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Baysox' Agamennone Proves He Can Come Home Again
By Dan Steinberg
When Brandon Agamennone was released by the Montreal Expos in late April, he considered moving about 4,000 miles from his childhood home to play professional baseball in Bologna, Italy. Three months later, the right-hander instead finds himself playing home games in Prince George's Stadium, a five-mile drive down Route 3 from the Crofton house in which he was raised.
The 1994 All-Met from Arundel High started the year with Class AAA Edmonton and was blindsided when the Expos told him they were "going in another direction." He instructed his agent to pursue a deal with the Baltimore Orioles while simultaneously making plans to acquire dual citizenship and compete in Italy.
But in less than three weeks, he had signed with Baltimore. After a short stint in extended spring training and two appearances with Class A Frederick, the 1998 University of Maryland graduate was promoted to Bowie on June 9. He moved in with his parents, who had relocated to Calvert County, and began playing home games in a park he had visited every few weeks during his college career.
His teammates playfully call him the "hometown hero," and the 27-year-old spot starter and long reliever has discovered scores of long-lost friends.
"People are coming out of the woodwork; I've seen people I hadn't seen since elementary school," said Agamennone, who requests between 25 and 50 tickets for most home games. Getting cut "was tough at first, but it worked out awesome to be able to come back home and play for the Orioles' organization."
Agamennone has a 1-1 record and a 2.15 ERA in 16 appearances, and while he still thinks about his future "every day," the present isn't too shabby.
"It must be nice to live at home," Bowie Manager Dave Trembley said wistfully. "The opportunity for him to be at home and pitch in front of his family and friends -- those opportunities don't come along very often in this business."
By Dan Steinberg
When Brandon Agamennone was released by the Montreal Expos in late April, he considered moving about 4,000 miles from his childhood home to play professional baseball in Bologna, Italy. Three months later, the right-hander instead finds himself playing home games in Prince George's Stadium, a five-mile drive down Route 3 from the Crofton house in which he was raised.
The 1994 All-Met from Arundel High started the year with Class AAA Edmonton and was blindsided when the Expos told him they were "going in another direction." He instructed his agent to pursue a deal with the Baltimore Orioles while simultaneously making plans to acquire dual citizenship and compete in Italy.
But in less than three weeks, he had signed with Baltimore. After a short stint in extended spring training and two appearances with Class A Frederick, the 1998 University of Maryland graduate was promoted to Bowie on June 9. He moved in with his parents, who had relocated to Calvert County, and began playing home games in a park he had visited every few weeks during his college career.
His teammates playfully call him the "hometown hero," and the 27-year-old spot starter and long reliever has discovered scores of long-lost friends.
"People are coming out of the woodwork; I've seen people I hadn't seen since elementary school," said Agamennone, who requests between 25 and 50 tickets for most home games. Getting cut "was tough at first, but it worked out awesome to be able to come back home and play for the Orioles' organization."
Agamennone has a 1-1 record and a 2.15 ERA in 16 appearances, and while he still thinks about his future "every day," the present isn't too shabby.
"It must be nice to live at home," Bowie Manager Dave Trembley said wistfully. "The opportunity for him to be at home and pitch in front of his family and friends -- those opportunities don't come along very often in this business."
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