Matusz needs to go down and reinvent himself

[Saintbird]

In other news...The HR derby pitchers have been announced. EVERY batter has selected either Brian Matusz or Jason Berken.

[Can_of_corn]

In other news...The HR derby pitchers have been announced. EVERY batter has selected either Brian Matusz or Jason Berken.

They must not know that the Red Sox haven't sent down Clay Buchholz yet.

[Scrat1]

Certainly not a good outing, but I'm not particularly worried about him. This isn't a Tommy Hunter case where the guy was clearly running on borrowed time. Matusz may figure it out, or he may not, but tonight shouldn't significantly change anyone's opinion about him. I personally think he's going to settle into a ~4.00 ERA starter who, due to some ongoing command issues, leaves balls up in the zone too often and pays for it. Maybe not the shutdown guy we were hoping for, but still very valuable.

[Dawkins]

Brian Matusz has no future with the Orioles. He doesn't help them win.

[Scrat1]

Brian Matusz has no future with the Orioles. He doesn't help them win.

I see you learned your tact from your namesake.

[Lucky Jim]

Brian Matusz has no future with the Orioles. He doesn't help them win.

Except when he wins?

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/al/orioles/story/2012-05-01/yankees-showalter-matusz/54675088/1

Or hands us a game against the Blue Jays:

http://espn.go.com/mlb/boxscore?gameId=320426101

[waroriole]

Man, it is getting past some folk's bed time.

[clapdiddy]

I'm still a big Matusz supporter, but I wouldn't be against him going down to AAA for a couple of starts to get some confidence back and some mechanics straightened out.

He just doesn't seem smooth on his delivery and needs to work on it. I honestly don't see anything wrong with him being given some more time to get himself straight up here. I just would not be surprised if the Orioles did it...and I would support it.

[accinfo]

I'm still a big Matusz supporter, but I wouldn't be against him going down to AAA for a couple of starts to get some confidence back and some mechanics straightened out.

He just doesn't seem smooth on his delivery and needs to work on it. I honestly don't see anything wrong with him being given some more time to get himself straight up here. I just would not be surprised if the Orioles did it...and I would support it.

I kind of agree with you here but I just think Buck and the Orioles think when Matusz starts he gives you a better chance to win then any of the alternatives, Eveland, Johnson, Berkin, Bergensen, or Tillman. I still think they are right about that if that is what they think. That said if they decided to send him down for the reasons you state I would understand and wouldn't have a problem with that. I just think you have to step away from one bad start and look at the last three and say 2 out of 3 ain't bad. Time will tell.

[El Gordo]

This is from the other thread that was mercifully locked down and removed. I wanted to respond though because I thought it was a good post.

I see what you're saying, but Loewen always had suspect mechanics. He literally never looked consistent to me. He got by on very borderline control because his fastball ran like I've almost never seen in both directions. During the last two months of 2010 Matusz had the most consistent mechanics and release point of any Oriole pitcher in years. He was a machine and the outside corner/knee high fastball was a staple that he could throw almost at will. He looked like McGregor with better stuff during that wonderful two months. That guy isn't here now, but I have more faith he'll return than I ever had in Loewen, because it was once there. We'll see.

Yes but what were his TTP's then. I'm serious. How much did monkeying with his mechanics, which you say were excellent, screw them up. And how much are they still screwing them up?

[eddie83]

He is due to face Tampa minus Longoria and KC who has alot of lefties and they have struggled offensively so far this year. Two very big starts for him.

[Miller192]

You can't send Matusz down until you've got a better option. Maybe that's Dana Eveland, but I doubt there's that much more confidence in him.

I'm hoping Matusz can give you 6 innings and 3-4 runs. If the offense keeps clicking, that should be enough.

[Pedro Cerrano]

Matusz has 40% of the O's losses this year. Just saying.

[mcinww0]

Wouldn't this apply to a lot of young struggling pitchers?

They might as well keep him up as long as there's nobody chomping at the bit to replace him. If he struggles against Tampa and KC, and Britton is doing well in rehab, that would be another story. Before tonight his starts had been getting constantly better in all areas, despite facing really good offensive teams every tome out. If he were able to retire Brandon Snyder (of all people) he very well could have turned in a decent line.

On a side note, why does everyone seem to think he isn't "mentally tough"? Its totally unrelated but you hear the same about joe flacco. Is because he looks nervous on the mound? Should he try to make meaner faces at the batters? His body language last year did imply he was scared, but this year, especially in his better starts, he's looked confident. Did giving up a HR to Granderson and then coming back to dominate for 6 innings not show an impressive toughness? He seems like a pretty normal guy in interviews and I think his experiences last year helped him mature.

[brianod]

I was at the game tonight. There is no way to sugercoat it, he was bad. Zero command and when he did manage to get the ball in the strikezone, it was hit hard. I don't think succeeding in AAA in the worst hitters park in AAA will accomplish anything. Like Ponson and Cabrera, you simply have to stick with them and hope the light bulb turns on. Sometimes is does (Jake, Jones, Wieters) sometimes it doesn't Ponson, Cabrera.

If there is one thing we should have learned from this start is that sometimes young players develop slower then we would like. The thing that gives him a chance is his increased velocity. As long as he is 90-92, I believe he has a very good chance to be successful.