The Shorebird of the Week Hall of Fame will have a multi-player induction class in 2011.
Tomorrow Zach Britton will take the ball for the Orioles as they wrap up their opening series in Tampa. His fate was the subject of much debate amongst fans because of a rule which allowed the Orioles an extra year of control over him if he had stayed in the minors beyond April 21. But when Brian Matusz cut short a throwing workout yesterday, it was learned he had strained his intercostal muscle and will require a trip to the disabled list, so the Britton era in Baltimore will begin tomorrow.
Britton was my Shorebird of the Week back on August 7, 2008. He’s the first 2008 season honoree to make the jump to the Show, but not the first to make it this season.
It may have been little noticed except to hardcore baseball fans, but a couple former Oriole farmhands were lost to the Rule 5 Draft over the winter – a special draft where players who have played in the minor leagues a certain amount of time but not placed on the team’s 40 man roster have an opportunity to be scooped up by another team in return for a cash consideration. The stipulation is that the player must remain on a team’s roster for the full season or be returned to the original team for half the price paid.
While pitcher Pat Egan was returned by the Milwaukee Brewers after a stint in their camp, the other major league Rule 5 pick from the Orioles indeed made his team. Pedro Beato pitched yesterday evening for the Mets, thus becoming SotWHoF member number four and the initial member of the Class of 2011. He was a Shorebird of the Week on May 10, 2007 and is the third player honored that season to crack a big league roster. Pedro is also the first to debut as a non-Orioles player, although fellow SotWHoF member David Hernandez is now property of the Arizona Diamondbacks after the Mark Reynolds trade.
In the meantime, I’ll begin working on the 2011 crop of Shorebird of the Week honorees on Thursday. It will be a bit more difficult because of my work schedule, but I’m working on making the posts better than ever.