Tough lesson for prospect Gindl

Outfielder Logan Schafer and right-hander Amaury Rivas were all smiles on Saturday when they visited Miller Park to be honored as Milwaukee's Minor League player and pitcher of the year. The duo enjoyed a much happier end to the season than one of their Class A Brevard County teammates.

Brewers farm director Reid Nichols said Saturday that Caleb Gindl, an outstanding outfield prospect who missed the Florida State League playoffs because of a broken right hand, was not injured during his first at-bat of the regular-season finale but just after it. Gindl grounded into a double play and then punched a door leading to the clubhouse, suffering a non-displaced fracture.

The good news was that he led with his non-throwing hand. The very bad news was that Gindl was placed on the disabled list and missed the Manatees' first-round playoff series against Tampa.

"He said he didn't hit it hard, but it was enough," Nichols said. "He was really embarrassed about it. That team was such a cohesive unit and they supported each other so much that he felt really bad about it."

Gindl was upset, Nichols said, because he needed at least two hits in the game to bat .280 for the season, a personal goal. The outburst, Nichols said, was out of character.

"He's not a hot-head," Nichols said. "I told him that we don't want him to change the fact that he's setting goals; we want him to have high ideals. What's important is how you deal with failing when you don't meet those goals. He knows it."

Even though he finished below .280 -- the double-play left him with a .277 average -- Gindl had a great season. He hit 17 home runs in an extremely pitcher-friendly park, second in the league, tied for second in the league with an .822 OPS and tied for fifth with 71 RBIs. He also stole 18 bases.
 
The Brewers picked Gindl in the fifth round of the 2007 Draft. He was rated the Brewers' 11th-best prospect in the most recent installment of the excellent Brewerfan.net's Power 50.