The newest Oriole has always felt at home at Camden Yards.
Outfielder Chris Parmelee, whose minor league contract was officially selected by the Orioles before tonight's game against the Philadelphia Phillies, enjoyed playing at Oriole Park in his four seasons with the Minnesota Twins.
His stats at Camden Yards – a .333 average (7-for-21), .375 on-base percentage and .476 slugging percentage in nine career games with one homer and six RBIs – prove he is comfortable hitting at the Orioles' home park. And Parmelee's success is one of the reasons the Orioles signed him to a minor league contract this offseason.
"I always liked playing here when I came here with Minnesota, so I enjoy this ballpark and I enjoy the fans here so far," Parmelee said. "They were hard on me when I was in a Minnesota uniform, but I like the intensity and I'm glad to be on this side now."
Parmelee, who was hitting .312/.381/.444 with six homers and 32 RBIs in 61 games with Triple-A Norfolk, could have exercised an opt-out clause in his contract Monday, but the Orioles summoned him to Baltimore that day and activated him Tuesday.
He is in the starting lineup for Tuesday's game, batting fifth and starting in right field. Once a top-100 prospect with the Twins, Parmelee has found another big league opportunity with the Orioles.
"Really excited," Parmelee said. "It's a good feeling and I'm happy to be here. It's a great group of guys in this clubhouse and a winning tradition here, so I'm really excited about helping them add some wins on the board. … They say it's easy to get here and it's harder to stay, so that's definitely true. A lot of it comes with maturity and just starting to understand who you are and kind of learning the game at this level."
Parmelee is one of seven players who can play the outfield, so the amount of playing time he receives is unclear. But Parmelee hopes to earn his keep.
"I have no idea," he said when asked whether he was told how much time he will get. "I'm sure my play will dictate that. I'm excited and I want to be here to stay."