Shorebird of the week 7-12-2007

On deck, Michael looks back to the dugout during a May game.
Michael Pierce is a catcher for the Shorebirds, this photo was taken prior to their July 7 game.

Catcher Michael Pierce gets the honors as my Shorebird of the Week. Michael’s shared time behind the plate this season with a former SotW, Victor Castillo, but this week it’s his turn to grace monoblogue.

A tough May and June had Michael’s average down to .219 after a decent start but lately Pierce has returned to the groove and pushed the average back up to .235 with a pretty decent .712 OPS mark (OPS stands for on base percentage + slugging percentage). Out of 32 hits this year, 13 are doubles and that really helps the slugging numbers. Hitting .235 won’t win him a batting title, but catchers usually don’t hit for high average anyway unless your name is Pudge Rodriguez. Nor was Michael selected as a hot prospect, instead he came to the Orioles as the 28th round selection in the 2006 draft out of Fresno Pacific University in his hometown.

In looking up his numbers, I noticed he had only a handful of at-bats last year in Aberdeen (just 2 hits in 22 at-bats) so in essence this is his first pro season and he’s done reasonably well for a guy most would dismiss as an “organization player”, one whose purpose is to fill out the low minor league rosters. But as long as he’s here and continues to get in the lineup his chance to move up in the Orioles chain still exists.

And I just like a guy who shares my name and my number from Little League days.

Author: Michael

It's me from my laptop computer.