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Vina Still Out On Limb
March 26, 1999
Instead of enjoying his newfound status as the National League's best second baseman, Fernando Vina is troubled by trade talk.
So vexed is Vina that he's not so sure he can be happy if he doesn't get dealt away from Milwaukee soon.
"Uh ... you know ... I don't know if I could be super comfortable, you know what I mean?" the Brewers' All-Star second baseman said. "I'm just going to play and play hard the way I know how because I have no other options."
Vina, nicknamed "The Mayor" because he shakes everybody's hand and, yes, probably even kisses babies on his way in and out of ballparks, isn't his usual jovial self this spring.
Not after his winter of discontent.
Vina spent much of the offseason anxiously waiting to be dealt to a new club. At one point, he called Brewers general manager Sal Bando and told him to "pull the trigger" on a trade.
But one by one, the deals fell apart. Atlanta, Baltimore, Cleveland, the Mets, Toronto.
The Brewers insist they've never shopped Vina around, that he's simply the target of teams who come calling, especially because the Brewers have Mark Loretta and Ron Belliard waiting to replace him.
Vina's value skyrocketed after he set career highs in 10 categories last season, adding a .387 on-base percentage to go with his .986 fielding percentage.
Vina wanted to enter spring training with a commitment from the Brewers or another team, but so far he has neither.
"It's tough to be in limbo and that's the bottom line," Vina said. "I don't care if you work at McDonald's, you're a construction worker or you're a major league baseball player."
Last week, Vina's hopes were raised and wrecked again when the Cardinals released Carlos Baerga and sent a scout to see him play. He doubled twice on Monday but aggravated tendinitis in his right knee, which will keep him out of action at least until Saturday.
But then the Cardinals lost pitching ace Matt Morris for the season with an injured elbow, becoming reluctant to part with young right-handed pitchers Manny Aybar or Jose Jimenez.
"The ball's in the Cardinals' court," Bando said. "They might be trying to find another pitcher so they can make this deal."
Bando insists he'd rather not trade Vina, but he needs another right-handed starter because the only one he has now is Steve Woodard.
All of this uncertainty has left Vina without his usual pep.
"I always want to be happy and upbeat," Vina said. "It's just that so many things have gone on this whole winter. It's kind of tough to feel comfortable. It kind of puts you in a sour frame of mind. You can't walk around here in the clubhouse like you want."
Everybody's noticed.
"I think it's been a grind for him," manager Phil Garner said. "He's a little less than spry. But we didn't shop him around. Other teams look at us and they see our depth, too. I fear when we say we have other second basemen, Fernando looks at it as he's expendable. He's not. Defensively and offensively, there's not another second baseman in the National League who's better."
Both Garner and Bando say Vina shouldn't need a commitment or a pep talk.
"It's just part of the game. You've got to learn to live with it," Bando said. "I think it's been a distraction for him. Fernando's the type of guy whose emotions he wears on his sleeves. But I was not the one to banter his name out there, nor was I the guy that's trying to trade him. It's just that he's the guy that people ask for.
"I've said all along, I'd prefer not to trade him," Bando said.
If Vina's not traded, the Brewers hope he can at least reproduce his spectacular season if not his smile.
The New York Post
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