1B Grant Richardson will be playing in his native northwest for the Sioux Falls (North Dakota) Canaries of the American Association this coming season (he'll be a teammate of former Brewer farmhands C Tim Marks and OF Ben Van Iderstine.) Just how did the promising first baseman miss all of 2006 after successful 2004-2005 seasons? At the age of 24, Richardson already knows how fleeting opportunities are in this game. In fact, one area of the field is a constant reminder. Back in 2006, between first and second, it all ended on one play. "I was trying to be a hero in a worthless spring training game," he said. "All my stuff was already shipped off to Florida (Brevard County). I just dove for a ball between first and second base. Kind of a weird deal, the shoulder popped out of place; 1-2 weeks turned into 2-4 weeks, which turned into surgery and a year down the drain." Richardson played independent ball in Texas in 2007, posting an .869 OPS in 92 games with Coastal Bend. About his Brewer release: "It's one of those things where they say, Thanks" and you say, "Thanks,'" Richardson said. "Really, there's a feeling in your gut you want to get back out there and prove they made a mistake by letting you go." By the way, Richardson was a 2007 teammate of former Brewer farmhand Will Lewis, who had his own legion of fans as well during his time in the Milwaukee chain.