While his Frederick teammates have left family behind as far away as California, Texas and Puerto Rico, Paul Winterling makes the 30-minute commute from Frederick to western Howard County to his boyhood home where his parents still live.

Winterling, a longtime Glenelg resident, may be close to home but he is a long way from his days as a college baseball player at Division III Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. The McDonogh School graduate is in his first full season with the Frederick Keys in the Class A Carolina League.

"I have always wanted to play professionally," said Winterling, prior to a recent game with the Orioles' farm team in Frederick. "I know if that doesn't work out, I have my degree to fall back on."

And that degree in public health comes from Johns Hopkins, a school noted more for producing doctors than baseball players. Winterling and Matt Righter, a pitcher in the Detroit Tigers' farm system with the Double-A Erie Seawolves of the Eastern League, began the season as the only Hopkins products playing pro baseball.

Winterling, who turns 25 in July, was signed by the Orioles as a non-drafted free agent June 23, 2005.

"He is all about the team. He loves the game," said Dean Albany, the Orioles' scout who signed Winterling. "He deserved a chance. He swings hard. He has bat speed. He is going to maximize his abilities."

Winterling is a 6-foot-3, 220-pound right-handed hitter. He hit .264 in his first 72 at bats this season for Frederick with two homers and 10 RBIs. He plays left and right field and first base and can be used as an emergency catcher by the Keys.

Winterling began his pro career with Bluefield in the rookie Appalachian League in 2005 and hit .280 with six homers and 23 RBIs in 132 at bats.

He split the 2006 season between Aberdeen in the New York-Penn League and Delmarva in the low Class A South Atlantic League. He split the 2007 season between Delmarva and Frederick and had four home runs with each club.

Winterling spends time on road trips reading books, USA Today and doing crossword puzzles. The Carolina League has a 140-game schedule that lasts from early April to early September.

"It's not a sprint. It's a marathon," he said of minor league baseball.

Tommy Thompson began this season as the manager of the Keys before he left the post for personal reasons in mid-May. Former big-leaguer Richie Heber was named the new Frederick manager May 26.

About 10 years ago, Winterling attended a camp run by Thompson and the former Keys' manager had a photo of the young Winterling in his office at Harry Grove Stadium. It was a coincidence that Winterling ended up playing for Thompson at the end of the 2007 season and the beginning of 2008.

"He is a great competitor," Thompson said. "He has power. He is a very fundamentally sound player."

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