The Flacco brothers like to dream.
Here's what they envision: A few years from now, Joe Flacco is the Ravens' veteran quarterback and younger brother Mike has moved up through baseball's minor leagues and is an Orioles infielder. The two live together in bachelor-pad heaven: a place with flat-screen TVs, leather recliners and a sparkling kitchen they rarely visit except to raid the fridge or find plates for their carry-out orders.
The Flaccos previewed this dream last year, living for a time in a two-bedroom apartment in Pikesville as Joe Cool enjoyed a solid rookie season with the Ravens and Mike was a student and slugging third baseman for CCBC-Catonsville.
But since Mike was drafted by the Orioles in the 31st round and plays for their Rookie-level affiliate in Bluefield, W.Va., the two envision living together again as the rarest of pairings: brothers who play for two pro teams in the same town.
In some ways, it would bring their relationship full circle and cement the bond that dates to childhood rivalries on the dusty playing fields of South Jersey.
"Whatever I was doing after school and hanging out with my friends," Joe said, "Mike was always with me."
"We were like best friends, I guess," Mike said on the phone from Bluefield.
Yes, a 22-year-old drafted out of a community college in the East is generally considered a long shot to reach the major leagues.
But no one who knows him well is betting against Mike's playing at Camden Yards some day.
"I definitely feel I can get there," he said. "If I didn't ... I wouldn't be wasting my time here."
Their father, Steve Flacco, agrees.
"Oh, I absolutely think he can make it," Steve said. "Nobody's aspiring to be a minor league player."
Through Saturday, Mike is batting .262 with three home runs in 52 games for Bluefield. Mike leads the team with 12 doubles and 28 RBIs, and he is tied for the team lead with three triples.
Growing up in a sports-crazy family in Audubon, N.J., Joe and Mike were the oldest of Steve and Karen Flacco's six kids.
"We're all close with each other, as close as you can be," Joe, 24, said of his four brothers and sister.
But Joe and Mike were the closest.
Steve, 48, played football and baseball at the University of Pennsylvania and instilled a love of sports in all his kids.
From their earliest days, the two oldest boys played two-hand-touch football, basketball and baseball together, even playing on the same Little League team.
