Crab-cracking boy from Maryland: Wood enjoys return to Camden Yards

BALTIMORE — Like most kids in Maryland, James Wood grew up attending Orioles games at Camden Yards. And like most kids in Maryland, he also started picking steamed blue crabs as a kid.

On Tuesday night, the Olney, Maryland native was able to relive both childhood memories in the Nationals' 9-3 victory over the Orioles in Baltimore.

“It was definitely cool to come to Baltimore because I grew up watching games here,” Wood said after last night's game. “It was just a lot of fun out there. I just enjoyed it.”

What was there not to enjoy? Wood finished his first game at Camden Yards 4-for-5 with a double, an RBI and three runs scored. His four hits had exit velocities of 99.5, 102.7, 105.8 and 105.9 mph, keeping him in the 95th percentile in the major leagues.

After Wood began his night by going 4-for-4 — his second four-hit performance in his first 37 major league games — his mother, Paula, tweeted a picture of young James and his grandfather watching a game at Camden Yards.

“I know it was my birthday. I don't remember how old I got,” Wood said. “But yeah, I would say that's one (memory). I mean, I didn't go to a lot of baseball games when I was younger, but I remember a couple of them. I know I came in during the Chris Davis (era). (Gerardo) Parra might have been on the team the other time, I'm trying to figure that out. But Chris Davis, Zack Britton, I'm pretty sure when he had like record save years and all that.”

It's entirely possible that Wood watched his current first base coach and outfield coordinator Gerardo Parra play for the Orioles in 2015 when he was just 13 years old, but this week, as a 21-year-old, it's his turn to take the field at Camden Yards.

And not just play, but stand out.

“We talked about him all the time and said to just stay in the middle of the field. He's really good,” manager Davey Martinez said of Woods' four-hit game. “I'm very proud of him because he played left-handed against left-handed hitters and really focused on getting the ball up and staying in the middle of the field. He had a great day.”

Martinez was then asked a question: What was the conversation between player and manager about what it would mean for Wood to have a game like this in the stadium where he grew up as a child?

“Nice try. He's an international player,” he quickly replied, laughing. “No, he told me he likes coming here. He probably grew up here watching baseball. But I'm happy to have him here. He's a baseball player. He's getting better every day.”

So what does a kid from Maryland do to celebrate a great night in Baltimore? Pick some crabs, of course.

The Orioles provide visiting teams with a few dozen freshly steamed crabs after games as a “Welcome to Baltimore” treat. Not everyone has picked a crab before, so it's nice to have a budding local star teaching his teammates the proper technique.

Take Mitchell Parker, for example. The left-hander was born and raised in Albuquerque, NM and has little to no experience with Maryland crabs.

“I thought I did pretty well,” Wood said of his job as a teacher. “There are some people who have never done this. Mitch, for example, is from New Mexico, so I know he's never been anywhere near crabs.”

Wood himself said his mother taught him how to properly select crabs. And he starts with the claws and adds a little butter.

Whether that's really the best way to eat a crab (I prefer to start with the body and serve Old Bay and vinegar) is up for debate. What isn't up for debate is Woods's glorious return to Camden Yards.

“It's definitely cool to do this in a place where I've been quite a few times as a spectator,” he said.