Tillman to start tonight in Bowie. 7:05

[Moose Milligan]

Ouch, not good.

Welp, nothing to do but get better.

[ChaosLex]

It's just the first game of the season. Give them a week or two to come around.

[BowieMike]

It's just the first game of the season. Give them a week or two to come around.

Exactly. Like I mentioned, Tillman definitely showed off his curveball and looked great early on. Also remember he, like the rest of the pitchers, is on a pitch count. Tonight it was somewhere around 60 or so. You really have to give guys a couple starts to get back into rhythm.

More to come after the game...

[mikezpen]

Threw too many pitches and walked too many. Well, that's unusual.

[hoosiers]

Other teams pitchers are facing the same conditions and probably the same restrictions.

It's very, very early, but our pitchers are being out-pitched and our hitters are beign out-hit so far. Disappointing, IMO.

[O's fan from NC]

Lets not forget that he is only 19 and pitching in AA.

[Tony-OH]

I'll have more later on Tillman, but I was not discouraged despite the poor command last night. The stuff is certainly there although I didn't see a changeup, but the fastball has life and the curveball is a legit plus pitch.

Remember folks, don't ever get too up or too down this early in the season on players.

[mikezpen]

I'll try not. But every single prospect above A ball was lousy. Takes the luster off what Erbe and Arrieta did at Frederick.

[oriole from cal]

I'll try not. But every single prospect above A ball was lousy. Takes the luster off what Erbe and Arrieta did at Frederick.

Everybody???? Even DHernandez when he wasn't at his best he did alright. Wow, you're so hard!!! DHernandez wasn't even close to being lousy. Berken wasn't lousy either wasn't perfect but wasn't close in being lousy. You need to lighthen up!!!

Player        IP  H R ER BB SO HR ERA Hernandez, D  4.2 5 1 1  2  4  0  1.93 Berken        5.0 6 2 2  1  2  0  3.60 

[Jenius]

Remember folks, don't ever get too up or too down this early in the season on players.

Ah yes, but tell that to the doom-and-gloomers on the other thread (what is it, "the lack of hitting in this organization is frightening..."?), started by the OH resident rain cloud. It's one thing to be realistic about the strengths and weaknesses of our system, but I wonder how some people find the strength to post about how bad we are year after year when they're so convinced it will never get better. Every bad week equates to someone dropping off the prospect radar, and every good month is just a lucky streak. Maybe the O's just shouldn't bother having a minor league system at all? It's not like we've had anyone like Nick Markakis or Brian Roberts or Eric Bedard come from it...oh, wait...

As far as not getting too high on early success, no one really falls into that category yet (maybe Erbe?)

It's a long season, folks...

[SJA]

Everybody???? Even DHernandez even when he wasn't at his best he did alright. Wow, you're so hard!!! DHernandez wasn't even close to being lousy. Berken wasn't lousy either wasn't perfect but wasn't close in being lousy. You need to lighthen up!!!

Player        IP  H R ER BB SO HR ERA Hernandez, D  4.2 5 1 1  2  4  0  1.93 Berken        5.0 6 2 2  1  2  0  3.60 

I agree...David pitched a really good game. The knock on him was his pitching with runners on and while I don't have those numbers in front of me, I did notice that he didn't seem to lose composure and kept going after the hitters. It was the first time that I got to see him pitch and I liked what I saw.

David's performance and Kennard's defense were two very bright spots in an overall lackluster start to the Baysox season.

[AVencill]

Do we really have to nitpick these guys after one start to the season? It's a terrible gauge for one, and two, these guys are on very restrictive pitch counts (around 70-75). Sure, I agree Tillman had to be removed, but he also may have pitched more than 30 pitches in an inning (I'm not sure), and had to be removed --one of the Orioles rules for pitchers (haunted Spoone and Erbe like 4 times last year). It's too early to really go after these guys when they're so restricted. Let's look again in a couple months when the pitch counts are 20-30 pitches more, the guys can go much longer, and most importantly, they've got more than one start under their belt.

[Tony-OH]

Do we really have to nitpick these guys after one start to the season? It's a terrible gauge for one, and two, these guys are on very restrictive pitch counts (around 70-75). Sure, I agree Tillman had to be removed, but he also may have pitched more than 30 pitches in an inning (I'm not sure), and had to be removed --one of the Orioles rules for pitchers (haunted Spoone and Erbe like 4 times last year). It's too early to really go after these guys when they're so restricted. Let's look again in a couple months when the pitch counts are 20-30 pitches more, the guys can go much longer, and most importantly, they've got more than one start under their belt.

Just a note, the 30-pitch limit in an inning is no longer a rule. The Orioles still have overall pitch limits but not inning limits anymore.

[AVencill]

Just a note, the 30-pitch limit in an inning is no longer a rule. The Orioles still have overall pitch limits but not inning limits anymore.

You learn something new everything! Tony, was that a Doc Watson/Mazzone thing? And do you know why they got rid of the rule, I'm just curious.

[Tony-OH]

I'll try not. But every single prospect above A ball was lousy. Takes the luster off what Erbe and Arrieta did at Frederick.

Pills Mike, pills my friend. they'll get you balanced.

I'm no more down on a player with a poor start as I am up on a player with a good start right now. Talk to me at the end of April and then we can discuss who's off to good start and poor start in 08, until then it's nothing a few good performances can't significantly change the stats.