Adam Greenberg got his first career at-bat Tuesday night for the Miami Marlins, a pinch-hit strikeout in three pitches against R.A. Dickey of the New York Mets.
Greenberg's story is well-known by now. On the first pitch of his first career plate appearance in 2005, he was hit in the head by Florida Marlins pitcher Valerio de los Santos. He suffered a concussion and was immediately removed from the game. He never made it back to the major leagues, instead lingering among various minor-league clubs and an independent-league team.
Greenberg pinch-hit for left fielder Bryan Petersen to lead off the bottom of the sixth at Marlins Park, where the Marlins led 2-0. Dickey's first knuckleball was called a strike. Greenberg swung and missed at the second pitch, a knuckleball in the strike zone. He struck out on a high knuckleball clocked at 80 miles per hour.
Among those in attendance was Fred Van Dusen, who was — and now again is — the only other player in major league history to be hit by a pitch in his only plate appearance. Van Dusen's sole plate appearance was in 1955 for the Philadelphia Phillies.