Norfolk Tides lineup card gaffe sends Orioles fans into a frenzy on Friday night
The Tides had Orioles fans everywhere feel like they were going crazy on Friday night
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Around 7:15 EST on Friday night, the Norfolk Tides tweeted out their lineup card like normal. Except it wasn't normal at all. Orioles fans quickly realized that corner infield prospect Coby Mayo was listed as the Tides' starting center fielder, which would have been a wild thing to see.
Mayo was drafted in 2021 and has played nearly exclusively in the infield corners, jumping back and forth between first and third base. He did get 2/3 of an inning at shortstop back in 2021 with the O's Complex League squad, but for all intents and purposes Mayo is a corner infielder.
Orioles infield prospect Coby Mayo is playing center field tonight in Triple-A, which is interesting. Mayo, a primary third baseman, hasn't played outfield during a minor league game yet in his career https://t.co/1cUSU8fR1V
— Andy Kostka (@afkostka) July 12, 2024
Shortly after the Tides tweeted out their lineup card, Orioles fans took notice. Why were the Orioles playing Mayo in center? Were they looking to get him experience in the outfield in order to expedite his path to Baltimore? Or were the Tides hiding an injury to one of the team's other players?
Unfortunately, none of those were the case. As it turned out, the Tides social media team simply submitted an incorrect graphic that got tweeted out, and was posted on the MiLB website.
Coby Mayo isn’t playing CF. And didn’t think I’d be tweeting that
— Roch Kubatko (@masnRoch) July 12, 2024
For anyone who caught it at the time, it obviously seemed too good to be true. But who were we to question the validity of the lineup card that was tweeted out? After all, it was sent by the Tides official account, and it's certainly not April Fools Day.
While it would be quite the sight to see Mayo thunder around the outfield chasing down fly balls, it's probably for the best that the Tides aren't risking his health by putting him in arguably the toughest defensive spot on the diamond.
Mayo has been on a tear this year and is looking like an important part of the Orioles' future. As fun as it would be to see him get time in center field, if only to see if the kid could pull it off, Mayo's long term health is more important than a gimmicky one off event.
The reality of the situation is that Mayo isn't in the lineup at all tonight. Kyle Stowers is getting the start in center while Mayo takes the night off. In the meantime, we'll keep our eyes peeled for any more weird gaffes that would have an outsized impact on the Orioles if they were true.
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