We just had an update on the European players in Major League Spring Training, but Thursday was a special day for European Baseball.
Alex Liddi: Italian third baseman Alex Liddi again hit a grand slam for the Seattle Mariners, his second in two days. It came against the Los Angeles Angels, initiating a seven-run rally in the fifth. Even though it is still spring training, two grand slams on consecutive days are able to create a few headlines. MLB.com’s Greg Johns featured the 22-year-old from San Remo in a story.
Kai Gronauer: A few minutes earlier and a few miles towards East, German catcher Kai Gronauer also hit a homerun in a Spring Training game. It was a three-run shot for him in his lone at-bat as a defensive replacement in the New York Mets game against the Florida Marlins in Jupiter. It was his first homerun and first hit in three Grapefruit League at-bats over three appearances this spring. We’ll see if this will be enough to earn him a start at catcher through the rest of the exhibition schedule.