Ryan Flaherty had been bouncing around the Minors for a few years before 2011 -- when he was selected by the Orioles as their pick in the Rule 5 Draft. The infielder had put together a fairly solid pro career and the O's were happy to have him at 2012 Spring Training, saying, "He had a real chance to compete at the Major League level."

But even though he had a "real chance," everyone knows getting to the big leagues is one of the hardest things to do. Even if you play well in the spring, there are veterans at your preferred position, tons of other young prospects and just a limited number of spots available.

So, Flaherty figured he needed to impress in some other way. In some non-baseball way. In some ridiculous, unforgettable, how-can-we-not-promote-this-guy-now kind of way.

Monkeys. Baseball monkeys.

The O's held a team talent show that March and, with help from a local Florida zoo, Flaherty got two monkeys to come to camp. The primates apparently took and threw BP. Manager Buck Showalter was so enthralled with the act (I mean, it's monkeys playing baseball!), that he said it helped Flaherty make the team. The monkeys, unfortunately, did not make the team.

Listen to the now Mets manager explain the experience in detail to reporters on Friday.

Before Babe Ruth's called shot, before the Shot 'Heard Around the World, before the Cubs breaking a 108-year-old curse, this is the baseball story that needs to be told to the next generation of fans.