Tracking the Shorebirds 2011

Written on the day of the annual South Atlantic League All-Star Game that marks the season’s midway point, each year I mention this is one of my favorite posts to write. It got even more exciting when I found this site because now I know the baseball fate for all of the over 100 players I’ve selected over the last 5 1/2 seasons as Shorebird of the Week. It also makes it easier to organize this post!

Let’s start by going back to 2006, when I picked my initial crop of 22 Shorebirds of the Week.

Out of that group, eight are still active and I’ll pick up their story in a moment. As for the other fourteen, most didn’t progress beyond class-A ball and were released after playing with Delmarva or Frederick in their final season. A few latched on to independent league teams in the Can-Am League (1), Atlantic League (1), and Frontier League (2.) Trevor Caughey even traveled as far as Australia to keep playing last year. The inactive group includes my 2006 Shorebird of the Year, Ryan Finan, who last played at Bowie in 2008.

The eight honorees from 2006 who are still active are all over the baseball map. Three are on major league rosters: David Hernandez was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the Mark Reynolds deal, Brad Bergesen has bounced between Baltimore and Norfolk, starter and bullpen over the last three seasons, and Blake Davis was just called up on Friday to make his debut in The Show. Meanwhile, Brandon Snyder, who’s spent some time with the Orioles over the last two seasons, is back in Norfolk.

Two others have yet to crack the Orioles roster but are considered prospects to do so. Brandon Erbe, who I picked as my 2006 Prospect of the Year, is on Norfolk’s disabled list but also is on Baltimore’s 40-man roster, as is Chorye Spoone of Bowie.

That leaves two other active players. After being dropped by the Orioles organization Jon Tucker is now playing for Harrisburg, the AA affiliate of the Washington Nationals. Lorenzo Scott, Jr. spent several years in the Florida organization after they plucked him from the Orioles in the Rule 5 Draft. He also played briefly in the Mets chain and is now playing in the American Association for the Gary South Shore RailCats.

A group of 20 players made up the 2007 Shorebirds of the Week (two repeated from 2006.) Just seven of the 20 remain active.

Once again, most of the other thirteen inactives didn’t progress beyond class-A ball. As opposed to the 2006 group, only one of the 2007 crop eventually tried his luck in independent league ball, playing for a season in the Atlantic League. Notably, Chad Thall just voluntarily decided this month to hang up his spikes as a member of the Montgomery Biscuits of the Southern League, the AA team of the Tampa Bay Rays.

Active players from that 2007 group play everywhere from the bigs to the independents. Pedro Beato was taken by the New York Mets in the Rule 5 Draft and has been an integral part of their bullpen this season. Still with the Orioles and playing at Bowie are three of my 2007 choices: Billy Rowell, Tim Bascom, and Zach Clark; Miguel Abreu is now at Frederick.

The other two play against each other in the independent American Association: Brandon Tripp with the St. Paul Saints and my 2007 Shorebird of the Year Danny Figueroa with the Grand Prairie AirHogs. (Brad Bergesen, a repeat pick from 2006, was my 2007 Prospect of the Year.)

I had no repeat selections in 2008, so there were 22 players to track once again. And for the first time, the majority are active players and most others only wrapped up their playing days after last season. Again, most of that nine-player group didn’t advance past A ball while three played for a time with independent league teams. (I count Mick Mattaliano among the ‘inactive’ list simply because he was released by the Washington Wild Things of the Frontier League just a week ago.) Others played in the Northern or Atlantic Leagues last season but didn’t latch onto a team this time.

Two of that 2008 group have made it to the Orioles. Zach Britton has been one of the top rookie pitchers in the American League while Ryan Adams was just sent down after a cup of coffee in the bigs. (I definitely called Britton right as my Prospect of the Year for 2008.) Others are literally all through the Orioles organization: Matt Angle, Cole McCurry, and Tyler Henson with Norfolk; Pedro Florimon Jr. and Joe Mahoney with Bowie; Sean Gleason (my 2008 Shorebird of the Year) and Nate Nery with Frederick (Nery’s on their disabled list); and Luis Noel is back with Delmarva. Meanwhile, the oft-injured Tony Butler is back in organized ball, pitching for the Everett AquaSox in the Northwest League. (They are the rookie short-season Seattle Mariners affiliate.) I was happy to see that.

The other two are looking to catch back on with a big-league organization through independent league ball: John Mariotti with the Quebec Capitales of the Can-Am League and Matt Tucker with the Amarillo Sox of the American Association.

I had a record four repeaters in 2009, so the gaggle I’m following for that season is just 18 players. All but four are active, with three of those four not getting past class-A ball. Brent Allar was a minor league Rule 5 pick of the Florida Marlins but didn’t latch on with them, nor did the Orioles take him back after spring training.

The remainder all are still in the Orioles farm system. Kyle Hudson has broken into Norfolk’s lineup, but half the group is on Bowie’s roster: Richard Zagone, Ron Welty (my 2009 Shorebird of the Year), Eddie Gamboa (on rehab with Aberdeen), Xavier Avery, Greg Miclat, L.J. Hoes (my Prospect of the Year), and Brandon Cooney. One step up with Frederick are Oliver Drake, Ryan O’Shea, Nathan Moreau, Tyler Kolodny, and Jacob Julius.

Luis Bernardo is now a member of the Gulf Coast League Orioles, but the reason he’s regressed is a little different: after several seasons as a light-hitting catcher who progressed as high as Frederick this season, he’s attempting a new career as a pitcher. Maybe we’ll see him back in a Shorebirds jersey, but on the mound.

I broke my one year old record by having five repeat honorees last year, so it’s 17 players I’m following from a year ago. Needless to say, most are still active with Delmarva or Frederick.

  • With Frederick: Garabez Rosa, Ryan Berry (on DL), Josh Dowdy (on DL), Steve Bumbry, Kenny Moreland, 2010 Prospect of the Year Tyler Townsend (on DL), Bobby Bundy, and Nick Haughian.
  • Here at Delmarva: Mikey Planeta, Kieron Pope, Ryan Minor, Jesse Beal (on DL), Ty Kelly, and Justin Dalles.

James Brandhorst is pitching with Aberdeen.

The news hasn’t been so good for T.J. Baxter or Brian Conley, who I picked as my Shorebird of the Year for 2010. Baxter was let go by the Orioles after last season, tried to latch on with the Chicago Cubs system, and was cut after spring training. Conley started out the season here and I thought the Orioles would keep him around for a veteran presence; instead they moved him up to Frederick briefly then let him go. Conley didn’t quite set the record for release set by the hapless selectee who I think was waived literally the day after I picked him, but he was close.

As this process matures and the number of honorees grows, I can tell you that I will have a bumper crop of Shorebird of the Week Hall of Fame inductees this fall. The roster of three through 2010 explodes to at least seven this fall – and I wouldn’t be surprised to see double digits by the end of the season since the Orioles likely won’t be in the playoff hunt and several players may get their major league debut.

It’s something to watch in the second half; well, besides the chance for the Shorebirds to square off against Hickory in the SAL playoffs.

Author: Michael

It's me from my laptop computer.