At the plate, Garth Brooks goes hitless
Sunday, March 21, 1999. Denver Post.
Story by Story by Mike Klis

TUCSON - Garth Brooks is beginning to wonder if maybe baseball is his penance.

As a country singer, he has been as successful as any entertainer in U.S. music history, at least when counting by gross sales. As a baseball player, Brooks can't, ahem, buy a hit.

Remember when a Colorado Rockies player bats at Coors Field, his favorite song blares through the ballpark's surround-sound system as he's introduced? Brooks, 37, was asked to imagine that moment. What would he select? Thunder Rolls? Friends in Low Places? Papa Loved Mama?

"I don't know, but it would be something to do with talking to God, I'm sure,'' Brooks said. "He's wanting to prove something. I told my wife, "I know I sing, it's what I do. So if God's trying to show me that's what I do, I get it.' He doesn't want anything to fall.''

Playing for charity and kicks and because he can, the 220-pound left fielder had struck out only once in 10 official plate appearances but was still hitless as he stepped up to the plate for the San Diego Padres in the eighth inning of their spring game Saturday against the Colorado Rockies.

Facing reliever Dave Veres, Brooks again put the ball in play. But again the baseball gods would curse him, as his twohop grounder went right to first baseman Lenny Harris.

"I was probably more nervous pitching to him than anybody else,'' Veres said of Brooks. "If he gets a hit, I'm the first guy who gives up a hit to him. If I get him out, I'm supposed to.''

Brooks now is 0 for 10 officially. Counting four other exhibitions, he's 0 for 19.

"Nike came to ask me not to wear their stuff,'' Brooks said.

When it was announced that Brooks would play for the Padres this spring, a few old-school ballfolk thought he should stick to the stage and leave the ballfield to professionals. The grumblings have since evolved into general managers calling the Padres and begging them to help ticket sales by bringing Brooks on the trip.

Though late by an hour because he mistakenly went to Tucson Electric Park and got caught up signing autographs, Brooks' appearance at Hi Corbett Field attracted 7,719 fans, by far the Rockies' largest home gathering of the spring.

"That's the whole thing after spring training. The question I have to ask myself is, am I being invited to a farm club to sell tickets or play baseball?'' said Brooks, who signed for every fan who asked after the Padres beat the Rockies, 9-4. "I'll make that decision myself.''

It was the idea of raising money for underprivileged children that led Brooks to baseball this spring. His original plan was to stick around for two weeks, raise awareness for his Touch 'Em All Foundation (which is organized by Denver's Bo Mitchell) and go back on his high-energy music tour.

"But I talked about it with the players, and I got the impression that I shouldn't walk out,'' Brooks said. "So we'll this thing through, and we'll see what happens at the end of spring training.''

Kevin Towers, the Padres' general manager, said he will invite Brooks to play for a minor-league club. If Brooks accepts, he'll be applauded by Rockies star Larry Walker, for one. Some might remember that Walker broke his collarbone three years ago running into the center-field wall. More people would recall that in that same summer of '96, Brooks played three nights in Denver.

While the Rockies were out of town that weekend, Brooks and his band played ball at Coors Field. Walker was there with his left shoulder in a sling and his right shoulder throwing batting practice to Garth and the boys. Walker also gave one of his No. 33 jerseys to Brooks, and in return was left tickets for that night's show.

"He had an Avalanche jersey on for the first half, and then he took that off on the stage and he had my jersey on underneath,'' said Walker, one of the first players to pledge a donation to Brooks' foundation. "It was one of the greatest moments of my life.''

One of the hardest-working entertainers in the music business, Brooks played most of his hits that night. But despite an impressive work ethic that has earned the respect of his temporary San Diego teammates, Brooks still is praying for his first hit in the Arizona desert.

The hardest part about the game of baseball?

"Patience,'' he said. "It's a marathon, not a sprint. Never been my philosophy.''