Shorebird of the Week – August 26, 2010
It’s been a rough year for the Shorebirds, who are already destined to have a losing season this year and on the cusp of elimination from playoff contention. Nowhere has that been more evident than at the catcher’s position, where five (make that six as of tonight) players have moved through a revolving door for those wearing the “tools of ignorance.” Perhaps the most consistent player among the group, Justin Dalles had been sought after for several seasons before finally signing with the Orioles in 2009 as a sixth-round pick out of the University of South Carolina.
Yet Dalles has had a miserable season. It started with a memorable home plate encounter with Steven Souza of the Hagerstown Suns that literally knocked him out cold and landed him on the disabled list. A month later, another home plate collision left the opponent with a broken leg and Justin enduring another trip to the DL. Guys from Brooklyn are tough, but not quite superhuman enough to avoid injury from these violent encounters.
Through all this, Dalles has struggled at the plate, hitting only .208 at the moment after a decent start. However, he has hit 4 home runs in 48 games played, suggesting he has a little bit of power to go with the catching ability. It was ability highly sought, since he was drafted by the Mets in 2006 (15th round), St. Louis in 2007 (40th round), and Toronto in 2008 (26th round) before finally leaving USC for a pro career in 2009. Justin had a decent season with Aberdeen last year (.225/0/21 in the exact same 48 games) and perhaps the Orioles were expecting more out him of this season.
But with all the injuries and time off Dalles has endured, perhaps a more fair assessment will come from having a fresh start next year. It wouldn’t hurt the 21-year-old Dalles to begin a second campaign here in 2011 and hopefully avoid the maladies he’s fought through this year.
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