Remember how outfielder Gabe Gross was the story of Dunedin in the spring of 2005?
He had the most homers of any hitter in camp, yet the question was: Would he or would he not make the Blue Jays?
Gross made the 25-man roster, but only until left-hander Ted Lilly was activated.
The Jays were right not to be fooled by home runs in the spring, as Montreal Expos manager Bill Virdon used to call them.
Gross, a one-time No. 1 pick, was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers Dec. 7, along with another former No. 1 pick, Zack Jackson, and right-hander David Bush for first baseman Lyle Overbay and minor-league righty Ty Taubenheim.
Gross made the Brewers as an extra outfielder and pinch hitter. He was 1-for-6 off the bench for the Jays, but he started 5-for-10 pinch-hitting for the Brewers, including three homers and nine RBIs.
By the 15th game of the season, Gross was only one shy of the club record of four pinch-hit homers in a season, set by Bob Hamelin in 1998.
Gross hit a two-run homer against the Pittsburgh Pirates in a 7-5 win April 5, hit a three-run shot April 17 in an 8-7 loss to the Houston Astros and hit a two-run homer the next day in a 13-12 loss to Houston.
HITTING .409
Including two starts, Gross was hitting .409 with four homers and 10 RBIs going into a game last night against the Atlanta Braves.