"I've got to hide my head because I've got these big old tears," Joseph laughed. "I'm like: 'I can't be crying in front of these guys. I've got to get my act together.' "
That's Joseph in all his baseball-loving glory.
"He's the kind of guy you can't help but like," minor league catching instructor Don Werner said. "He's got one of those infectious personalities. He studies the game. He is just a baseball guy."
Last week, the Keys were rained out, so Joseph drove to Aberdeen to catch the last half of the IronBirds' contest.
"Baseball is always on my mind," he said. "It's an obsession. I don't know what I'll do when baseball is over. I may be homeless. I'll always be hanging around the ballpark with this huge beard because I have no other place else to go."
He's more than just a baseball nut, however. For several summers, Joseph participated in brief mission trips to Honduras to build homes and churches. While there, he would bolster his Spanish, which he now uses to communicate with his Latino teammates.
He also created a blog, calebjoseph.wordpress.com, to keep friends and family updated on his minor league journey. Soon, others discovered it, and now he receives comments and interacts with fans.
In one entry he mentioned that he would love to be the backup to "the great Matt Wieters." There is no sarcasm or insincerity in that statement, no lingering bitterness that his position in the majors is blocked by the Orioles' 23-year-old rookie catcher, who is only a month older.
Because he was drafted for his bat, the 6-foot-3 Joseph could end up at another position, such as left field or corner infield. The specifics don't matter to him, as long as he becomes an Oriole.
Wieters "is the franchise guy, I totally understand that. I don't want to come in and steal his spot," Joseph said. "I want to be a complementary player, and if I am that with him for 10, 15 years of a big league career, I'd take that every day."
Keys notes: : Right-handed pitcher Luis Lebron, 24, was promoted to Double-A Bowie after going 2-3 with a 3.00 ERA and 11 saves in 28 games. He struck out 52 batters in 33 innings. ... Left-hander Zach Britton (4-3, 2.40 ERA) had a 1.61 ERA in five June starts. He allowed four earned runs in seven innings in his first July start. ... Designated hitter Robbie Widlansky batted .364 with a .402 on-base percentage in his first 29 games with the Keys.
