Left-hander Cole McCurry doesn't have a flashy resume, an impressive pedigree or a glove-popping fastball.
He does, however, have a knack for winning, a quiet confidence and the right neighborhood.
The first two attributes have helped McCurry, 23, who is 2-0 with a 1.30 ERA in five starts, raise some eyebrows at Single-A Delmarva this season.
The third is a big reason he ended up in the Orioles' organization.
McCurry, a resident of small-town Candler, N.C., located near Asheville in the western part of the state, excelled at Surry (N.C.) Community College and was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the 31st round of the 2005 amateur draft.
He didn't sign, instead choosing to attend Tennessee Wesleyan, a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics baseball power, to improve his draft standing. As a junior, his lone season for the Bulldogs, he was 13-0 with a 3.59 ERA in 14 games.
McCurry was drafted again, this time by the Orioles in the 43rd round, the 1,274th pick in 2007. He didn't lose a college game and yet his draft standing dropped. His signing bonus was $1,000.
"I was frustrated at first, but it's always been my dream to sign and play pro ball," McCurry said. "I didn't let that bother me much at all."
The Orioles scouted McCurry on the recommendation of former major league pitcher and current Double-A Bowie pitching coach Larry McCall, who just happens to live six houses away from McCurry's family in Candler.
McCall thought the boy-almost-next-door deserved a shot.
"A friend of mine told me Cole was pitching well in college," McCall said. "And I just told one of our scouts to take a look at him. ... You can never look at [too many] left-handed pitchers."
The ones who consistently throw strikes are particularly valuable, and that's what the Orioles have in McCurry. He possesses a mid-to-high-80s fastball, a solid curve and a developing changeup. And he throws them over the plate.
"I throw a lot of strikes. I pitch to contact," McCurry said. In 50 minor league games, McCurry has walked 58 batters and struck out 226 while posting a 20-14 record and a 3.52 ERA. This year, he has walked five and struck out 27 in 27 2/3 innings at Delmarva. He hasn't allowed more than two runs in a start.
"He does well what we ask him to do," player development director David Stockstill said. "Our pitching philosophy is [focusing on control], and he has adapted to that very well."
