Chattanooga Lookouts right fielder Edgar Corcino became a U.S. citizen two weeks ago and was celebrated by teammates while they were playing a series against the Barons in Birmingham, Ala.Edgar Corcino is a man of many hats these days.
The 6-foot-2, 207-pounder is the right fielder for the first-place Chattanooga Lookouts, and he will be the right fielder for the North Division in next week's Southern League All-Star Game in Pensacola, Fla. He is also a proud American, having attained United States citizenship a couple of weeks ago.
"It's been a unique situation, and obviously it's a great accomplishment for him," Lookouts first-year manager Jake Mauer said. "He was studying for tests that I don't know a lot of citizens could pass, to be honest with you. He did a neat thing, taking care of it and then coming back to join us."
Corcino entered Wednesday night's series opener at Tennessee hitting .298, which placed him 11th in the Southern League. His 65 hits ranked eighth, with those numbers becoming all the more impressive given the balancing act he performed in order to change nationalities.
Born 25 years ago in the Dominican Republic, Corcino has resided more recently in Tao Baja, Puerto Rico. He played 50 games with the Lookouts late last summer and made the commitment in October to pursue U.S. citizenship.
"It's not as hard of a process as it is long," Corcino said. "You have to wait a long time for it, but I'm glad I got it done."
Corcino encountered a clubhouse this spring filled with supportive staff members and teammates who would quiz him on an almost daily basis. He said the Civil War was the most challenging material for him, but he flew back to Puerto Rico and passed the American history test.
"They gave you 100 questions, and you didn't know which ones they would be," he said.
Corcino thought conquering the test and attaining citizenship would be the most memorable aspect to his quest, but he was wrong.
When he returned to the Lookouts after the two-day trip, the team was in the midst of a five-game series in Birmingham, Ala. He walked into the visiting clubhouse at Regions Field on May 31 and discovered his changing area had been decorated with an American flag and that a shirt, hat and sunglasses adorned with the stars and stripes awaited him.
"He was really excited, and we were and still are excited for him," left fielder LaMonte Wade said. "It's a great accomplishment for him, and it just created a great vibe around the clubhouse. It was really cool."
Said Corcino: "When I saw that, I was like, 'These guys just love me.' It was pretty funny. They even got me a cake for that day. It was really, really special."
Mauer smiles when reliving the scene in Birmingham, and he believes the bonding over Corcino's feat has factored into Chattanooga being in position to win the North Division first-half title before this weekend.
Corino is not considered an up-and-coming prospect, having been selected by the Detroit Tigers in the 26th round of the 2009 draft, but the book isn't closing on him, either. In his professional career that includes a two-year stint (2013-14) in independent ball, Corcino has played first base, second base, third base and all three outfield spots.
"Edgar is a smart guy," Mauer said. "He came up through Detroit's system as an infielder, and we got him as an outfielder. He works hard and is a great teammate who brings a lot of energy. He joined us two years ago when I was in the (Single-A) Midwest League and really turned us around and got us into the playoffs.
"We're seeing a lot of those same attributes this year, too. He's got a lot of baseball in front of him, and I think we're just scratching the surface when you consider the numbers he's putting up and the fact he can play all three outfield spots."
Mauer believes Corcino would be a great asset someday as a coach, and there is also the matter of fatherhood. The newest U.S. citizen on the Lookouts roster has a wife who is pregnant with a boy due in October.
"I'm a busy man," Corcino said.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.