David Segui, 2003 Upper Deck #320

Nine years ago, I sat wearily in the left field upper reserve at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. It was the sixteenth inning of an Orioles-Phillies futility-fest, and David Segui faced Dan Plesac with the bases empty, two out, and the score tied 1-1, as it had been since the top of the third. Friday evening had given way to Saturday morning, and in my exhaustion and frustration I bellowed a mock-threat to the Orioles' injury-prone designated hitter, implying that I might kidnap his children if he failed to end the stalemate. Instead he foul-tipped a 2-2 offering into the waiting glove of Philly catcher Mike Lieberthal, and the visitors pulled it out in the seventeenth by way of Jason Bleeping Michaels' three-run homer off of Omar Daal. I will never forget the parties involved so long as I draw breath.

Because the world is (sometimes) small and (always) funny, and because it's only natural that we rely on previously-established connections to help us on our path in life, one of David Segui's offspring is now a member of the Baltimore Orioles organization. According to The Baltimore Sun's Dan Connolly, the O's signed 20-year-old infielder Cory Segui as an undrafted free agent. He played at the junior college level this past spring for the Scottsdale Community College Fighting Artichokes and worked out with his father's ex-teammate Brady Anderson. Connolly also reports that Cory's roommate at SCC was infielder James Boddicker, whose father Mike won 79 games as an Oriole in the 1980s. The younger Segui is making his pro debut for the Gulf Coast League O's today.

The capper to this story is David Segui's self-aware quote regarding his son's lack of a signing bonus: "I figured Peter (Angelos) paid me enough, that's Cory's signing bonus right now. When I die, he's going to get some of it." David's candor is refreshing, even if it doesn't quite make up for the fact that he earned $145,077.72 per game played in his career-capping run with the Birds in 2001-2004.