Narron starting to soar with Shorebirds

By Andrew Stevens
Published in Sports on July 9, 2012 1:49 PM

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Quite a bit has changed for Connor Narron since his days as a slick-fielding shortstop at Charles B. Aycock.

His address, his position, his daily routine, his uniform and his teammates are all different.

One thing that hasn't changed -- Connor Narron.

Narron is in his first full season with the Delmarva (Md.) Shorebirds, the Baltimore Orioles' Class A affiliate of the South Atlantic League.

Through adjusting to a pair of new positions, persevering through a slump at the plate and the grind of playing every day, Narron's outlook has remained the same.

"Good or bad, whatever I do that night I just try to put it past me," Narron said. "I try to get after it the next day. It can be a grind, but I'm loving it."

A fifth-round selection in the 2010 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft, Narron has split time between first base and the outfield this season. Primarily a shortstop at Aycock, Narron has committed just six errors in 73 games this season.

Narron struggled at the plate in May, hitting just .117 with only nine hits, four RBI and 22 strikeouts in 23 games. He admitted adjusting to seeing significantly better pitching on a daily basis than what he saw at Aycock was a challenge at first.

Taught by his father Jerry and uncle Johnny, both former major leaguers, to always stay confident in his abilities, Narron never became discouraged. He continued to work hard, show up at the ballpark early and believe that his efforts would be rewarded.

The result was a .329 average in the month of June -- one of the highest in the entire Baltimore organization. Narron had 28 hits, 17 RBI and four home runs in 24 games.

"I had a pretty good start to the year," Narron said. "In May I couldn't buy a hit. I kept grinding it out and stayed focused and I started finding holes. The biggest thing my dad and my uncle have always told me is to have confidence in myself and to get better everyday and not worry about what happens."

Playing six or seven days a week, long bus rides, journeying from hotel to hotel and getting to know teammates who hail from all parts of the country has given Narron a unique perspective on a life as a minor-leaguer. Knowing he's far from where he hopes to be in his development as a player, Narron knows he's living out his dreams while remaining focused on one thing -- the Major Leagues.

"Being in the minor leagues is not the most glamorous lifestyle in the world," Narron said. "But, it's what I've always wanted to do and I'm one step closer to being in the big leagues. I enjoy being around my teammates and you get close to everyone, they're like a second family.

"I'm nowhere near where I should be or I would be in the major leagues. I'm working on everything from my defense to hitting to being a better teammate."