Grandpa could soon face Big Papi.
Journeyman left-hander Mark Hendrickson, 40, attended an Orioles minicamp this week in hopes of continuing his big league career following the birth this fall of his first grandchild to his 19-year-old stepdaughter, Hannah.
"I'm a grandfather, for goodness sake, and that was two months ago," Hendrickson said. "Now there's extra motivation. How many active grandfathers have been in the big leagues? Well, that right there is motivation in itself."
Hendrickson said he reached out to Showalter via letter to ask for a tryout, after playing last season in the independent Atlantic League. Showalter, who has a mad scientist streak, loves to tinker with pitchers' arm slots and had recommended the 6-foot-9 Hendrickson adopt a lower, sidearm delivery.
"This is me taking my career by the horns, so to speak, and doing what I need to do," Hendrickson said. "Realistically, the biggest hurdle for me is getting past the age factor and getting people who are front office people to not look at age and say, 'Well, forget him.' It's about relationships that I have, reaching out to Buck.
"He's a straight shooter. He's not doing a charity case. If he doesn't think I can help, then I'm not going to be here."
Hendrickson's career is already a sports marvel. Prior to becoming a full-time baseball player, the Washington State product appeared in parts of four NBA seasons, as a power forward with the 76ers, Kings, Nets and Cavaliers. He last appeared in the majors throwing in eight games for the Orioles in 2011. His career stats on the mound — a 58-74 record, 5.03 ERA, sub-2.00 strikeout-to-walk ratio — won't call to mind Randy Johnson, but if you're left-handed and throw a baseball, there's always the chance of working into your 40s.
"I miss it," he said. "This is a challenge, what I'm doing. When Buck mentioned to me about dropping down, my whole intent of dropping down was to get to the big leagues. That's the whole reason I did it and that's why I'm still playing. That's the challenge that I have at 40."
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