The All-Foreign Amateur Orioles Team

[Frobby]

In honor of International Signings Day, I thought I’d try to name an all-foreign amateur Orioles team.   It’s not easy.  On the list, the first player listed is the best player at the position who played for the O’s (based on performance as an Oriole), regardless of who signed him originally.   The second player had to be signed initially by the O’s, and played for them.  I fudged a little on Puerto Rico, and counted Leo Gomez, who was signed before Puerto Rican players were part of the draft.  He’s not really foreign, of course.   

C - Elrod Hendricks, ______

1B - Renato Nunez, _____

2B - Roberto Alomar, Jonathan Schoop

3B - Melvin Mora, Leo Gomez

SS - Miguel Tejada, Pedro Florimon

LF - Andres Mora, Andres Mora

CF - Felix Pie, Eugene Kingsale

RF - Anthony Santander, _____

DH - Nelson Cruz, ______

RHSP - Dennis Martinez, Dennis Martinez

LHSP - Mike Cuellar, ______

RHRP - Armando Benitez, Armando Benitez

LHRP - Marcelino Lopez, _____

I didn’t count Luis Matos, who was drafted out of Puerto Rico.   

You can come up with a decent stable of RHP who the Orioles signed, but the cupboard is really bare on lefties.   And it’s pretty ridiculous that with all the foreign born catchers in the majors, the Orioles haven’t really signed one as an amateur who made the slightest noise in the majors.   Let’s hope Sammy Basallo ends that streak some day.

I could have gone with Javy Lopez or Ramon Hernandez as the C who we acquired as a pro, but Elrod had a much longer tenure here so I picked him.

Pedro Florimon barely played as an O, but at least he did, and had a decent career after that.   There’s really nobody else among home grown shortstops, though we’ve had many foreign-born shortstops we acquired as pros.   That’s also pretty pathetic.  

[RZNJ]

I assume they had to be signed as a foreign player.  Rafael Palmeiro was born in Cuba but signed as a U.S. college draftee.

[Snutchy]

Today I learned that Elrod Hendricks is from the Virgin Islands.

[Number5]

1 hour ago, Frobby said:

You can come up with a decent stable of RHP who the Orioles signed, but the cupboard is really bare on lefties.

Erik Bedard is foreign, although he was acquired in the draft.  Are Canadians considered as international players or are they always draft-eligible players?  Bedard went to college in the US.  Would he have been included in the draft if he hadn't?

[RZNJ]

1 minute ago, Number5 said:

Erik Bedard is foreign, although he was acquired in the draft.  Are Canadians considered as international players or are they always draft-eligible players?  Bedard went to college in the US.  Would he have been included in the draft if he hadn't?

Sure.  Adam Hall is Canadian and he was drafted as well but didn't go to school in the U.S.

[Number5]

1 minute ago, RZNJ said:

Sure.  Adam Hall is Canadian and he was drafted as well but didn't go to school in the U.S.

Thanks.  Now that I think about it, there is a Canadian team in MLB (previously two), so it makes sense that Canadians are considered domestic players.

[sportsfan8703]

Wei Yen Chen, Sidney Ponson, Miguel Gonzalez, Adam Loewen, Jorge Julio, Daniel Cabrera, Luis Ayala, Ramon Hernandez, Wellington Castillo, Tony Batista. 
 

Eduardo Rodriguez, 

[connja]

Be more fun to do a current list of foreign born players throughout the organization.

[now]

2 hours ago, connja said:

Be more fun to do a current list of foreign born players throughout the organization.

Exactly what I was thinking (and hoping to see in this thread). Or rather, to add to the past version, having a present and future version. How about, to get the ball rolling for the futures, starting with the top bonuses (reported today by Melewski):

C - Basallo

1B - 

2B - Prieto

3B - Sanchez

SS - Hernandez, Arias

LF - Gonzalez

CF - Tavera

RF - Feliciano, Sosa

DH - 

RHSP - 

LHSP - Ortiz

RHRP - 

LHRP - 

[justD]

On 1/15/2022 at 8:49 AM, Frobby said:

...The second player had to be signed initially by the O’s, and played for them.  ...

You can come up with a decent stable of RHP who the Orioles signed, but the cupboard is really bare on lefties.   And it’s pretty ridiculous that with all the foreign born catchers in the majors, the Orioles haven’t really signed one as an amateur who made the slightest noise in the majors.   Let’s hope Sammy Basallo ends that streak some day.

I could have gone with Javy Lopez or Ramon Hernandez as the C who we acquired as a pro, but Elrod had a much longer tenure here so I picked him.

Pedro Florimon barely played as an O, but at least he did, and had a decent career after that.   There’s really nobody else among home grown shortstops, though we’ve had many foreign-born shortstops we acquired as pros.   That’s also pretty pathetic.  

Erik Bedard? 

[Frobby]

1 hour ago, justD said:

Erik Bedard? 

I didn’t count anyone who was drafted, or played pro ball in Japan/Korea.   

[OriolesMagic83]

The list of foreign born players signed and developed by the O's is beyond pathetic.  No mystery why the O's have had a handful of winning seasons in the last 35 years.