Nathan Orf plays all 9 positions

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Monday, September 1, 2014

For a minor league player, versatility is often seen as the path to the majors, but Milwaukee Brewers prospect Nathan Orf took that to a completely different level Sunday as he played all nine positions for the Class A Brevard County Manatees.

An infielder by trade, Orf began the game at catcher and ended it after recording an out in his first ever professional appearance as a pitcher.

"[Manager Joe Ayrault] just said he was gonna try to get me all nine, he had to make a phone call to see if I could get on the mound, and I think he had to plead with somebody just to get me one batter and nothing more," Orf told MiLB.com. "I appreciate him. He's been great for me all year and a boost in confidence when things aren't going great. He's been a great manager to play for."

In order, Orf played catcher, first base, second base, third base, shortstop, left field, center field, right field and finally pitcher. He even had a brief stint as the first base coach.

Ayrault took Orf out of the game after he induced a groundout to third.

"Throw strikes, don't let him hit a home run," Orf said of his approach in his short pitching appearance. "Once I got two strikes, the competitive juices kinda started flowing. I think I humped up to 86 (mph), you know, a little cheddar for him."

Orf went 0-for-2 with a walk and made four defensive plays at three different positions, according to MiLB.com, he even left to a standing ovation from the crowd gathered at Space Coast Stadium in Viera, Florida.

Playing in their season finale, the Manatees lost 7-3 to the Dunedin Blue Jays.

While it's unusual for a player to play all nine positions in a single baseball game, it's not unprecedented. San Francisco Giants star Buster Posey completed the feat while playing in college at Florida State.

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