So where are the ’06 Shorebirds now?

One thing that’s quite fascinating about baseball as a business is the way the personnel shift around from season to season. Particularly in the minor leagues, it’s the goal of every player to get up to the next level and on up to the promised land of The Show.

And so it is with the 22 players I selected as Shorebird of the Week during 2006. Many have climbed the ladder to the next level, some are still toiling in a Delmarva uniform, a few have taken detours down their road to the Show, and there’s some who saw their chances at big league stardom extinguished.

Since the team is at a mid-season break I thought this was a good time to see how my personal flock was doing. So over the weekend I checked into where these players now pitch, hit, and field.

Many of my selections last year now call Frederick home as they advanced to the next level. Pitchers Josh Potter (my very first honoree), David Hernandez, Chorye Spoone, Brandon Erbe (my pick as Prospect of the Year); catcher Zack Dillon; infielders Mark Fleisher, Blake Davis, Jon Tucker, and last year’s Shorebird of the Year Ryan Finan; and outfielder Arturo Rivas all play for the Keys this season.

Three of the group remain with the Shorebirds. It’s year two in Delmarva for infielder Brandon Snyder, pitcher Brad Bergesen, and utility man Stu Musslewhite. All three are repeat SotW winners this season.

This leaves nine who are outside the Orioles organization. There were five who I could not locate on any roster, so it’s likely their careers are now over. The group includes Kyle Dahlberg, Juan Gutierrez, CJ Smith (he latched onto a Cardinals farm club after being released by the O’s but didn’t stick there either), fan favorite Quincy Ascencion, and Ryan Steinbach.

And the other four play on outside the Orioles organization. One signed on with a major league chain while the other three have gone the independent league route. 

Outfielder Lorenzo Scott actually moved up a notch with his new organization. Scott currently plays for the Jupiter Hammerheads of the Florida State League. That Florida Marlins affiliate is at the same level as Frederick.

Pitcher Trevor Caughey is playing for Kansas City. Not on the Royals, but the Northern League’s Kansas City T-Bones. You gotta like the name. I believe after his release from Delmarva last season, he went out there to conclude 2006 and was kept for this season too. Outfielder Jarod Rine plays his home games in a park I happened to visit last summer on my Ohio trip – he plays for the Washington (PA) WildThings of the Frontier League. A small park capacity wise but pretty nice to watch a game in. Both of these players were sent down from Frederick during 2006 so Delmarva proved to be their last chance to stay on the Orioles’ payroll.

But my favorite outside destination of all the 2006 SotY players was the team Vito Chiaravalotti signed with. Vito is probably wowing fans all over the Atlantic League with his majestic moonshots. He has ever-changing venues to do so because he plays on a team of the sort unique to independent leagues – the traveling team. In his case, the team is known as the Road Warriors and they’ll play each and every one of their games this season as the road team. The reason is that Vito’s Road Warriors were the team slated to play in Charles County, Maryland beginning this season but stadium construction was delayed. In order to maintain an even league schedule, the Road Warriors were resurrected for another year.

Thus, for many of my chosen players the dream lives on. One player that I didn’t get to pick as a Shorebird of the Week last year because he was called up prior to selection is relief pitcher Jim Hoey. Hoey eventually made it all the way up to the Orioles for a cup of coffee last September, and this week he’s back in their uniform as the O’s recalled him from Norfolk. There’s a decent chance that some other former Shorebirds I’ve watched over the last 2 1/2 seasons may follow him, maybe by this time next year. Indeed, they do live for this.

Author: Michael

It's me from my laptop computer.

3 thoughts on “So where are the ’06 Shorebirds now?”

  1. Just wanted to thank you for the coverage on the Shorebirds. It’s nice to see that someone else follows them and keeps up on things as I do. I moved back to the area (Millsboro) a few years ago, and I enjoy taking in games as often as I can.

    Thanks again,
    Jaime Sowers

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