AP PHOTOS: Orioles batboy blends in with players

PATRICK SEMANSKY
Associated Press

BALTIMORE (AP) — Andrew Guinart knew early on that he wouldn’t make it as a professional baseball player.

So at age 14 and yearning for a path to the big leagues, he walked into the Cincinnati Reds’ spring training facility with a resume in hand for their batboy position. Now 21, Guinart is in his third season as a batboy for the Baltimore Orioles, a role often overlooked in a game known for its traditions and quirks.

Guinart typically arrives at noon for a 7 o’clock game, applying Delaware River mud to every game ball and shagging balls during batting practice. He doesn’t leave until after midnight, once the players’ uniforms are washed and hung in their lockers. All the while, he largely blends in with the players, most of whom belong to his generation. He says he intends to be a batboy “for as long as I can get away with it.”

Take a glimpse into his day at the ballpark.

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Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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