Brandon Snyder, 2011 Topps Diamond #213

I need baseball back soon. This has been one of the grayest, dampest, dreariest weeks in recent memory. I yearn for a warm June evening with a light breeze. As the sun sets over Camden Yards, I stroll down the Eutaw Street concourse and buy myself a cold beer. There's a comfortable buzz of voices and activity all around. None of this "pitch black at 5:00 PM" nonsense. No more "two dozen blog posts about Kyle Lohse" as a substitute for actual baseball news. I can stop twiddling my thumbs and waiting with bated breath for Dan Duquette to do something, anything. Maybe I'll even be able to find something to blog about without fishing about in such desperation. Yeah, that'll be something.

Brandon Snyder, 2011 Topps Allen and Ginter Mini #228

Congratulations and back-slaps to Brandon Snyder, who hit his first big league home run for the Rangers this afternoon. He never quite lived up to the expectations that the Orioles had when they chose him with the 13th overall pick in the 2005 amateur draft, but simply by making it to the majors he's beaten the odds. The 25-year-old first baseman and corner infielder has largely been a late-inning sub for Texas; today marks his fourth start in 25 games for the team. But he's managed to stay sharp, batting .357 (5-for-14) with a couple of walks. And here's a neat tidbit that I somehow missed before Baseball Reference clued me in: Brandon's father Brian pitched briefly for the Mariners (6.37 ERA in 35.1 IP in 1985) and Athletics (2 ER in 0.2 IP in 1989). So Snyder the younger can already claim that he's the most successful ballplayer in the family, no matter what twists and turns his career takes in the future.

Brandon Snyder, 2005 Bowman Draft Picks and Prospects #BDP94

Sometime in the next few days, the Orioles' #1 draft pick from 2005 should make his major league debut. Brandon Snyder won't have nearly the hype of Matt Wieters, Josh Bell, Brian Matusz, Chris Tillman, Jake Arrieta, or Nolan Reimold. (That's a lot of prospects, huh?) Snyder was drafted as a catcher out of high school, and was switched to first base during his six-season minor league apprenticeship. He didn't get to AA until last year, but it was worth the wait - he batted .343 with a .421 on-base percentage and .597 slugging in 58 games at Bowie before being bumped up to AAA Norfolk. While the Tides' Harbor Park is known for being tough on hitters, Brandon still didn't inspire any confidence with a .248/.316/.355 line in AAA last year and a .257/.324/.407 mark in 2010. He's not seen as having enough power to be an everyday first baseman in the majors (he topped out at 13 HR in 2008), but there's no harm in giving the guy a look.

I'll say this...I am happy for Brandon Snyder and I certainly have higher expectations for him than for Billy Rowell, who was drafted #1 a year after him and is still in Frederick. Eesh.

Brandon Snyder, 2008 Tristar Projections #200

First base prospect Brandon Snyder just got the news last Friday that he's headed back to the minor leagues to start the 2010 season. The good news for the Orioles' 2005 #1 draft pick is that he might not be there long, if he can hit more like he did in the first half of 2009 at AA Bowie (1.018 OPS) as opposed to his underwhelming second-half numbers at AAA Norfolk (.671 OPS). He's still 23 years old, his defense at first base drew raves in spring training, and Garrett Atkins isn't expected to have a lengthy stay in Baltimore.

Of course Brandon is bound for Norfolk, but I'm traveling to Salisbury, where he played for the Shorebirds in 2006 and 2007. Tomorrow I'm taking my first overnight trip for my job. While it may not be as remote as New Mexico or as exotic as Puerto Rico (to name a few of the locales where my coworkers have traveled on business in recent months), it's still kind of a refreshing break from routine to kick back in a spacious hotel room for an evening. It's too early to catch a Shorebirds game, but I'll try to enjoy the sights and sounds of this Eastern Shore outpost anyhow.