Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, April 5, 1991 TAG: 9104050038
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RICK GANO ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: CHANDLER, ARIZ. LENGTH: Medium
Things didn't go according to plan. Parker was traded to California for Dante Bichette on March 14 and Stubbs suddenly found himself moved to first base, a familiar position.
"When they talked to me on the phone, they said, `We know you like to play first base, but we want you in right field right now,' and I said, `Fine no problem, at least I know where I'm playing,' " said Stubbs, the former slugger at Virginia Tech.
"I came to spring with the mind of playing right field. When they made the trade, we had to get Candy [Maldonado] in the lineup and [Paul] Molitor wasn't ready to play first yet, so they said Molitor will DH and you will play first and I said, `Fine.' It just took me a couple of days to get used to the infield again."
Stubbs played 75 games at first and 71 in the outfield last season with the Houston Astros as his career experienced a rebirth. He batted .261 with 23 home runs and 71 RBI.
This came on top of his final season with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1989, when he played only 69 games and had his season cut short by a knee injury.
"I had a manager [Art Howe] who gave me the chance to play and I had to prove what I could do and I did it," said Stubbs, who appeared in 146 games with the Astros. "He let me play, and the more I played the more comfortable I got and the better I hit the ball."
The Brewers were impressed enough to give him a three-year, $6 million contract.
"At age 30, we think he is still in the ascending part of his career," manager Tom Trebelhorn said. "Will it last three years? Who knows? We think he will be a good run-producer for this club."
Stubbs said he chose Milwaukee because he honestly thought the Brewers would have a chance of winning.
"It was not so much which offer was the best," Stubbs said. "I thought Milwaukee was only one or two players away from having the chance to win a division."
Some say the Brewers are a long way away from contending in the American League East. A good season from Stubbs is a must now that Parker's big bat is no longer in the lineup.
"That's not pressure. You just go out and play the game and hit it the way you can hit it," said Stubbs. "I hit it hard. I'm strong and I can hit it out and hit it all over the place."
Keywords:
BASEBALL
by CNB