Brandon Fahey, as the son of a major league baseball player and coach, lived for the game. And he lived in the game.
On the day of night games, Bill Fahey would take his son out to the park early and pitch to him, watching his son hit balls into the outfield bleachers. The elder Fahey was a catcher who played in the majors for the Washington Senators/Texas Rangers, San Diego Padres and Detroit Tigers, and was later a coach for the Giants while his son was young.
Years later, the Baltimore Orioles shortstop/second baseman still cherishes that memory. Called up two weeks ago for the first time from Triple-A Ottawa, Brandon Fahey, 25, arrived in town with a wide-eyed look on his face for a showdown with the Mariners April 30.
“I dreamed of playing Major League Baseball but now, I can?t believe it, you know? All you can do is work hard day in, day out and whatever happens, happens,” Fahey said.
Fahey is providing some very rangy defense at shortstop and second base, replacing injured stars Miguel Tejada and Brian Roberts depending on the situation. He singled in his first at bat and is hitting .222.
The Dallas native was caught off guard when he was pulled from a Lynx game and told he was headed for Baltimore.
“I had no clue,” he said. “Even if you think you will (make the majors) sometime in your career, when it actually happens, it?s like ?Oh my gosh,? you know?”
He wanted all of his family there. Sure enough, his mother and father booked flights to Baltimore to see their son replace Tejada in the field.
While he played a crucial role in shaping Fahey the player, Bill Fahey kept his advice to himself when they had dinner after Brandon?s debut.
“Growing up, he taught me a lot of stuff. I was around the game a lot with him. He hasn?t said a word about baseball the past couple of days,” Brandon Fahey said.
Orioles? manager Sam Perlozzo said Fahey?s debut was one to remember.
“He did a great job for us,” Perlozzo said. “It?s really to neat to see somebody come up like that and do well. He did well.”
THE FAHEY FILE
Hometown: Dallas
College: University of Texas
Did You know? Fahey was a member of the 2002 University of Texas? College World Series championship team. Before this season, he spent more than a year at Double-A Bowie and more than a year at Single-A at Frederick as well.
