Who is Brian Ward?

[BoltonBob]

Had the pleasure of meeting catcher Brian Ward's wife Nancy - 6 years married -and 2 girls OD in Sarasota. After 4 years @ small (3500 total students) Lewis-Clark State College, in Idaho, and 6 years pro service as an undrafted free agent, Ward is regarded as the best defensive catcher, by Baseball America and many others in the Baltimore Orioles' organization.

"Brian Ward is a major league catcher," said AAA Tides manager Ron Johnson, (a back-up catcher during his playing career) last August. I'm on board. He's a major league catcher. If he can get his offense together, this guy's going to play in the big leagues a long time," Johnson said. "I think he will anyway, just because he's so good behind the plate. And there's always a value for that."

Nancy and Brian, now 29, met in college. "Brian wasn't really into the academic part of college - mainly just playing baseball," she remembers. As, a junior, he was picked as the Most Valuable Player for the 2008 NAIA tournament, which Lewis-Clark won. He hit .444 (12-for-27) including 3-for-5 in the Championship game. In five games, Ward knocked in eight RBI, three home runs and a World-Series high five doubles. His highlight game came in the first Championship game against Lee. Smashing two home runs and going 3-for-5 with three RBI, Ward completed LCSC's comeback with the game-winning double in the ninth inning.

She and the girls Alexis and Haven, can often be seen in the fan area by the bullpen watching Dad. They are friends with the Hunter family. She works in the medical field and, off-season, he works in the day with his father's business to make ends meet. He works out at night to stay ready for spring,..... as $200-300 a week for six months minor league pay doesn't go far...... He served a 50 game before the 2012 suspension for a 2nd positive drug "abuse" test, but has put that behind him.

He loves spending time with his family and enjoying life. "The family is doing great," he said to the Norfolk beat writer last year. "I'm just enjoying watching them grow and seeing them learn new things. My oldest girl, (5), is loving gymnastics. She is just as competitive as her dad. My wife is real busy watching the girls and is always on the move with my youngest girl (3) I'm a lucky husband as my wife is a special lady and a tremendous mother.?

He worked his way up from short-season Aberdeen (2009) to high-Class A Frederick before two seasons with Double-A Bowie. But can he be a major league hitter? He hasn't made it yet. He's getting older and although it doesn't weigh heavily on his mind, he does think about it at times. A career .236 hitter coming into the season, he has shown flashes. Ward, arrived from Bowie to the Tides in late April 2014, hit .288 in May but just .162 in June. He improved to .209 in July despite an 0-for-18 slump.

Ward has enjoyed watching his former minor league teammates get their shine with the Orioles, "Manny is a winner and big game player." After Jonathan Schoop made Orioles history with a home run and three runs scored in his debut, Brian said he was "one of my favorites players I've played with" because of the attitude he brings to the game.

The catcher says the ability to call a game depends a lot on the quality of pitchers who are throwing that particular day. He's had the luxury of catching some solid pitchers in his career including Dylan Bundy, Oliver Drake, Mike Wright and others. And his batterymates notice. It's the norm for a Norfolk pitcher to rave, unprompted, about Brian after a strong outing. Moments after a recent seven-inning start, Tides right-hander Tyler Wilson was effusive about the job he did calling pitches against a team Wilson hadn't faced before.

"I threw it," Wilson said, "but that's about it."

Out of Santa Monica HS, his hometown, a scouting report described him as "a 4-tool catcher who profiles very well as a potential professional receiver. He's a strong and compact 5-10, 210 athlete with very short and quick actions both behind the plate and with the bat. You don't need to do much projection with Ward's defensive abilities. He shifts and receives the ball very comfortably in games and unleashed 3 pop times between 1.81 and 1.84 in the workouts. His arm strength is close to MLB average and his throws are accurate. At the plate, Ward has a slightly open stance with a nice controlled load and a short, quick swing that generates very good gap to gap power. It's a pro wood bat swing right now and Ward's approach is the type that's going to hit for a high average and rarely strikeout. He made solid contact on one filthy Raudel Alfonso slider that would have left most hitters flailing. This kid can really play and at the highest levels."

Brian Ward is a longshot to open with the team in April - he's not even on the 40 man roster at present. Kinda reminds me of Travis Driskill in 2001......

(from various sources)

[oriolesacox]

That was a cool read... Thanks

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[BoltonBob]

That was a cool read... Thanks

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Thanks.... Met the McFarland "clan" (Southside of Chicago party folks:2yay-thumb::2yay-thumb:) Thurs. nite - More later on TJ!

[Frobby]

What an effort! Brian sounds like an easy guy to root for.