind of out of my hands a little bit. For me, I’m just going to enjoy the time I have the last 10 games I have left and do the best I can out there."
After struggling mightily in the first four months of the season, Jenkins was benched in August as the Brewers decided to give at-bats to Corey Hart and Gabe Gross. Injuries to Gross and Laynce Nix created opportunity for Jenkins, who has responded by hitting .477 (21 for 44) with six homers and 10 RBI in September. His homer Wednesday, the second "walkoff" shot of his career, was his second of the season against a left-handed pitcher. He's hitting .133 against them.
"He's swinging the bat, and he's hot," manager Ned Yost said of Jenkins, who has raised his average to .271. "I'm pleased he didn't bury his head in the sand. He didn't lie down or quit."
Recent hot streak aside, it seems likely that the team will try to trade Jenkins and his $7.5 million contract during the off-season. The late rally, coupled with Jenkins’ history of hard-nosed play, convinced two fans to carry a sign to the ballpark Wednesday. It said, simply: "Keep Jenkins."
"I know that over the nine years that I’ve been here, I know that just going out and working hard and hustling and doing the things that you do every day hopefully impresses the fans," Jenkins said. "I’ve got a big support group. It’s definitely nice when you see that from the fans. It’s pretty awesome. And, they get a baseball, too. I throw them a baseball."
Brewers rookie Carlos Villaneuva, a promising right-hander trying to earn a spot in the 2007 rotation, shut out St. Louis over seven impressive innings, then watched Chris Spurling and Francisco Cordero record the final six outs to set up Jenkins' homer, which came a half-inning after Corey Hart was picked off first with Jenkins at the plate.
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.
