Jonathan Lucroy's time as a member of the Milwaukee Brewers would have ended Sunday if the catcher hadn't used his partial no-trade clause to nix a move to the Cleveland Indians.
With the trade deadline approaching Monday, the 30-year-old's chances of staying with the team for the rest of the season are slim, so when he stepped to the plate in the eighth inning Sunday as a pinch hitter against the Pittsburgh Pirates, he received quite a reception from the 32,405 in attendance at Miller Park.
"The fans here are awesome," Lucroy told Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, later joking that it'll be an "awkward rest of (the) season" if he isn't traded. "They've always treated me great."
Lucroy, drafted by the Brewers in 2007, has spent his entire seven-year career with the club, amassing 79 home runs, 387 RBIs, and a 111 OPS+.
"I was happy he got to have that moment for the fans and with the fans," said Ryan Braun, another trade candidate. "One of (the) best players in franchise history."
(Video courtesy: MLB.com)
