Erbe is doing it again!

[AVencill]

I think he'll abandon it for good. That's a hittable pitch, and it's probably one of his worst pitches IMO. With the new slider grip, I can see him being just as effective with three pitches as a four-pitch guy with the curve. Hitters sit on that curve, but maybe that pitch will resurface. Regardless, I like his new repetoire, and I think it'll suit him well in the second half of the season.

[DennisTheOsFan]

Erbe had hit a patch of bad outings, after starting the year off on a tear. I was wondering if he was having problems replicating his motion on his adjusted delivery (without the hitch). So was it his slow curve that was messing him up? And is he now back on track with a new grip on his slider and forgetting about his slow curve? I hope so.

Is his slider, with the new grip, a plus pitch?

[Oriolesfan8]

Erbe was #2. Here is the excerpt:

No. 2 BRANDON ERBE, RHP

Team: high Class A Frederick (Orioles)

Age: 20

Why He's Here: 7 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 12 K

The Scoop: It's hard to find a pitching prospect who has had more ups and downs than the Orioles righthander. For a pitcher with great stuff (a mid-90s fastball and flashes of a plus slider), Erbe has had an extremely inconsistent career. So understandably, it's hard to know if his recent success is a sign that he's turned a corner, or just another stretch of domination that will be followed by several innings of doom. But whether it's a blip or the start of something big, over his last two starts no one had been better than Erbe. He threw seven hitless innings against Wilmington on June 11, striking out nine and walking two, then followed it up by allowing one hit and one hit batter in seven scoreless innings on Tuesday, as he struck out a Carolina League season-best 12. According to BA correspondent Roch Kubatko, the newfound success came after pitching coach Blaine Beatty taught him a new grip for his slider two starts ago. For many pitchers, a new grip or a new pitch can start a complete turnaround. In Erbe's case, we'll wait and see—but the early returns are good.

[Oriolesfan8]

Also, this is from a chat following up the BA Hot Sheet:

Q: James from North East, MD asks:

Compare Erbe to Tillman. Who is better now? Who has a better chance to make it to the majors?

A: J.J. Cooper: I'd compare 'em this way. Tillman is like investing in an index fund. It's likely to give you a pretty good rate of return and it's a pretty safe investment. Erbe is like investing in a risky international fund. You have a chance for some great returns, or you could lose your shirt. At his best, Erbe's stuff is a touch better than Tillman's. He's hs a little more velo and his slider is sometimes plus. Tillman is more polished, even if he is younger, and he's shown much more success at a higher level. If you asked me to choose, I'd pick Tillman. Erbe's ups and downs make it a lot harder to figure out what he's going to turn into.

[tywright]

Bergesen: 3.25 FIP (.278 BABIP)

Tillman: 3.38 FIP (.257 BABIP)

Arrieta: 3.44 FIP (.242 BABIP)

Hernandez: 3.83 FIP (.312 BABIP)

Britton: 3.83 FIP (.280 BABIP)

Erbe: 3.87 FIP (.282 BABIP)

Butler: 4.24 FIP (.312 BABIP) ...3.33 FIP prior to last night's start

Penn: 4.87 FIP (.300 BABIP)

[Ruzious]

Erbe was #2. Here is the excerpt:

No. 2 BRANDON ERBE, RHP

Team: high Class A Frederick (Orioles)

Age: 20

Why He's Here: 7 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 12 K

The Scoop: It's hard to find a pitching prospect who has had more ups and downs than the Orioles righthander. For a pitcher with great stuff (a mid-90s fastball and flashes of a plus slider), Erbe has had an extremely inconsistent career. So understandably, it's hard to know if his recent success is a sign that he's turned a corner, or just another stretch of domination that will be followed by several innings of doom. But whether it's a blip or the start of something big, over his last two starts no one had been better than Erbe. He threw seven hitless innings against Wilmington on June 11, striking out nine and walking two, then followed it up by allowing one hit and one hit batter in seven scoreless innings on Tuesday, as he struck out a Carolina League season-best 12. According to BA correspondent Roch Kubatko, the newfound success came after pitching coach Blaine Beatty taught him a new grip for his slider two starts ago. For many pitchers, a new grip or a new pitch can start a complete turnaround. In Erbe's case, we'll wait and see—but the early returns are good.

Gotta love a guy like Blaine Beatty. He spent 11 years in the minors and had 2 very short cups of coffee in the majors and an impressive 121-69 minor league record with a 3.26 ERA to show for it. http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/B/Blaine-Beatty.shtml

Now, he works with minor leaguers and just may have found the one adjustment that turns a struggling kid into a future star. How great is that?

[Frobby]

Also, this is from a chat following up the BA Hot Sheet:

Q: James from North East, MD asks:

Compare Erbe to Tillman. Who is better now? Who has a better chance to make it to the majors?

A: J.J. Cooper: I'd compare 'em this way. Tillman is like investing in an index fund. It's likely to give you a pretty good rate of return and it's a pretty safe investment. Erbe is like investing in a risky international fund. You have a chance for some great returns, or you could lose your shirt. At his best, Erbe's stuff is a touch better than Tillman's. He's hs a little more velo and his slider is sometimes plus. Tillman is more polished, even if he is younger, and he's shown much more success at a higher level. If you asked me to choose, I'd pick Tillman. Erbe's ups and downs make it a lot harder to figure out what he's going to turn into.

Well personally, I think it's a good idea to have a diverse portfolio with some safe funds and some riskier ones with upside. Having Tillman and Erbe is better than having 2 Tillmans or 2 Erbe's.

[Ruzious]

So, at the end of the season, are we going to see a Bowie rotation of Tillman, Arietta (sp?), Matusz, Erbe, and Hernandez/Spoone? Filthy.

[olehippi]

Well personally, I think it's a good idea to have a diverse portfolio with some safe funds and some riskier ones with upside. Having Tillman and Erbe is better than having 2 Tillmans or 2 Erbe's.

Then I gues the O's have invested wisely in Gutherie (safe fund) and Cabrera (risk fund)....

[AVencill]

Erbe had hit a patch of bad outings, after starting the year off on a tear. I was wondering if he was having problems replicating his motion on his adjusted delivery (without the hitch). So was it his slow curve that was messing him up? And is he now back on track with a new grip on his slider and forgetting about his slow curve? I hope so.

Is his slider, with the new grip, a plus pitch?

Earlier in the year he was having problems with getting his pitches down in the zone. He left several balls up and he paid for it on multiple occasions.

As far as the "new" slider goes, Tony's the real scout on the board, but I'll tell you what: In the first game I watched versus Wilmington, he dominated with that pitch. It was very dominant, with great late break and a good velocity to it. It might not be plus, but it's certainly well above average. That fastball-slider-change certainly gives him 2 dominant pitches with an average to above average change.

[DennisTheOsFan]

Earlier in the year he was having problems with getting his pitches down in the zone. He left several balls up and he paid for it on multiple occasions.

As far as the "new" slider goes, Tony's the real scout on the board, but I'll tell you what: In the first game I watched versus Wilmington, he dominated with that pitch. It was very dominant, with great late break and a good velocity to it. It might not be plus, but it's certainly well above average. That fastball-slider-change certainly gives him 2 dominant pitches with an average to above average change.

How is Erbe's control, for the most part, of his FB, SL, and change? I mean, if this guy can throw those pitches for strikes consistently, I gotta believe that, with more seasoning, he's going to be right there with Matusz, Tillman, and Arrieta when we talk about the future O's starting rotation.

But if he struggles throwing strikes regularly, I can see why he's a wildcard.

[Pruke]

Well personally, I think it's a good idea to have a diverse portfolio with some safe funds and some riskier ones with upside. Having Tillman and Erbe is better than having 2 Tillmans or 2 Erbe's.

I'll take 2 of each and the check please...

[Frobby]

How is Erbe's control, for the most part, of his FB, SL, and change? I mean, if this guy can throw those pitches for strikes consistently, I gotta believe that, with more seasoning, he's going to be right there with Matusz, Tillman, and Arrieta when we talk about the future O's starting rotation.

But if he struggles throwing strikes regularly, I can see why he's a wildcard.

Well, he certainly hasn't struggled throwing strikes this year, especially compared to past seasons:

2005: 4.15 BB/9

2006: 3.69 BB/9

2007: 4.68 BB/9

2008: 2.17 BB/9

[PlumOriole]

So, at the end of the season, are we going to see a Bowie rotation of Tillman, Arietta (sp?), Matusz, Erbe, and Hernandez/Spoone? Filthy.

I hope so. I can see me going to more Bowie games than I ever have this year.

[jamesenoch]

Also, this is from a chat following up the BA Hot Sheet:

Q: James from North East, MD asks:

Compare Erbe to Tillman. Who is better now? Who has a better chance to make it to the majors?

A: J.J. Cooper: I'd compare 'em this way. Tillman is like investing in an index fund. It's likely to give you a pretty good rate of return and it's a pretty safe investment. Erbe is like investing in a risky international fund. You have a chance for some great returns, or you could lose your shirt. At his best, Erbe's stuff is a touch better than Tillman's. He's hs a little more velo and his slider is sometimes plus. Tillman is more polished, even if he is younger, and he's shown much more success at a higher level. If you asked me to choose, I'd pick Tillman. Erbe's ups and downs make it a lot harder to figure out what he's going to turn into.

Man, that James from North East, MD really asked a good question..