2022 Maryland Bridegrooms

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2022 Items of Note

News, Notes & Comments


Jose Flores
With the retirements of 43-year old first baseman Greg Shepherd and 35-year old outfielder Jose Flores this off-season, the Maryland Bridegrooms still have 7 original members of the California Golden Eagles roster from 2013: 34-year old closer-turned-starter Artie Gregory, 34-year old closer Lyndon Shortt, 37-year old reliever Devin Lee, 39-year old second baseman Jorge Perez, 33-year old first baseman/outfielder Steve Pike, 34-year old catcher Jim Smith, and 36-year old first baseman Mike Brown.

A trio of young players who spent the bulk of last season with the AA Ocean City Crabpots should be with the big club at the start of the season:


Jeremy Emery
Maryland has two traditions with their big prospects: either bring them up too early and expose them to injuries where they never fulfill their potentials, or trade them away so they can be stars for another club. In Jeremy Emery?s case it?s the former, as the just-turned-22-year old will be asked to be part of the Bridegrooms rotation at the start of the 2022 season. The #4 overall pick of the 2020 First-Year Player Draft, Emery rocketed through the organization last year after putting up an 11-1 record and 1.82 ERA in 12 starts for the Rookie League Redington Beach Panic. He finished the season with a 6-1 mark and 2.73 ERA in 9 starts for the AA Ocean City Crabpots. If the guy can stay healthy he should be a mainstay of the Maryland rotation for years to come.


Jeff Cahill
22-year old left fielder Jeff Cahill has consistently been ranked among the top prospects in the AFBL after being selected as a 17-year old out of high school in the 2016 First-Year Player Draft. He?s been able to hit the ball just fine during his years in the minors although the big-time power potential that scouts love in him has been slower to develop.


Jeff Wells
25-year old outfielder Jeff Wells, a Maryland native, looks set to win a job with the Bridegrooms in 2022. Drafted In the 3rd round of the 2019 First-Year Player Draft, Wells is an award-winning defensive center fielder who put up a .300/.373/.462 line with 7 HR, 28 RBI, 47 runs scored, and 14 stolen bases in 284 plate appearances with the AAA Annapolis Destroyers last season.

And finally, in 2021, the Maryland Bridegrooms management conducted focus-group research and open-voting from fans about a possible nickname change and re-branding of the club. The organization?s favored nickname of ?Panic? was trounced in multiple polls by ?Bacon Jackals? leaving the organization silent about the results. It remains to be seen if ?Bacon Jackals? will be the club?s new name, but just about everyone associated with the club feels it is time for the ?Bridegrooms? name to go. 

[Troyaof]

Always good. Let me know if you want to trade away prospects for ML ready guys. Sounds like you are getting close.

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MARYLAND BRIDEGROOMS PLAYER PROFILE:
MIKE BROWN


Mike Brown

#25 Mike Brown, 1B, 36, 6?0?, 220 lbs., B: R, T: R

Mike Brown has been named the first captain in the history of the Maryland Bridegrooms heading into the 2022 season. The former catcher, who won the Frontier League?s Best Defender Award in 2013 & 2015 before Maryland became Maryland and moved to the Patriot League, was converted to first base at the beginning of the 2016 season to clear a lineup spot for Willie Patton (who now plays for the New Mexico Danger).   

Brown was a 5th Round pick of the California Golden Eagles in the AFBL Inaugural Draft (71st overall). He will turn 37 during the season.

He leads the club in games played (1,310 which is 9th all-time in AFBL history), at-bats (4,393), runs (513), hits (1,080), total bases (1,863), doubles (190), home runs (187), RBI (571), and strikeouts (849).

This should be an interesting year for Brown, who starts it on the 10-day Disabled List with a strained quadriceps. With Scotty Knox and Bobby Kodo fighting over playing time at first base, Brown may shift back into a catching platoon with Jeff Baker. Baker, who won the starting job from Jim Smith prior to last season, is a serviceable player who Maryland acquired in the Patton trade but he underwhelmed in his first full season leaving the door open for a possible return to behind the plate for Brown.

The corresponding roster move when Brown comes off the DL should tell all we need to know about Brown?s playing time in 2022: if it?s Jim Smith, Brown is going to be catching; if it?s Steve Pike, Brown will be back at first base.