BY MISSY ZIELINSKI
Every season fielding a team for the Southern Maryland Blue
Crabs isn’t much different than piecing a puzzle together for the first time. The
question of who has the best curveball to who has the most fluid swing isn’t as
important as the question of what type of players can I and can I not afford?
For manager Patrick Osborn the question was especially difficult entering the
2013 season, as most of the faces on the Blue Crabs roster were faces he’d
never seen or heard of before.
Osborn, a relative newcomer to the coaching world after
previously playing with Southern Maryland just a few years earlier, had grown
accustom to the Jeremy Owens and Charlie Mannings of the Blue Crabs returning
to the team year after year. But this season he was faced with the challenge of
finding replacements for those players who just seemed irreplaceable.
“Finding players happens a few different ways,” said Osborn.
“I get recommendations for players from players I’ve had previously, player
agents are also a big resource. Mangers from other leagues will send me names,
players themselves will call or e-mail. I rarely get to see the prospective
players live; so all the evaluation comes from their career statistics.”
Not seeing the players live isn’t the only obstacle to stand
in Osborn’s way, as dealing with a limited player salary is also a hurdle he
must overcome. The question of salary brings up a touchy subject of which
player deserves what, but Osborn handles the question with poise.
“Basically each position on the field has a designated sum
of money attached to it,” said Osborn.
Pitching and the “power positions” (first base, third base,
left field, right field) were some of the roster spots Osborn mentioned as the
higher-valued areas on the diamond.
But it isn’t all about talent on the Blue Crabs however, as
character goes along way for the Southern Maryland manager.
“Being a good person is first and foremost,” said Osborn.
“It’s tough sometimes to know because I never get to meet these guys, I try to
do some research before I make an offer. They have to be able to compete too.”
From there it’s back to the coffee table where the puzzle
pieces lay spread out, but waiting for a perfect picture to develop.
This season the Blue Crabs have started off slow and are
still waiting for the pieces to fit together perfectly.
“We need to play better defense,” Osborn said. “We aren’t
hitting like we’re capable of, so we have to limit the chances of opposing
teams. If we can’t score runs, we have to find ways to limit the runs of
opponents.”
But for Osborn these weaknesses are all part of the process.
“Improvement is never-ending in baseball,” he said. “I’m
constantly looking at ways to put my team in a position to win games. I have to
make decisions based on the strengths of my teams.”
And while the time in between making these improvements
further mounts the pressure of Osborn as he attempts to clinch a playoff berth
for a fifth consecutive season, Osborn doesn’t agree. He just has to be “smart”
he says.
“We are all in the same boat. Some teams may have a few more
connections than we do, but hopefully guys enjoy playing here and the word
spreads.”
For every team in the Atlantic League the puzzle is different.
It consists of a guessing game with predictions that can only play out in front
of our eyes. With a fourth of the season down however, Osborn has managed his
pack of newbies into first place. If the Blue Crabs can hold out until the
All-Star break with the lead, one thing is guaranteed – their fifth consecutive
playoff berth out of their six-year existence.
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