I caught up with former Catholic Central star and Troy native Joe Mahoney last week. Joe is playing Class A ball in the Baltimore organization for the Delmarva (Md.) Shorebirds. Here is the story that ran on Monday (8/25).

Joe Mahoney can't remember missing many games throughout high school and college.

The Catholic Central graduate started all but five games during his three-year career at the University of Richmond.

Last season, Mahoney played in 65 of 76 games for the Aberdeen IronBirds in the New York-Penn League and hit .269.

For the last month or so, Mahoney, who is now playing for the Delmarva Shorebirds (Long Season Single A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles), has been dealing with what he calls the "worst injury," time-wise he's ever had to deal with.

Mahoney has been suffering with a severely pulled quad muscle on his right side that extends all the way up to his hip flexor.

"That has put a damper on the year," said Mahoney on Friday from Hagerstown, Md., where the Shorebirds were in the middle of a five-game set with the Suns.

Mahoney says the injury, for which he has to wear a wrap from his waist to his knee cap if he's going to play, "severely limits what I can do."

The injury gives him pain at the plate when, as a left-handed hitter, he tries to transfer his weight forward. It also pains him to run and move around extensively in the field.

Still, Mahoney has not been put on the disabled list and has tried to fight through the pain. He's been relegated to designated hitter roles and playing his usual spot at first base every couple of days or in an emergency role.

"It's bound to happen," said Mahoney about the possibility of injuries occurring. "I didn't want it to happen this year. I think my body just wasn't ready for the first full season."

Mahoney isn't concerned about the injury over the long-term, but is anticipating beginning the offseason, so he can get things right again.

"The hitting instructor from the Orioles has told me to just let the injury heal," Mahoney said.

Mahoney has had to compensate due to the injury and in doing so he has changed his swing slightly and that has led to some dry spells at that plate.

Mahoney is batting just .223 coming in to the weekend with 22 doubles, seven home runs and 61 runs batted in for Delmarva.

"I'm hitting real well with runners in scoring position and I'm driving in runs," said Mahoney, who is second on the team in RBI. "My average is down though and I don't think I've hit a home run since the injury occurred."

While Mahoney is in his first full season of professional baseball, many of the players he played with last year in Aberdeen are now with him in Delmarva and they has made times - both good and bad, a little bit better.

"We've grown to be real good friends and I've gotten to know everyone pretty well," Mahoney said.

The camaraderie has also helped while Mahoney has been dealing with the injury.

"Everyone has been very supportive while I've been hurt," Mahoney said.

The Shorebirds play in the South Atlantic League, where the first place teams from the first half and the second half of the season, make the playoffs.

Delmarva finished 2½ games out of first place during the first half of the season (the first 69 games) and are currently in third place as the second half nears an end.

While the team would actually be closer to first if they combined the two records, Mahoney realizes that you can't think like that.

"We had a pretty good first half," Mahoney said. "Now, we're in the same spot and we might not make the playoffs, but you try not to look at it like that because you can't control the teams in front of you in the standings."

The long stretches have been broken up when some of Mahoney's family can make the six-hour trip south to see some of his games.

As for his highlights of the season, it's been the game-winning hits - like Aug. 5, when the 6-foot-7, 255-pound Mahoney drove in the go-ahead run at Appalachian Power Park, the home of the West Virginia Power, in a 4-3 victory.

Mahoney just hopes he doesn't keep missing those opportunities to succeed.