masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgRight-hander Parker Bridwell has had a long road to the major leagues, but it ended for him today when he got his first callup to the major leagues to pitch out of the O’s bullpen.
An Orioles ninth-round pick in the 2010 draft, he’s thrown 646 career innings on the farm. Today he was added to the roster to provide a fresh bullpen arm. Last night, as the Triple-A Norfolk Tides were heading home from Durham, Bridwell got a call from his manager who was in the bus ahead of the player’s…

Right-hander Parker Bridwell has had a long road to the major leagues, but it ended for him today when he got his first callup to the major leagues to pitch out of the O’s bullpen.

An Orioles ninth-round pick in the 2010 draft, he’s thrown 646 career innings on the farm. Today he was added to the roster to provide a fresh bullpen arm. Last night, as the Triple-A Norfolk Tides were heading home from Durham, Bridwell got a call from his manager who was in the bus ahead of the player’s bus.

“RJ (Ron Johnson) called me,” Bridwell said. “He was on the first bus and I was on the one behind it. He told me and said ‘congratulations.’ Asked me if I had ever been to the big leagues before. Told him ‘no.’ (Mike) Yastrzemski and a couple other guys overheard me talking on the phone and kind of jumped on me and started congratulating me so that was pretty cool.

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“It’s very exciting to say the least. That is the best to say it. Lot of emotions right now. Been working my whole life for this, so pumped up.”

A starter throughout most of his minor league career after he returned from missing nearly two months with a broken rib earlier this season, Bridwell was moved to the bullpen. Bridwell, 25, went a combined 4-2 with a 4.13 ERA in 24 games (seven starts) between the Gulf Coast League Orioles (three games), short-season Single-A Aberdeen (two games), Double-A Bowie (18 games), and Triple-A Norfolk (one game) this season.

He was asked if he ever had doubts he could make the majors.

“No, never,” Bridwell said. “Or I wouldn’t be playing. If I had a doubt that I didn’t think one day I could make it, I wouldn’t have started. But it’s always good to have the reassurance of actually being here.”

Bridwell said his transition to the bullpen has been pretty seamless.

“It’s been somewhat easy,” Bridwell said. “I threw in the ‘pen in (the) Arizona (Fall League). Which, they kind of told me when I’d be throwing is the only difference, it’s a big difference. But I kind of like just not knowing when I have to get ready and having a faster paced tempo. I love it. The organization has brought young guys up and I’m fortunate and thankful for this opportunity.”