Brewers sign Jim Edmonds to minor league deal

Posted on January 28, 2010

Jim Edmonds of the St. Louis Cardinals hits a home run during the NLCS playoffs against the San Francisco Giants at Pacific Bell Park in San Francisco, California in 2002. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

 

The Milwaukee Brewers have signed free agent outfielder Jim Edmonds to a minor league contract for 2010 according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Brewers GM Doug Melvin told the Milwaukee Journal that Edmonds will come to Spring Training with a chance to make the club as an extra outfielder. The deal will pay Edmonds less than $1 million if he makes the team.

Edmonds did not play at all in 2009 and split time between the Padres and Cubs in 2008. He got off to a horrible start with the Padres and they released him on May 9, 2008. He was signed by the Cubs on May 14, 2008 and had a nice little run in Chicago (see below) hitting 19 homers and driving in 49 runs in only 250 at bats.

I first photographed Edmonds in 1993 when he was playing for the Vancouver Canadians, the Angels AAA affiliate in the Pacific Coast League (see above). They were playing the Las Vegas Stars at Cashman Field in Las Vegas and Upper DEck sent me there to shoot some top prospects. I don’t remember much about the trip, other than it was REALLY HOT! Edmonds later put together some real nice runs in Anaheim and St. Louis where he displayed an amazing glove in center field where he earned 8 Gold Glove Awards throughout his career in both leagues.

Edmonds is a four-time All-Star is a career .284 hitter with 382 homers in his 16 big league seasons. He is one of the most stylish ballplayers I have ever photographed. He was so cool the way he would pose in the left-handed batters box after he homered (see above). I loved how he would lift his right leg high in the air as he rocked back on his back leg when he watched the ball sail out of the ballpark. Edmonds was always one of those guys who looked cool doing anything, even if he was just walking across the diamond. I hope I get a chance to shoot him in Maryvale in March as he tries to make the Brewers opening day roster. I will be rooting for Edmonds to make the club, just so I can shoot him a few more times.