NORFOLK — Harbor Park, it turns out, isn’t exactly what Colin Selby recalls from his youth. As his parents and other members of his extended baseball family worked the ballpark’s concession stands years ago to raise money for a team trip to Cooperstown, New York, the younger Selby marveled at the size of the venue. Now that it’s essentially his office, Selby is over it.
A native of Chesapeake who won a state title with Western Branch High in 2014 before starring for Division III Randolph-Macon College, the 26-year-old Selby is now working out of the Norfolk Tides’ bullpen. After stops with six minor league teams and two in the majors in three organizations, the workplaces blend together. “I remember when I was younger, I thought this place was a lot bigger,” Selby said.
“And you play in a couple different stadiums, and you come back and it’s the same size as all the other ones. But yeah, it’s been fun.” Selby, a soft-spoken right-hander with a curly red beard that would make any pirate proud, joined the Baltimore Orioles’ organization when he was traded by the Kansas City Royals for cash on July 11.
He entered Saturday’s game against Jacksonville with a 0-0 record, a 3.00 ERA and a save through three relief outings with Norfolk. For a parent club in search of bullpen help, Selby offers an intriguing level of experience.
Originally a 16th-round draft pick by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2018, Selby pitched in 21 major league games with Pittsburgh last se.