July 2, 2007

Down on the farm: Baby birds bring out big bats

by Kiel McLaughlin, The Examiner

BALTIMORE (Map, News) - Maybe the power outage that has plagued the home team of Oriole Park at Camden Yards for the last few months can be remedied down on the farm. Way down on the farm.

Rookie League squad Bluefield has six batters batting over .300 so far this season. Third baseman Matthew Tucker has hit .441 to lead the team with outfielder Kraig Binick batting .410. The two have combined for 14 extra-base hits.

Both players hail from small college programs — Tucker is from Dallas Baptist University and Binick from New York Institute of Technology- and both players have shown power and consistency in the batters box. Their birth dates, however, are worth raising an eye brow.

Tucker will turn 23 before the season is over and Binick turned 22 earlier this year. Maturity allows these players to excel early in their careers in the low-minors, however, and the Orioles’ chose to select a majority of college players in this year’s First-Year Player Draft.

Former college players fill the majority of the Bluefield roster, as the team has the highest average age per player in the league. The team makeup is a polar opposite in comparison to the team’s composition last season when 17-year-old Billy Rowell was the biggest name in the line up.

KOLODNY STARTS IN GULF COAST: The Orioles 16th round selection, California third baseman Tyler Kolodny, played in his first professional game Wednesday for the Gulf Coast League Orioles.

The high school standout finished a double short of hitting for the cycle on a 4-for-6 night that included four RBIs. After going hitless in his second outing Thursday, Kolodny had three hits in four plate appearances Friday.

SHORTSTOP DAVIS PROMOTED TO BOWIE: One year out of Cal State Fullerton, shortstop Blake Davis moved onto his third stop in the Orioles’ farm system. Promoted to Bowie before Wednesday’s game against the Erie SeaWolves, Davis was placed in the second slot in the batting order.

It is the same spot in the lineup Davis batted with Delmarva during the first half of the season. One of two Shorebird representatives in the Carolina League All-Star Game, Davis was named the game’s Top Star.