Fates swing for Counsell, Drew
Brian MacPherson
The Arizona Republic
July 16, 2006
The extra free time didn't come the way Craig Counsell would have liked, but with a fractured rib sidelining him for three to six weeks, he now knows he'll be present when his wife, Michelle, delivers the couple's third child in the coming days.
But he's not the only Diamondbacks shortstop experiencing a whirlwind of emotions this week.
The injury to Counsell hastened the arrival of rookie infielder Stephen Drew, one of the top prospects in the organization since Arizona made him the 15th overall selection in the 2004 draft, and Drew immediately found himself in the Diamondbacks lineup Saturday against Milwaukee.
"He's going to play," Arizona manager Bob Melvin said. "We wouldn't have him here if he wasn't going to be an everyday player. He'll get certain days off, but he's the shortstop right now."
Counsell "felt like somebody stuck a knife in my ribs" after a swing in the seventh inning of the Diamondbacks' win Friday.
He traced the injury back to a Jose Mesa plunking July 9 at Colorado - soreness in his ribs never disappeared during the All-Star break.
"I'm not a doctor, but there was something wrong," he said. "It was probably broken already."
With Counsell on the disabled list, the Diamondbacks promptly made a call to Tucson to summon Drew, who had been hitting .284 with 13 home runs at Triple-A.
The 23-year-old had participated in the Futures Game in Pittsburgh on July 9, the Triple-A All-Star Game in Toledo, Ohio, on Wednesday and joined his Tucson team in Las Vegas for a game Thursday.
When he received news of his promotion, the excitement didn't exactly keep him up all night.
"I've been to those two all-star games and I traveled to Vegas, so I knew I had to get some sleep," he said.
Before that, though, Drew woke up his parents in the wee hours back home in Valdosta, Ga., to share the good news. The family likely will travel to Phoenix to see Drew face his brother J.D. when the Dodgers come to town Monday.
He'll inspire in his parents the same sort of excitement Counsell will experience when he becomes a father for the third time.
"I'll be there for the birth of the child," Counsell said. "That's the silver lining of it." |
