masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgNORFOLK, Va. – Today is a homecoming for Orioles third baseman Mark Reynolds. He lived in the Norfolk/Virginia Beach area up until he left to play in college at the University of Virginia. He attended First Colonial High, which is 17 miles from Harbor Park.

“It feels good (to come home),” Reynolds said. “I was telling those guys earlier, I’ve never played here before. I used to come to games here, so it is a pretty cool experience to be back here playing.

“I was never a specific team’s…NORFOLK, Va. – Today is a homecoming for Orioles third baseman Mark Reynolds. He lived in the Norfolk/Virginia Beach area up until he left to play in college at the University of Virginia. He attended First Colonial High, which is 17 miles from Harbor Park.

“It feels good (to come home),” Reynolds said. “I was telling those guys earlier, I’ve never played here before. I used to come to games here, so it is a pretty cool experience to be back here playing.

“I was never a specific team’s fan. I remember going to old Met Park across the street when they were the Tidewater Tides and then they built this place. We would come check games out and try to chase down foul balls and just have fun at the ballpark.”

Reynolds will have quite a rooting section today.

“I think I have around maybe 100 or so on the pass list,” he said.

Since he knows the area, Reynolds bought about 150 barbecue sandwiches from a place named Doumar’s to feed his teammates today.

As fas as the upcoming season is concerned, Reynolds is feeling good about the Orioles right now.

“I think our offense is going to be good,” he said. “I think our mindset is good coming into the season. We’ve got a lot of unproven guys on the staff, but they definitely have the talent and the ability to be very good. They have to get over that hump and know they can pitch here and know that they can compete and we’ll be all right.”