After seven minor league season that covered 639 games, 2582 plate appearances and probably 300 or more cramped bus rides, long time Orioles minor league catcher Caleb Joseph was promoted to Baltimore today.
I wrote a piece last year about his trials so it’s great to see perseverance pay off. Joseph is being called up to serve as the back up to Steve Clevenger who will catch most of the games until Matt Wieters‘ elbow calms down.
There’s no telling how long he will be up, but the moment he steps onto that major league field for the first time will be a special moment for him. Although I try to stay impartial with players I’ve covered over the years, I’d be lying if I didn’t say I’m happy to see a good guy get a reward for all his hard work.
There’s been a few special guys over the years that I’ve secretly rooted for and Joseph is certainly one of them. I can remember when he had Brian Matusz and Zach Britton on his staff and they all talked about what it would be like in the big leagues. While Matusz and Britton have spent a good amount of time in the show, Joseph just kept digging away, catching the bullpen and helping the next pitching phenom get to the show, all the while never knowing if he would get that call.
Well today, he got the call!
Good luck Caleb, enjoy every minute of your big league time because you certainly deserve the promotion.