Chris Tillman = Batting Practice

[SteveA]

He's 23 years old...

Wasn't he the guy just a few years ago who we expected to see at the front end of the rotation for years to come? I think it's still to early in his career to make assumptions.

But wasn't that expectation based at least in part on the 94-95 MPH fastball we heard about, and that we saw in Bowie?

[Sports Guy]

Some close calls but you can't be trying to hit the corners on your first pitch, unless you're Greg Maddux. Of course, he doesn't have the stuff to be agressive on the first pitch. He gets behind every batter and then he's dog meat.

I don't disagree but him not getting those calls clearly effected his approach. You could tell he was a little disrupted by it too...He hung his head a few times/glared at the ump.

[crissfan172]

Tillman wasn't squeezed...it's just a small strike zone.

He seems to be commanded his stuff...he just got behind in the count because of the small zone. Now he has to adjust.

[Saintbird]

But wasn't that expectation based at least in part on the 94-95 MPH fastball we heard about, and that we saw in Bowie?

I don't think sending him down to Norfolk is going to help his velocity and I don't think we have anyone else (Available) who I'd rather have pitching in the rotation.

[SrMeowMeow]

I'm definitely concerned that his stuff has taken a step back. But he still has the chance to be a valuable (read: league average mid-rotation starter) asset. Let's not ignore that.

[Orioles0615]

He's 23 years old...

Wasn't he the guy just a few years ago who we expected to see at the front end of the rotation for years to come? I think it's still to early in his career to make assumptions.

Didn't we say the same thing about Daniel Cabrera

[crissfan172]

....and clearly he adjusted very poorly....

[Saintbird]

I'm definitely concerned that his stuff has taken a step back. But he still has the chance to be a valuable (read: league average mid-rotation starter) asset. Let's not ignore that.

I agree completely. However, it's now become painfully obvious to me that tonight is....and now was, his night.

[mweb]

His stuff and command is rather poor at the moment. I don't see much of a future for him either unless he figures out how to throw his fastball 92-95 with solid command.

[Saintbird]

Didn't we say the same thing about Daniel Cabrera

And we said the same thing about Jim Palmer. It's not like everyone is going to pan out but I still think it's too early in Chris' career to say that he is a lost cause.

[Hank Scorpio]

His stuff and command is rather poor at the moment. I don't see much of a future for him either unless he figures out how to throw his fastball 92-95 with solid command.

Or something with solid command. He's got command of zero right now.

[JTrea81]

He's batting practice indeed - Hayden Penn part II. You can see it in his body language - no confidence. He can't locate and when he does he either telegraphs his curve or throws a 89-90 MPH fastball with no movement.

He'll be out of baseball soon if he keeps pitching like this.

For those that say he's 23 - he made his debut at 21 so it's not like he's a rookie. He's an old 23 as he's got ML experience but he's simply not a ML pitcher.

We made excuse after excuse for Cabrera, and Penn etc, but the problem was they just couldn't be successful at the ML level.

[bmoreb]

Maybe it was the mist

[Sports Guy]

Did you guys hear what Palmer said when he came out of the game?

He talked about how out of whack his mechanics are.

If that is the case, then send him down and let him try to get it figured out with Griffin.

[Steve I]

disappointing clap clap, there goes the O's season, we need uber pitching, with Tillman, not going to happen. Oriole Sigh.