Tillman not part of "the core?"

[RShack]

Are you really 6'8"?

Yep. Perfect height for banging your head on stuff. Same height as a std residential doorway... except for that g.d. little molding lip that sticks down...

[ChaosLex]

I don't think he is. There are those within the organization that think he might be a 4th starter type when it all said and done.

So, maybe we will go after a TOR starter this offseason... ?

[ChaosLex]

Yep. Perfect height for banging your head on stuff. Same height as a std residential doorway... except for that g.d. little molding lip that sticks down...

6'8"!?

Damn. You have five inches on me.

[Stotle]

Fine, I looked them up. For full disclosure, these are the sources of grimed1's scouting report posts:

Arrieta (from August) -- http://razzball.com/scouting-the-unknown-8-12-09/

Matusz (pre-2009 season) -- http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/minorleagues/prospects/y2009/profile.jsp?t=p_top&pid=451085

Tillman (May 2008) -- link dead; was an ESPN report.

For what it's worth, the Tillman report means absolutely nothing to me, considering it was before the development of a changeup, the improved command of a curve and impressive showings at Bowie and Norfolk. Tillman is a different pitcher than he was in May 2008. Not that he's a guaranteed front-end starter, but wow is a quote from seventeen months ago irrelevant.

It helps to post links to these "reports" as they can be pretty damn misleading if all the info isn't provided (no offense to grimed1). Please provide the source or give some sort idea of when/where the info is coming from or else the convo suffers in a not immaterial way.

Thanks.

[ejf1025]

Yep. Perfect height for banging your head on stuff. Same height as a std residential doorway... except for that g.d. little molding lip that sticks down...

Haha.

Damn...don't see 6'8" too often...impressive.

Any basketball bygone days to speak of?

[Tony-OH]

When you hear things like this, it just drives home the point how we really need that second TOR guy, to go along with Matusz.

Not saying Tillman nor Arrieta can't/won't develop into that guy though.

It also drives home why I said Matusz was head and shoulders above Tillman and Arrieta when people talked about the "big three". It's also why I would rank Britton number two behind Matusz, even if they both were available for the prospect list.

Still, a Tillman at number four is not so bad if you ask me.

[ejf1025]

It also drives home why I said Matusz was head and shoulders above Tillman and Arrieta when people talked about the "big three". It's also why I would rank Britton number two behind Matusz, even if they both were available for the prospect list.

Still, a Tillman at number four is not so bad if you ask me.

Really?

Britton over Tillman....and I was shocked by Arrieta.

[Mooreisbetter27]

It also drives home why I said Matusz was head and shoulders above Tillman and Arrieta when people talked about the "big three". It's also why I would rank Britton number two behind Matusz, even if they both were available for the prospect list.

<i>Still, a Tillman at number four is not so bad if you ask me.</i>

Is that to mean that if they were all capable of being ranked in the system that you'd go with Arrieta over Tillman?

Or is more a reference to Tillman as a #4 starter is not so bad?

[JTrea81]

If Tillman is seen as a possible #4, one would think the Orioles would want to trade him sooner than later so that he still has the value of a potential TOR instead of the next Daniel Cabrera for instance.

We can find and develop plenty of #4 starters IMO.

[RShack]

Haha.

Damn...don't see 6'8" too often...impressive.

Any basketball bygone days to speak of?

When I was in 9th grade, Lefty Driesell was interested in a HS junior who lived in my neighborhood, and he showed up at pick-up games a couple times. He kept chatting me up, which was thrilling when you're 15, but I don't think it necessarily meant anything, Lefty was a talker. Anyway, I tore up my left knee between 9th and 10th grade. Kneecap briefly wound up on the side of the knee, but I got it to go back. Big ouch. They didn't have the magic surgery then, and the Dr. told me to forget it.

[ejf1025]

When I was in 9th grade, Lefty Driesell was interested in a HS junior who lived in my neighborhood, and he showed up at pick-up games a couple times. He kept chatting me up, but I don't think that means anything, Lefty was a talker. Anyway, I tore up my left knee between 9th and 10th grade. They didn't have the magic surgery then, and the Dr. told me to forget it.

Shame, sorry to hear about the injury. Pretty cool Lefty talked to you tho...

I lost my entire junior year baseball season after a pretty nasty ankle injury...still not the same.

[Sports Guy]

It also drives home why I said Matusz was head and shoulders above Tillman and Arrieta when people talked about the "big three". It's also why I would rank Britton number two behind Matusz, even if they both were available for the prospect list.

Still, a Tillman at number four is not so bad if you ask me.

Calling him a #4 is very premature though...unless you don't feel he is coachable and has the ability to learn more.

I mean, he has a frame where he can fill out some more, which may help his fastball...Yes, he has to learn a pitch to induce more grounders but he is only 21...Not like that can't happen.

[Stotle]

If Tillman is seen as a possible #4, one would think the Orioles would want to trade him sooner than later so that he still has the value of a potential TOR instead of the next Daniel Cabrera for instance.

We can find and develop plenty of #4 starters IMO.

See, now we go from "there are some questions that SOME have about Tillman" to "Tillman could be another Daniel Cabrera"...this is what happens...

[Dipper9]

When I was in 9th grade, Lefty Driesell was interested in a HS junior who lived in my neighborhood, and he showed up at pick-up games a couple times. He kept chatting me up, which was thrilling when you're 15, but I don't think it necessarily meant anything, Lefty was a talker. Anyway, I tore up my left knee between 9th and 10th grade. Kneecap briefly wound up on the side of the knee, but I got it to go back. Big ouch. They didn't have the magic surgery then, and the Dr. told me to forget it.

No worries though. You have had a wonderful career in acting, and I'm sure your son is making you all kinds of dough with his Jack Bauer role!

[Stotle]

Calling him a #4 is very premature though...unless you don't feel he is coachable and has the ability to learn more.

I mean, he has a frame where he can fill out some more, which may help his fastball...Yes, he has to learn a pitch to induce more grounders but he is only 21...Not like that can't happen.

Am I the only guy who really likes the look of Tillman's change-up? I think I must be. It isn't perfect, yet, but I thought it was incredibly impressive.