PHOENIX -- What he really wanted was a big league at-bat, but common sense said that was a bad idea for a star quarterback with a long-suffering franchise on his shoulders. So Baker Mayfield settled for a stint as the Brewers’ first-base coach.
The former Heisman Trophy winner, Cleveland Browns QB and pal of National League MVP Christian Yelich spent a second day in Milwaukee’s Spring Training camp on Saturday, when Mayfield found a spot on the top step of the dugout for the Brewers’ game against the Rockies at American Family Fields of Phoenix. In the fourth inning, he was handed a helmet and a stopwatch and sent to the first-base coach’s box.
“I thought they were kidding,” Mayfield said.
But the offer was legitimate, straight from the real first-base coach, Quintin Berry, a Brewers Minor League coach who was called into action on what was a split-squad day for the Brewers. So Mayfield took his position, and Mike Moustakas provided some action when he roped a double to right field. Mayfield waved him to second base.
Two innings later, when Moustakas hit a go-ahead, two-run home run off Rockies closer Wade Davis, Mayfield missed a high-five opportunity because Moustakas was chugging around first base. He met Moustakas at the dugout rail instead.
Was Mayfield provided an instruction before taking his position?
“Pay attention,” Mayfield said.
Onlookers were wondering what he was doing with the stopwatch.
“I was, too,” he said. “I have no idea.”
There was talk in the run-up to Mayfield’s visit about getting him a Cactus League at-bat. It would have been particularly fun since the Rockies pitcher, Jon Gray, was a fellow University of Oklahoma Sooner. The two have never met in person, but Gray’s photo is all over campus, Mayfield said.
Caution took over, however. With the Browns looking ahead at a promising season, Mayfield couldn’t risk getting hurt playing baseball.
“I think he wanted to,” said Yelich, “but that’s not the best idea. We can’t have anything happen. That could turn a fun trip into not such a good trip, you know what I mean? It’s just not worth it.
“We’ll never be able to go to Cleveland ever again if something happens. Cleveland might actually march on Milwaukee if something happens. It would just be a bad situation if something bad happened. We talked about it. In an ideal world, you would want it to happen, but it’s just not smart.”
Mayfield realized as much.
“I don’t think the Browns would be too happy about that,” he said.
Missed opportunity, said Gray.
"I would love to throw to Baker. That would be awesome,” Gray said. “You know what? Let's make that happen someday. … It feels like a challenge now."
Did he get to meet Mayfield on Saturday?
"I didn't get the chance to meet him. I really didn't,” Gray said. “It's a shame because I love the player that he is. He's really exciting and was great for the university. All my family and everything, they're huge Baker Mayfield fans. It was really cool seeing that happen today."
Mayfield was more active on the first day of his visit Friday, when Mayfield participated in sun ball drills with Yelich and the rest of the outfielders, then took batting practice.
“He’s a professional athlete, so he looks like a ballplayer,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. “He’s played plenty of baseball. We played a game [Friday] in batting practice, a points game, and he was in the final round. So he acquitted himself very well offensively, defensively, and in the clubhouse.”
Said Moustakas, who’s become friends with Mayfield through Yelich: “It was really cool having him out here in camp and just being around all the guys. Obviously, he brings a lot of energy and excitement to the NFL and the Browns organization, but it’s fun to have him in here messing around, taking BP and coaching first base. When you have other professional athletes coming in here, I think any time is a good time to have them here. There’s a life that they bring, seeing the work we put in and the work that they do, it’s pretty cool.”
Mayfield never got that at-bat, but said he enjoyed the experience. Before he departed, he signed a Browns jersey under the inscription, “Thanks for putting me in the show.”
“I always loved baseball, dreamed of playing it professionally,” Mayfield said. “You know what? Now I’m part of the Brewers. I love them.”