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The Matt Wieters Appreciation Thread

Frobby

By Frobby
in Orioles Talk

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Dark Helmet Hangout Grand Counsel

Dark Helmet

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29 minutes ago, weams said:

Oh, I liked him. I was just sorry he was a Boras guy and sorry he got hurt on us. Not his fault. 

I didn't mean anyone in general. It just seemed some fans took for granite how good we had it at C, because he didn't develop into a HOFer. It was the "experts" that tagged him "Mauer with power". He never became that. But he developed into a hell of a defender with a cannon for an arm. Not bad for an offense first C. I doubt Buck is too happy right now.

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fansince1988 Major Leaguer Cup of Coffee

fansince1988

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Matt represented the first sign of hope for the fanbase during 14 years of losing.

I was fortune enough to see him play at Frederick, and I was in the stands with my father at Camden Yards when he hit his first career home run against the Mets.

I always dreamed that Matt would hit a towering homerun in game 7 of the World Series at Camden Yards. 

Thank you MW for your effort. You gave us hope.

 

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Moose Milligan Hangout Grand Counsel

Moose Milligan

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The best catcher in Orioles history?  Sure Dempsey played more games, but who'd you rather have?  Maybe Hoiles makes a case but his peak wasn't long and he wasn't as good of a defender, IIRC.  

I had sky high expectations like everyone else.  I was frustrated that he never approached those heights but then I realized I wouldn't want any other catcher.  Great defender and when he got hot he was scorching hot.  

A leader, too.  I was hoping he'd be a career Oriole but we got his best years.  I wish him well wherever he ends up.

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foxfield Hangout Grand Counsel

foxfield

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He was never, ever going to match the expectations.  If we judge him by our otherworldly expectations he was good but disappointing.  If we judge Matt by the player he was is much more fair.  This is probably the right time to move on, but I for one will miss him a great deal.  He was tough, quiet and an Oriole.  One of the best Orioles of this generation and certainly part of the crew that pulled us out of the darkness.  I too wish him well and hope he finds a way back to Baltimore in the future.  Good luck Matt.

 

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Frobby Hangout Grand Counsel

Frobby

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2 hours ago, Ruzious said:

Matt did well here - not as well as the extremely high expectations helped set by him being a high number 1 pick and putting up great minor league numbers       

It was mostly that year in the minors that created the crazy expectations.    Wieters' 16.3 rWAR ranks 9th among the 52 players who were picked at no. 5 overall.     It's hard to complain about that.  

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FanSince88 Major Leaguer

FanSince88

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Unforunately for Matt Wieters, and for Orioles fans, his formative years were during the tail end of the era when a catcher's first sacred duty was to throw out runners.  

Since then, new catching metrics have emerged on pitch framing and the like, while fewer teams care about stealing bases anymore.  A cannon of an arm isn't as impressive as it once was if stolen bases are no longer a big part of offensive strategy.  

I remember hearing on the radio recently that Mike Piazza's entire defensive career is being re-evaluated because he was apparently a very good pitch framer despite his weak arm.  Makes you think that if this were the 80s or 90s, MW might be considered the "elite" catcher that he seems to fall just short of in everyone's perception these days.  

I am interested to compare the contract Wieters gets with Castillo's contract, and their respective on-field performance, for the next few seasons.  Will be fascinating to see whether MW earns the payday he gets from whoever decides to sign him next.  

Definitely the right call by the O's not to QO MW this offseason, and fortunate for them that Castillo became available.  

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Prayin4Reign Major Leaguer Cup of Coffee

Prayin4Reign

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Wieters was a big part of the Orioles success over the last 5 years.  Dude had a gun for an arm and was always a team guy.  Some people scoff at chemistry, I don't.  He brought the team respect in different ways.  Teams knew they shouldn't run on him.  He had a tendency for some clutch hitting.  But I suppose in this era of baseball it was time.  Sad, he was my favorite Oriole over the last several years.

Matt will most certainly be in the Oriole Hall of Fame.  

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Palmoripken Hangout Grand Counsel

Palmoripken

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I saw his first home run what feels like ages ago live at OPACY. It was a dreary day and my Dad and brother were a little reluctant about going. We ended up going and Matt hit his first home run that night. Matt may not have reached the hype he had as a prospect but he's been a very good catcher for us all the same. Best of luck to him and his family whereever he goes. I understand why he had to go but it's still sad to see him go. 

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