If you happened to see the transactions log for Major League Baseball last week… okay, so it’s unlikely you actually even thought about spending time searching the transaction log. However, if you had, you might have noticed the following item on Tuesday:
Los Angeles Angels – recalled RHP Eduardo Paredes from Salt Lake City
And below that:
Los Angeles Dodgers – recalled LHP Edward Paredes from Oklahoma City.
Wait. Read it again, slowly.
No, it is not a typo. Just one of the unusual things that happen in sports. It was a simultaneous recall of dual Paredes. By two teams in L.A. On the same day. Paredes in stereo. Only in L.A.
One is a righty. One a lefty. Not related. Eduardo, 23, from Venezuela. Edward, 31, from the Dominican Republic. They now sit in bullpens 31 miles apart via Interstate 5.
When they landed at the airport upon their call up, what do you suppose happened as they came up on the guy in the dark suit holding up a sign reading E. PAREDES? Trading Places anyone?
We can only assume the right Paredes made it to his respective new stadium. However, the Angels may wonder.
On Wednesday night, Eduardo entered the game for the Angels in the top of the 9th with his team holding an 8-run lead. 13 pitches later, the lead was down to 3 runs, and Paredes – uh, Eduardo – was done for the night. 18 hours later, Edward pitched a scoreless 2/3 of an inning in a Dodgers win.
The name Paredes has Spanish origins and refers to someone who lives in a lean-to next to a wall… which is kind of what it’s like hanging out in the bullpen – what these two will be doing during their stay in L.A.
Think this is a first in baseball? Think again. The 1962 New York Mets had teammates named Bob Miller. Robert Lane Miller was a 23-year-old righthanded pitcher from St. Louis, MO, who went 1-12 with a 4.98 ERA that season. Robert Gerald Miller was a 26-year-old lefthander from Cicero, IL, who went 2-2 with a 7.08 ERA that season. Can you imagine a call down the bullpen.
“Get Miller up.”
“Which one?”
“Bob.”
“Which Bob?”
To make matters worse, they were roommates on the road. Wonder what that was like when a wife called the room?
Today, with all of the groupies and autograph seekers who come to the team hotel and try to find out room numbers of the players, many players check-in under an alias.
If Eduardo and Edward are smart, for their alias they’ll use the name Bob Miller.
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