Matthew Gedman strolled out of the Lowell Spinners clubhouse about three hours before game time on Wednesday at Ripken Stadium, just north of Baltimore.
The 23-year-old was wearing the road grey uniform of the Red Sox minor-league team, complete with wrist bands on both arms, and was carrying a black bat and glove before a game against the Aberdeen IronBirds, whose co-owner is Hall of Famer Cal Ripken, Jr.
Gedman, the former UMass baseball standout from Framingham, certainly looks the part of a pro baseball player. He has been around the game his entire life and said he was about 2 years old the first time he went to Fenway Park, where his father Rich was a catcher for Boston from 1980-90, then with Houston in 1990 and St. Louis in 1991-92.
"I remember more about the St. Louis Cardinals when my dad played for them," said the younger Gedman, who was born Sept. 26, 1988.
Now the elder Gedman, a graduate of Worcester High, is a hitting coaching with the high Class A Salem (Va.) Red Sox while his son is in his second pro season after being drafted by Boston out of UMass in 2011 in the 45th round.
"We talk about two or three times per week," said Matt Gedman, a 6-foot-2 left-handed hitter. "We don't really talk baseball too much. It is more how are you doing? He is pretty busy and I am pretty busy. In the off-season we hang out more."
The younger Gedman played shortstop for the Minutemen but has been used mostly at third base by Lowell, a short-season affiliate in the New York-Penn League. In games through Aug. 22 he was hitting .227 in 132 at bats with four doubles, three homers and 19 RBIs. Gedman made six errors in his first 30 games at third for the Spinners, who were 29-33 after a 3-2 win in 11 innings here Aug. 22.
"He is a great clubhouse kid. He has been around the clubhouse all of his life," said Bruce Crabbe, the Lowell manager. "He can play multiple positions if you need him to."
Read more of Matthew Gedman working his way up the Red Sox ladder