Brett Frantini's debut as a professional baseball player was nothing more than a proverbial cup of coffee at the lowest level offered in affiliated ball.

The hope for Frantini, a catcher who attended Minooka Community High School and Northern Illinois University, is that it ultimately leads to a cup of coffee, or more, at the Major League level.

On Aug. 17, Frantini signed with the Golf Coast League Orioles, a rookie-level affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles organization. The GCL Orioles' schedule, which runs from mid-June to late August, was nearly over by then, but Franini did appear in three games and get five at-bats. He did not get any hits, though he walked once and scored a run.