Worker Says Miller Park Accident Was Avoidable

Terry King, an ironworker on the Miller Park construction site, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that the project manager ignored his three warnings about lifting a 400-ton piece of roof July 14 that eventually killed three workers.

King said he confronted then-supervisor Victor Grotlisch with concerns about high wind and the uneven lift by the 567-foot crane. But King backed down when Grotlisch said the lift would proceed.

“I said, ‘Victor, someone’s going to get hurt,’ ” King said. “He said, ‘Like it or not, we’re flying it. I said, ‘All right, I’ll keep my mouth shut.’ ”

Minutes later, ironworkers Jeffrey Wischer, William DeGrave and Jerome Starr were killed when the crane collapsed on them.

A lawyer for Grotlisch and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries of America, the subcontractor in charge of building the retractable roof, questioned King’s story.

“From the day of the accident, there’s nothing in anything he’s told us that would support that he was alone with the ironworker,” lawyer Franklyn Gimbel said. “Based on my debriefings of Victor on several occasions, I think it’s a bogus story this person is advancing.”

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Baltimore Oriole first baseman Will Clark, who has not played since Aug. 13, will have surgery on his left elbow Thursday and is expected to be lost for the rest of the season.

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Houston left fielder Richard Hidalgo, on the disabled list since Aug. 9 because of a left knee injury, faces possible surgery to repair a congenital defect in his knee cap, according to Astro General Manager Gerry Hunsicker. . . . Oakland Athletic third baseman Eric Chavez will be out at least three weeks because of a torn muscle in his right foot. Chavez hurt his foot in Oakland’s 11-0 loss to Toronto on Friday. . . . The San Francisco Giants activated second baseman Jeff Kent, sidelined since Aug. 4 because of an injured toe, from the disabled list. . . . The Chicago Cubs activated outfielder Lance Johnson, sidelined since June 10 because of an abdominal injury, from the disabled list and optioned pitcher Kyle Farnsworth to triple-A Iowa.. . . . The Pittsburgh Pirates put two of their five starting pitchers, Todd Ritchie and Pete Schourek, on the disabled list and activated left-handers Jason Christiansen and Chris Peters.