Find MASN on your cable or satellite provider.

Each time that Aberdeen second baseman Eric Perlozzo signs an autograph or turns his back, revealing the last name on his uniform, the questions come at him like a 95 mph fastball.

How's your dad? What's he doing these days? When's the last time you talked to him?

Sam Perlozzo is fine. He's the Seattle Mariners' third base coach. And Eric speaks to him every day or night, when they're not exchanging text messages.

Oh, by the way, Eric also is batting .295 in 36 games with the IronBirds, in only his second professional season after being chosen in the 35th round of the 2007 amateur draft. Also a worthy subject.

Eric is trying to make a name for himself, but he also loves his attachment to Sam, the former Orioles coach and manager. It's a terrific story, especially with Eric's emergence as a player. We already know about him being a son.

"People always ask and I'll say, 'Yeah, he's my dad," Eric said. "Everyone is really nice about it. They say that they really liked him. They've always been real nice about it."

Eric hit .247 at Bluefield last year and was a platoon player at the beginning of this season, but he has since emerged as a regular under new manager Gary Kendall, who came to Aberdeen from Single-A Delmarva.

"He's a baseball player," Kendall said. "A lot of people say that about a lot of guys, but he's a guy who really has the strongest idea of how to play the game, and he's determined to get better. If you break down his tools, they don't jump out at you, but he makes all the routine plays. He's very self-made in fundamentals. He doesn't throw to the wrong base or make the wrong decision. It's like having a coach out there. He has such a good feel for the game. He's a low-ball hitter. He hangs with the breaking ball and has the ability to hit the other way. He doesn't get doubled off on line drives.

"I'm just really lucky to have him. I can't say enough good things about how he's playing and the impact he's made on this ballclub. He's a joy to have and I'm so happy for him."

So is scout Dean Albany, who signed the 5-foot-9 Perlozzo and brings many of the same observations as Kendall.

"He's a great kid," Albany said. "He's a coach's son, so he knows the nuances of the game. He's a heady player, and he knows that he's going to have to earn every inning he gets. He's a typical coach's son. He plays hard every inning of every game. If you had a kid, you'd want him to be just like Eric."

Sam isn't about to give him up. Unfortunately, his duties with the Mariners have prevented him from watching Eric play this season. He hoped to sneak away during the All-Star break, but the IronBirds were off one day and on the road another.

"He's doing pretty good without me," Sam said with a chuckle. "I don't think I need to screw it up."

Sam and Eric had one of their most important conversations on June 18, 2007, when Perlozzo was fired as Orioles' manager and replaced by bullpen coach Dave Trembley. Eric was about to report to Bluefield. Now he was torn between his desire to fulfill a life-long dream, and his loyalty to his father.

"You're going to be disappointed, but I had to go out and do my job," Eric said. "I always wanted to play baseball. And I don't have any hard feelings toward them. I'm always going to go out and do my job and play hard every day. And I knew he'd find something else because he's such a good baseball man. It could have been a distraction, but it's hard enough to play this game even when you don't have any distractions. I'm part of the Orioles and I did what I had to do."

And Sam wouldn't have it any other way.

"I did talk to him and he was disappointed. He was hurt," Sam said. "What the heck. You're talking about a young kid who was just drafted, who went from the top of the pedestal by signing a pro contract to having his dad fired. That's a pretty good blow to anybody. But I told him, 'Don't worry about me. I've been in the game a long time. This is about you now. You have a chance. Take me out of the equation and go do your job and have fun. And get to the big leagues as an Oriole.'

"It took him a little while. He was going to go out and bust his butt, but he was hurt. He had to go face players who said, 'Here's Eric and your dad just got fired.' He had to field those kinds of questions and get over that, but he did a pretty good job. I'm proud of him. I told him, 'I'm an Orioles fan. As long as you're with them, I'm an Orioles fan.' And I think he used a little of that as his motivation."

It's good for Eric to know that, even with his father on the opposite coast, he's never really that far away. And this realization was most important early in the season, when Eric grew frustrated by his irregular playing time.

"We talk every day, text, stuff like that," Sam said. "He's going through the same rigors that all kids go through. You do the best you can to keep him positive and on the right track, what's really happening and what isn't happening, and explain the ins and outs and the tough times and not-so-tough times. Baseball always has been a grind and always will be a grind. You'll have your good days and bad days, but he's shown me a lot so far this year.

"There are times when certain things get him down and we'll text message a lot and we talk about it. I tell him, 'This is a grind and you're going to have to work for everything you get. That's just the way it is. You're a middle infielder, you're not a home run hitter, you're a grinder kind of guy.' He's not an exceptional talent and there's no time for sitting back. I told him to get used to it. Quit complaining about it and get used to it. And he's been great. His attitude's been great.

"I said, 'Just work on getting your one a night. Just get your one.' I won't say he had doubts, but he was just a little concerned that he wasn't in there every day. Finally, he texted me back and said, 'I'm getting my one.' And then it went to, 'I'm in there again today, and I'm getting it early.' I've just been really proud of him. He's been busting his butt. He'll say, 'I'm not starting tonight but I'm going to keep doing everything I have to do.' He's that kind of player. I was that kind of player."

Two Perlozzos. One unbreakable bond.