Sept. 5, 2006

Oakland, CA - By Bill Arnold/MLB.com

The smile on Jeff Fiorentino face was unmistakable. He was happy to be back in "The Show."

He earned the return trip after hitting .340 for the final two months of the season at Double-A Bowie.

Fiorentino, who hit .250 over 13 games with the Orioles in May 2005, struggled for the first three months this season with the BaySox. At the end of June, his batting average was a paltry .205. He had managed just 24 hits in 39 games.

In August, however, Fiorentino caught fire, batting .376 with 41 hits in the month. He seemed like a natural to receive a callup. Fiorentino also found himself in the starting lineup right away.

"I knew if I got healthy, I could play up here," said Fiorentino. "The first two months, I battled through a sprained ankle and two hamstring pulls. Once I got healthy, I began to hit. And I have to hit for people to notice me."

Fiorentino ended his time in Bowie riding a 19-game hitting streak, during which he batted .435 (30-for-69).

"Now I just have to show them I can play up here," he said.

Fiorentino did just that on Friday night, going 1-for-4 with two RBIs, those coming on a sixth-inning single to left which scored Kevin Millar and Chris Gomez.

The Orioles' third-round pick was the first position player of the 2004 First-Year Player Draft to make the Majors. The last Oriole to reach the Majors in his second professional season was Jerry Hairston, Jr., in 1998.

In the rookie's second trip to the Majors, Fiorentino was still taking in the ambience of the Major League clubhouse as he reflected that being in the Majors was what was supposed to happen to a player.

"We have a chance to play spoiler here," said Fiorentino. "We can show teams that we aren't overmatched and can play on their level with them. The big thing for me is that I'm up here and I can make a good impression while helping the team."