Watch Adley's teammates assist in his big callup moment
Adley Rutschman, the No. 1 prospect in baseball, has been called up to the Majors. And you need to see how he got the news.
"It was unbelievable," Rutschman said Saturday afternoon, recounting the moment. "It's really what it's all about. It's just the the people that you have around you, the teammates that you have, and the people who are able to share those moments with you. That makes everything that much better."
It began with Rutschman getting what appears to be a pep talk from his Triple-A Norfolk manager, Buck Britton, after the young catcher had asked why he didn’t play in Friday’s game. Britton tells the Orioles’ homegrown star that the team is just trying to manage his workload after he caught three consecutive games.
He then tells Rutschman that the way he has handled all of the hype surrounding him has been “super impressive” and that he shouldn’t feel like he needs to do more than what is necessary.
“We’re not looking for a hero. Be Adley Rutschman,” Britton says in the clip. “Because the regular Adley Rutschman is plenty, especially when you’re going to Camden Yards and you’re going to play in the big leagues for the first time.”
That’s the cue.
As a smirk appears across Rutschman’s face, he is suddenly mobbed by his Tides teammates who have been waiting in the hallway. Loud shouts of “Let’s go!” fill the room. Someone says, “It’s time.”
It most certainly is.
"They sold it pretty good, because we were watching the Orioles game in the locker room after the game and they were in extra innings," Rutschman said. "We were sitting there for like an hour and a half after the game, just watching the Orioles play. I thought, if at any time it would have been, it would have been pretty quick after the game. But they waited awhile afterwards. I didn't have too many suspicions."