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Vina Airs Gripes With Garner
By Drew Olson of the Journal Sentinel Staff
May 31, 1999
One Milwaukee Brewers second baseman was in the spotlight. The other was in the doghouse. Rookie Ron Belliard started at second base Monday and hit a key home run as the Brewers defeated San Diego, 8-2.
Fernando Vina watched the game from the bench, an unexpected day off that was a byproduct of an argument between himself and the manager after the Brewers' 10-3 victory Sunday afternoon. Both Garner and Vina declined to specify the topic of their post-game discussion, which took place in the manager's office.
The situation has the potential to turn ugly. Asked if Vina would be in the lineup tonight for the series opener against Houston, Garner said: "We'll see."
Vina expects to be back in the leadoff spot.
"If they don't play me (Tuesday), they know what they need to do," he said. "I really don't want to say too much right now. But if I don't play, they know what they have to do."
Two theories about the dust-up circulated through the clubhouse Monday morning.
One held that Garner, who has instituted a series of cash fines to penalize players for mental mistakes, was angry at Vina for a base-running error and wanted to make an example of the second baseman.
The second theory, which seems more plausible, was that Vina was angry that Garner did not stand up for him after umpire Gerry Davis made some controversial strike calls, particularly during an at-bat in the fifth inning that ended in a swinging strikeout.
"We have a disagreement on some things that are baseball-related," Garner said. "That is why I didn't play Fernando today. This is an ideological misunderstanding. We've had a disagreement on certain things. There will be agreement on it. There has to be agreement on it."
Vina was 3 for 5 in the Sunday game and drove in three critical runs with singles in the sixth and eighth innings. He also made a base-running mistake in the bottom of the third. With the Brewers holding a 3-2 lead, Vina led off the inning with a double against lefty Sterling Hitchcock. The hit, Vina's first in 12 at-bats since coming off the disabled list Thursday afternoon, snapped a 0-for-20 slump for the second baseman.
But it didn't lead to a run.
Mark Loretta followed Vina with a ground ball to shortstop Chris Gomez. Vina broke a cardinal baseball rule by trying to advance to third on the play. He was thrown out, and a potential rally was squelched.
Although mental mistakes by Vina have raised Garner's ire in the past, Vina said the out at third base did not cause tempers to flare in the meeting.
"That really had nothing to do with it," he said. "That wasn't even brought up. Gar did not come after me and say, 'You did this and this and this.' I went in to ask him a question and it kind of led to things. We both got angry."
Garner and Vina have had arguments in the past about a variety of baseball matters, but they have always been able to reach an understanding.
"Fernando is a good kid," Garner said. "There are a lot of good things about him and I like him a lot. But this is something that has to be addressed. It has to."
The Brewers have been trying to address their situation at second base since the off-season, when efforts to trade Vina proved unsuccessful.
Vina, who represented the club in the All-Star Game last year, criticized management at that time and would welcome a trade to a contending team.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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