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Q&A with Keith Reed I had an opportunity to chat recently with Keith Reed, outfielder for the Newark Bears of the independent Atlantic League. Fans of the game may recall that Reed was one of the Orioles multiple first round picks in the 1999 draft. In fact, the Orioles took him in the 23rd spot of the draft. After being touted as a five-tool player, Reed quickly became one of the Orioles top prospects. Shortly after he was chosen, a Major League scout told me that Reed was a player who would need time to develop and he felt that the Orioles would be patient with him as he had so much talent. Apparently the Pittsburgh Pirates also had interest in Reed at the time, however the Orioles beat them to the punch. After spending eight seasons with the Baltimore organization, including six games with the big team in 2005 as a replacement for Sammy Sosa, Reed found himself a free agent looking for a job in baseball. With no other teams showing an interest in him, the fan of Vladimir Guerrero caught on with the Bears and is still working to get a job in the major leagues. Q: You were one of the Orioles #1 picks in the 1999 draft, were there any other teams interested in drafting you that year? Which were they? A: I took batting practice in Three Rivers for the Pirates before the draft. Dana Brown was the scout and they talked about selecting me with their pick in the first round. Q: What expectations did the Orioles communicate to you after they drafted you? A: They didn’t really give me any specific expectations. I wanted to go out and try to improve every year and get to the Big Leagues in a few years. It took a while for me to develop, and I didn’t develop as fast as they hoped. I finally got my chance in '05. Q: The Orioles left you exposed to the Rule V draft in 2001 ... were you hoping to get taken by another team? A: Anything to get to the big leagues, that is what ran through my mind. I ended up back at AA. But I can only worry about things I can control. Q: How do you prepare for a game? A: Basically I try to get lose --- shag balls in batting practice, stretch and run a bit. If I have faced the pitcher before, I look back at what he got me out on. Or if someone else knows what he has we talk about what he has, I ask people who know him. Q: What would the scouting report on you say? A: It would say a five-tool guy. I have the ability and the work ethic. I have the ability to get back into affiliated ball and the ability to compete at the big league level. Q: In 2005, the Orioles called you up to take Sammy Sosa’s place on the roster. How did that feel? A: It felt pretty good. Friends told me I would be the answer to a trivia question. I would have liked to stick around a while longer though. Q: It seemed like you were starting to put it all together for the Orioles the last few seasons. Do you have any regrets you aren’t still with them? A: I had some good years the last few seasons, but I didn’t know if I was going to be an organizational guy with them or not. I wanted to test the waters to see if there were any better opportunities there for me. It didn’t seem like the Orioles were interested in having me back. Q: Is there any one player in the majors you have tried to model your game after? A: I have always like Vlad, I wear #27, play right field, and don’t wear batting gloves. He has power and speed as well. He is a good guy who is never in trouble. I have never met him. Q: Compare the major leagues, minor leagues and the independent leagues. A: Independent and AAA are pretty much the same. There are a lot of guys here with big league experience. I don’t have like four years in the big leagues so I really can’t compare them. --- John Kazlo
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