Ryan Hubele has seen a number of pals make the jump from Bowie to the major leagues.
However, the 25-year-old catcher doesn?t get down when others get the call instead of him. In fact, when Baysox pitchers Chris Britton and Adam Loewen took the trip to Baltimore, Hubele smiled.
“A catcher takes pride in how pitchers are doing. And our guys have been doing a tremendous job,” Hubele said prior to catching Orioles right-hander Daniel Cabrera last week. “Hopefully that reflects a little bit on myself and Sandy [Madera],” another Bowie catcher.
Hubele has also seen former college and minor-league teammate Brandon Fahey make the leap to the majors.
“It?s tremendous. I?m so happy for him,” Hubele said. “The guy works tremendously hard; he?s just a baseball rat.”
With Hubele and Fahey on the roster, the 2002 Texas Longhorns won the NCAA College World Series.
Lately, the Orioles? eighth-round pick of the 2002 draft has been struggling with the bat for Bowie (25-31). He went hitless in two bats Sunday, and saw his average dip to .197.
“The fact that he?s not hitting right now is just a matter of a fundamental flaw in his swing,” Baysox manager Don Werner said. “He?s aware of it, and he?s working on it. It?s not a matter of him being overmatched by the pitching.”
While he is not a headline prospect, Hubele is definitely on the Orioles? map.
“He?s improved a lot. He made some great steps last year,” said Dave Stockstill, the Orioles Director of Minor League Operations.
Werner wants to see a good summer out of the catcher and has seen Hubele take major strides.
“If you had asked me a couple years ago if he could play in the majors, I would have said no,” Werner said. “Now, I say yes.”
Hubele?s greatest reward comes with helping Baysox pitchers.
“Help them get better, help them get to the big leagues, and hopefully someone at the top will see that maybe I?m a reflection of that,” Hubele said.
THE HUBELE FILE
Age: 25
Position: Catcher
College: Texas
Did you know? Last name is pronounced “HUGH-bull” ? Hubele made a brief appearance in Triple-A last year with a home run and eight RBI in 13 games with Ottawa ? Hubele?s Baysox teammate Beau Hale pitched for the University of Texas before the Orioles drafted him 14th overall in 2000 ? Former O?s farmhand Eric Sultemeier also played with Hubele at Texas ? Major-league pitchers Brad Halsey and Huston Street, both of the Oakland A?s, were Hubele?s Longhorn teammates ? Stockstill noted that Hubele played six positions for Texas.
