Column by Scott German
As an avid baseball fan the one comment that grates on my nerves more than anything is that “baseball is boring.” Long ago I chose to ignore those lost and unfortunate souls that utter such remarks. Instead I simply begin speaking of how much is really happening when it appears as though nothing is happening.
Better yet, has anyone really tried hitting a round ball with a round bat? And oh, by the way, at the professional level that round ball is veering at your head at about 90 plus miles per hour and is dancing around as though on a yo-yo.
Boring? I think not!
Baseball is sport without a clock. Baseball is a game of stories. Baseball is a game of astronomical odds. Baseball is about never giving up, even when your career is heading nowhere. Which leads us to Baltimore Orioles catcher Caleb Joseph and his “story.”
A year ago at this time Joseph’s career was spiraling downward. Having spent five seasons in the minor leagues, Joseph was bouncing around the Baltimore Orioles’ minor league farm system, mainly between Double-A Bowie and Tripe A Norfolk.
Joseph, recently married, was making very little money and had diminishing hope of making it to The Show with Baltimore. And with good reason. The O’s catching duties rested squarely in the mitt of All-Star Matt Weiters and solid backup Steve Clevenger.
Joseph planned to make 2014 his last season in the professional ranks and go out into the world and find a real job. He was content on becoming just another guy that used to play professional baseball that most fans, even the most ardent fans such as myself, probably never heard of.
It was Joseph’s wife that convinced him to stay the course and continue his dream. One more year of minor leagues baseball and the poor food and long bus rides. One more year to impress the Orioles’ brass that he was indeed worthy of being called a major leaguer. In Joseph’s mind, he had paid his dues, coming up through the minor league ranks. He had even requested that the Orioles trade him to an organization that offered more of an opportunity to make it to the major leagues.
Then in May of last year, Matt Weiters went on the disabled list, eventually requiring season-ending Tommy John elbow surgery. Joseph got the call he’d long since been waiting on, Pack your bags and get to Baltimore. Only the call came with a hitch: Don’t pack too heavy, as we’re desperately seeking a trade to acquire a veteran catcher to fill Weiter’s all-star-caliber play.
But Joseph, finally making it to Charm City had different ideas. Not content on just being a stop-gap solution, he quickly became a solid catcher, both in handling Orioles’ pitchers as well as with the bat in his hand.
During a five-game stretch in August, Joseph homered in five consecutive games for the Orioles. He also became one of the American League’s most difficult catchers to steal against. Joseph as well gained the respect of the Orioles’ pitching staff as well as Manager Buck Showalter.
An improbable story that ended well, for now. Weiters is still on the disabled list, but will soon make his return to Baltimore and behind the plate. Caleb Joseph will be forced to give up his starting role, and battle someone, either Clevenger (a local product) or another minor leaguer waiting his chance, for the backup role.
But remember baseball has no clock, and an entire summer awaits for the Caleb Joseph story to be played out. For now it’s just fun to watch and to look around the field and look for other stories.
There are plenty of stories, trust me, that’s what first hooked me on the game more so than the stats. Looking for that player on the field you just can’t help but root for, no matter what color the uniform. In my opinion, it makes it a little more intriguing when the uniform colors are the Orioles orange and black!
Share
