Things got a lot brighter for pitcher Branden Kline when he was first called up to the majors — literally.
The Frederick-native made his major league debut for the Orioles in April when he was called up from Triple-A Norfolk to a doubleheader against the Minnesota Twins in Baltimore.
“Walking out to the field, the first thing I realized was just how bright the lights were,” Kline said. “Not like how everything just was so big and glamorous, just like legitimately, the lights were just so much brighter than they are at the minor league stadium.”
Kline, 27, was first selected by the Boston Red Sox in 2009 but did not sign, opting to go to the University of Virginia instead. The Orioles picked Kline in the second round of the 2012 MLB draft after his career with the Cavaliers.
“Everything about Charlottesville, I absolutely love,” Kline said. “I have a lot of close friends that I met there that I still keep in contact with that are still playing, and definitely, I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t have my three years at Virginia. So obviously a great academic school and equally as good of a baseball program”
Kline, who has jumped in and out of the minors league, said his biggest barrier to a major league career is consistency. He has a 6.37 ERA with the Orioles and a 7.80 ERA with Norfolk this season.
“I think the biggest reason why I’ve gone back and forth is obviously that I’m not consistent enough up here, which is why I’ve had to go back to Triple-A to try and work on that and refine some things,” Kline said.
• Rina Torchinsky can be reached at rtorchinsky@washingtontimes.com.
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