MOOSIC – Mike Papi received doubly good news May 28.
First, Papi found out he was moving up to the highest level of his professional career. Then, the 24-year-old outfielder from Tunkhannock learned he would be going home for half of his first week as a Triple-A baseball player.
After two days in Columbus, Ohio, where he will play half his schedule for the Clippers, the Cleveland Indians top farm team, the International League schedule brought Papi to northeastern Pennsylvania for the first time in his professional career.
Before playing in a four-game series against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders Tuesday through Thursday, it had been nearly six years since Papi made his only previous appearance at PNC Field, helping Tunkhannock defend its District 2 title on the way to an appearance in the 2011 state championship game.
“I was surprised,” Papi said when learning the schedule.
Not everyone in the Papi family was surprised, though. Others immediately knew what last weekend’s call-up meant.
“My parents already had tickets to these games,” Papi said after getting two hits in the second game of Wednesday’s doubleheader.
Papi finished up his time in the field, catching the last out in right field and flipping the ball over the fence to a group of fans who settled in close behind it to watch him play.
Although the RailRiders swept the doubleheader, Papi helped make it interesting in the seventh and final inning. He singled to center and came in on Adam Moore’s two-run homer before the RailRiders won, 4-3.
Papi, who had two hits and an RBI in his Triple-A debut May 28 against Norfolk, went 0-for-4 in his pro debut at PNC Field Monday.
In Tuesday’s doubleheader, Papi was 0-for-2 with walk, then 2-for-3 in the doubleheader to put his batting average at .313 after five games.
The 2014 first-round draft pick out of the University of Virginia has made a move up in each of his four seasons as a professional, moving through Rookie, Single-A and Double-A.
