Spring training leftovers for breakfast

SARASOTA, Fla. – Enrique Bradfield Jr. joined in the raucous celebration last night after Leandro Arias’ walk-off single in the Spring Breakout game. He embraced teammates as the crowd erupted in a way normally sparked by major league comebacks, and he was one of the last Orioles prospects to leave the field.

He was euphoric and destroyed. Overcome with joy and overwhelmed by sadness. Somehow, the young man held it together as these emotions collided.

Bradfield opened up to the media afterward about his childhood friend, 25-year-old Isaiah Hood, who died last week in a motorcycle accident. They grew up together, played travel ball, became more like brothers.

Asked to imagine how Isaiah would have reacted to last night’s dramatic win, Bradfield said, “I hope he’s happy. I hope he’s happy.”

“You know,” Bradfield continued, “I tried to be focused out there and my energy in that moment sliding across home plate specifically, it’s just, maybe some emotion comes out of me and that’s normal, you know? That’s life. Bad things happen. You have to pick yourself up and keep moving forward.

“We played together for a number of years. We played in every perfect game tournament, every travel ball summer, all those events. He was very talented. Tall, left-handed pitcher, could swing the bat, could run fast. Just a great person overall.” 

The Orioles had no way of knowing that Bradfield's inclusion again on the Spring Breakout roster would become therapeutic for him.

“For me to come out here, it meant a lot to me, personally,” said Bradfield, who singled twice, stole a base and scored two runs. “To be able to give my mom a hug and see how emotional she is, see my sister come out here. I played for my friend. It was tougher than I expected, but you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do, so I hope he’s resting up there.

“It’s been a tough week for everybody that I’ve been around - my family, my friends, his family. Playing with a heavy heart.” 

It didn’t show with the way Bradfield performed, the way that he flashed his 80-grade speed.

“I had a great time,” he said. “Just to be able to come out here with guys that I’ve been out on the field with before, guys that I haven’t been able to play with and just take this all in, it was a great night. Puts into perspective how gifted a lot of these guys are, how we all are, actually. It’s a game, but we have an opportunity to come out here and represent the organization, so we can’t take that lightly.”

Bradfield went first to third on an errant pickoff throw, with the Yankees unable to challenge him, and scored on a wild pitch. He was a blur on the bases.

“That guy runs way too much,” catcher Samuel Basallo quipped via interpreter Brandon Quinones. “He's way too fast. I think you see exactly what he was able to do in that first inning. Obviously, a close play. But it's really impressive what he's able to do.”

* Basallo, the No. 1 prospect whose days in camp are numbered, caught 18-year-old flame-thrower Keeler Morfe.

“Obviously, he's a really young guy,” Basallo said. “I think early on he was a little nervous, but at 18 years old, you see all the talent that he has. To be able to throw 100 mph at his age is incredible, and I think it's really cool to see what the Latin guys are able to do.

"I think it's the first one that I've seen like that. And it's not just how fast he throws, but how good his secondary pitches are as well.”

Standing close to Morfe for the first time, it’s apparent that he’s no longer 5 feet 8. He’s grown a few more inches.

Whatever his stature, he generates tremendous heat with his fastball. His size doesn’t matter.

“I’ve always been a pitcher,” he said. “I think from a very young age, I’ve always been able to throw hard. I think, mentally, that’s exactly what I want to do as well, so that helps.”

* A highlight from Thursday night’s game against the Twins was third baseman Coby Mayo charging a ground ball, making the barehand pickup and firing to Basallo at first base for the out.

It was an impressive play from the top two prospects in the system, and especially because Basallo’s stretch turned into a split. His flexibility stunned observers in the dugout.

“I think I pulled my groin on that,” said manager Brandon Hyde.

“You ever see a guy that size do that besides like Derrek Lee? Or a catcher? I’ve never seen anything like that in my life. I kind of held my breath and waited for him to get up. We all were kind of like, ‘Ow.’ I mean, oh my God.’ Even guys who played with him said they never knew he had that in him. That was incredibly athletic.”

Mayo started at first base yesterday and went 2-for-3 with a fly-ball double into shallow right-center field and an infield single to the left side. He had no chance to catch Gregory Soto’s bounced throw after the reliever fielded Ji Hwan Bae’s slow roller.

True to the Orioles’ word, Mayo hasn’t been evaluated in right field. They want to keep him cornered.

They also wanted him to stop pressing at the plate, and Mayo is 7-for-39 after a 1-for-23 start.

* Ramón Laureano played in his 11^th game yesterday and went 0-for-4 to leave him 5-for-27. He’s moving around the outfield, starting in center against the Pirates.

Laureano is being paid $4 million and will serve as a right-handed compliment to the left-handed hitting outfielders. He could get plenty of starts in center against southpaws. His exhibition numbers don’t change those plans.

“I love the energy he brings. The toughness, the energy,” Hyde said.

“A baseball player, loves to play. Wants to go on road trips. He just loves to play. I like the intensity with how he plays. He’s been a real pleasure to have in camp.”

* Vimael Machín started at third base yesterday in his team-leading 17^th spring training game.

Did anyone expect him to be ahead of the pack?

Machín is 14-for-33 (.424) with three doubles, a home run, eight RBIs, three walks and a 1.078 OPS. His 14 hits also rank first.

He could produce the most impressive stats on the club without breaking camp and heading north.

* Jud Fabian, the No. 23 prospect in the system who started in right field in the Spring Breakout game, has joined the team on multiple occasions since the Orioles reassigned him to minor league camp. He’s served as an extra on the roster and is able to gain knowledge from veteran outfielders.

Cedric Mullins, entering his eighth season in the majors, is an obvious target.

“I got to talk to Cedric two years ago when he came down to Bowie to rehab, and every time I see him I’ve been asking him questions, just kind of picking his brain on what he does every day at the plate and in the outfield,” Fabian said.

“He’s been a good resource for me.”