Roch: Tillman trying to turn around career

[ChaosLex]

http://www.masnsports.com/school_of_roch/2012/02/tillman-trying-to-turn-around-career.html

Tillman is a disappointing story to me as I (and many others) had high hopes for him when we acquired him in the Bedard trade. It'd be nice if he could prove the naysayers wrong and turn things around this coming season.

[Roll Tide]

http://www.masnsports.com/school_of_roch/2012/02/tillman-trying-to-turn-around-career.html

Tillman is a disappointing story to me as I (and many others) had high hopes for him when we acquired him in the Bedard trade. It'd be nice if he could prove the naysayers wrong and turn things around this coming season.

First he'd have to go back to his old mechanics soo that he can rediscover his fastball. Its really not his fault as far as i'm concerned. The blame goes to the idiot Orioles coach who tinkered with his mechanics.

[ScottP]

" This year, I'm going after it. No more tryout stuff. I've got to get after it. "

I hear that some boys don't get it until they're 25 and suddenly the lightbulb turns on (I have a 20 yr old and if his epiphany is only 5 years away, I'll be stunned). Maybe this will be his moment (Matusz, too); hope so.

[Frobby]

Tillman has always interested me, because his results fluctuate from very good to awful almost every other start. I've always thought it was possible that something would click for him one day and he'd suddenly be very good. Let us hope this is the year.

[atomic]

Of all the pitchers that the Orioles have brought up in the last few years I have the least faith in Tillman being able to become a major league pitcher. I just don't see anything there.

[Gurgi]

Tillman will start in AAA. If he gets back to Baltimore will likely be a bad sign for our starters. It will mean multiple guys cant hack it.

[Brendan25]

Of all the pitchers that the Orioles have brought up in the last few years I have the least faith in Tillman being able to become a major league pitcher. I just don't see anything there.

Couldn't agree more. He is Daniel Cabrera part 2. Has the stuff, but has no idea what to do with it. I don't think he'll ever be anything.

[Frobby]

Of all the pitchers that the Orioles have brought up in the last few years I have the least faith in Tillman being able to become a major league pitcher. I just don't see anything there.

I hear this opinion a lot. But if there is nothing there, why do we see games like:

6 IP, 0 H

6 IP, 3 H

7 IP, 4 H

7.1 IP, 2 H

6.2 IP, 1 H

7 IP, 3 H

6.2 IP, 4 H

Tillman does this just often enough for me to think that there is more there, if he could harness it. Of course, so did DCab.

[.500_OR_BETTER]

Good for him, he is still very young and has a good amount of exp under his belt.

The only good thing is that he will not be forced into the rotation by any injury. If he wants to pitch at the MLB level he will have to earn it.

[CA-ORIOLE]

Couldn't agree more. He is Daniel Cabrera part 2. Has the stuff, but has no idea what to do with it. I don't think he'll ever be anything.

His primary FB isn't nearly as good as Cabrera's was, but there are some similarities. That said, Tillman was given time in the minors and DCab really wasn't. I don't see much here either.

[Sports Guy]

In most other organizations, Tillman is a ML contributor IMO.

The Orioles are constantly screwing him up.

I really hope Peterson can change things for Tillman and the organization as a whole.

[SammyBirdland]

It will take me no more than his first two innings to know if he has potentially turned his career around. If he's throwing 88, no he hasn't. If he's throwing 92, then maybe. His 88 MPH fastball fools nobody.

[NCRaven]

I want Tillman to pitch well enough that GM's around baseball will think, "this is a guy I'd like to have on my team." If that GM is Duquette, great. If it's another GM that we might be making a deal with, that's fine, too. Right now, he's gone from the deal-breaker we demanded in the Bedard trade to someone GM's don't really want as a throw-in with other players. I want Tillman to be a guy that can make the Orioles a better team, whether it's pitching for us or in a trade for someone else.

[CA-ORIOLE]

The Orioles are constantly screwing him up.

Yeah, expecting a pitcher to be able to throw strikes is pretty awful. Taking away that 12-6 curveball that was a ball 99% of the time was an absoloute travesty.

[NewMarketSean]

I think Tillman is a guy who would work well in the bullpen. He seems unable to pitch well for longer than a couple of innings. I know he's had some great starts, but I think limiting him to an inning or two could make him a lot more effective. I'd still see if he could be a SP this year but I wouldn't cut bait on him if he can't. If he can't do that I would turn his focus into becoming a BP guy.