Orf gets his first call to big leagues
Nate Orf finally made it to the big leagues Monday, allowing the #FreeNateOrf movement to celebrate, not to mention stand at ease.
Asked if he was aware of that ongoing social media outcry for the Milwaukee Brewers to promote the highly successful yet unranked (on prospect lists) utility player, Orf didn’t hesitate.
“I’m all for that,” Orf said with a smile. “I was very supportive of that hashtag. Every once in a while, I’d be on a nice streak and see it. Having that fan support, when they’ve never seen me play, matters to me, knowing people wanted me here.”
The Brewers called up Orf from Class AAA Colorado Springs and optioned reliever Aaron Wilkerson back to that club. To make room for Orf on the 40man roster, the Brewers transferred infielder/outfielder Nick Franklin from the 10-day DL to the 60-day DL. Franklin has been out since early May with a lingering quadriceps strain.
Orf, 28, has been one of the most productive players in the Brewers’ system for several years and also stood out during exhibition play in their spring camp. But he never spent a day in the majors until getting this opportunity.
“This is the day you put all the work in for,” said Orf, who was placed immediately in the starting lineup at second base against Minnesota. “I signed for $500 (as an undrafted player in 2013). This is why I signed for $500, to grind out as long as I needed to have this day come.”
The Brewers were down one player in the middle infield after slump-ridden shortstop Orlando Arcia was optioned to Colorado Springs on Sunday to call up Wilkerson to provide another arm in the bullpen. Wilkerson pitched three innings in the 8-2 loss to Cincinnati, allowing five runs.
The Brewers summoned Orf after one of his best games in the minors Sunday in a 7-2 victory in Round Rock.
He went 4-for-5 with two home runs, three runs scored and two runs batted in, boosting his overall average to .307 with a .412 on-base percentage.
During that game, Orf said he actually began to wonder if a call-up to the big leagues might be coming.
“I was standing out on the dirt thinking, ‘You’re going to have to go earn this thing,’” Orf said. “You’re going to have to produce and force their hand. Little did I know, an hour later the call came.”
In 74 games, Orf accumulated 18 doubles, three triples, six home runs, 39 RBI and had stolen 20 bases in 21 attempts.
He made 39 starts at second base, 21 at shortstop, seven at third base and five in the outfield, earning midseason allstar honors in the Pacific Coast League.
Orf has been defying the odds since signing with the Brewers in June 2013 upon finishing his career at Baylor and giving up catching after Tommy John surgery.
He performed well at every stop in the organization, making it to Colorado Springs during the 2016 season and playing there since.
Manager Craig Counsell said news of Orf ’s promotion created excitement throughout the organization.
“This was a pretty special one for everybody,” Counsell said. “I got great reactions from our player development staff.
Nate’s teammates, the way they reacted. It’s true credit to the way Nate has carried himself since he’s been a Brewer. He’s made a really positive impact.
“And, he’s a good player. He’s a very good hitter. He has earned this.”
In 619 games in the Brewers’ system, Orf batted .291 with a .388 on-base percentage and .797 OPS. He compiled 139 doubles, 27 triples, 21 homers and 256 RBI while playing all over the diamond.
“Once you get to Triple-A, you see guys going up and you assume your time is coming,” Orf said. “Then you find out it’s way harder than that. It’s patience and trying to perform.”
Still believing in Arcia: Despite demoting Arcia for the second time, general manager David Stearns expressed faith that the young shortstop would rebound from his horrid season at the plate.
“I still firmly believe that Orlando Arcia is going to be a very, very good player in this league for a long time,” Stearns said.
“We have continued to see the defensive contributions he makes on a daily basis but we need to do better offensively.
“At this stage of the year, Orlando was not the type of offensive player we needed. I think we all bear some responsibility for that. As an organization, we need to help Orlando get through this.”
Asked why coaching couldn’t help Arcia improve the ball-strike recognition he sorely lacked and overall poor plate discipline, especially after making progress in those areas last year, Stearns said, “If we knew exactly what happened, we’d be able to fix it. That’s part of the issue here, diagnosing exactly what some of the room for development is.
“Strike zone recognition, swinging at strikes and plate discipline is a big part of it. But it’s also sometimes tough to tell if that’s the root of it, or if the root of it is more mechanical, and he began pressing a little bit and started swinging at pitches he shouldn’t have.”