Tough sledding
It’s Labor Day weekend, so I’m not going to delve into politics a whole lot aside from going to the Wicomico County Republican Club Crab Feast later this afternoon. (If you’re wondering why they scheduled it during Labor Day weekend, it’s because we had this uninvited house pest named Irene last weekend when it was originally supposed to occur.)
But I wanted to point out something I find a little bit disturbing as a Shorebirds fan. Unless they draw a little over 13,000 fans to their final three home games of the season Delmarva will have their worst attendance since they began play in 1996. The 2009 club drew 214,525 and that’s the lowest number I’ve found.
Admittedly, there’s no suspense of a pennant drive to bring fans out because we’re mired in last place. A season that began with a promising 16-9 start faded to a middling 35-35 first half and threatens to be the worst in the league as they are 55-82 going into tonight’s game. But we should try and support our hometown team, for there’s a lot of cities and towns dotting the countryside which would love to have the opportunity to have their own minor league franchise. What else would explain the drive for independent baseball teams and leagues?
So come on out and support the boys in orange and black this weekend. Cheer them on so they can at least escape the SAL basement. Game times are 7:05 tonight, 5:05 tomorrow, and 2:05 on Monday – those players have a long drive home so they’ll want to be out by Monday night. After that it’s cold turkey until April 12, 2012.
Let’s not go the way of the Kinston Indians. Remember, we were once the Albany Polecats until people stopped showing up there.
Shorebird of the Week – September 1, 2011
This is a tough time of year for me. Not only is baseball season coming to a close, I run out of Shorebird of the Week slots when a number of players are deserving of the honor. But I try to give it to players who are up-and-coming, and John Ruettiger fits that bill as the first 2011 draftee so honored.
Sure he has a famous uncle but the younger Ruettiger is looking to succeed in his own right in a different sport. And after a slow 3-for-29 start with the Shorebirds John has picked up the pace in a big way, batting .538 (14-for-26) over his last six games. It raised his average from under .100 to its current .309 entering tonight’s contest.
John’s young career now spans just 17 games, as he played 3 games for the GCL Orioles (going 6-for-13) before joining the Shorebirds in mid-August. He was an eighth round selection out of Arizona State University back in June and the 21-year-old hails from Joliet, Illinois.
While John has improved his batting average, the parts of his game we haven’t seen blossom yet are power and ability to steal bases. So far Ruettiger has only 6 extra base hits (all doubles) and is only 1-for-5 on the basepaths. Still, it’s quite possible we’ve not seen the last of John after this week unless the Orioles see fit to promote him to Frederick next spring. My guess is that John will begin the season here despite the fact the organization is a little weak in the outfield position overall.
Next week I’ll wrap up the Shorebirds season with a look back at what was and my Shorebird of the Year selection, with the following week devoted as usual to my picks and pans as a Shorebirds fan. The next Shorebird of the Week will be selected on Opening Day next season – April 5, 2012.
Shorebird of the Week – August 25, 2011
As part of a duo (along with last week’s SotW Matt Bywater) which has stabilized the starting rotation to some extent, David Baker has taken advantage of an opening in Delmarva’s staff to prove he can be effective at this level.
The native of Hemet, California began with a bang, pitching seven shutout innings against Asheville back on July 14 and hasn’t really looked back – six of his eight starts since joining the Shorebirds would meet the definition of ‘quality’ starts (three or fewer runs allowed in six or more innings.) Overall with Delmarva his 3-4 record belies a solid 2.92 ERA, 43-17 strikeout to walk ratio, and .199 average against. His 1.03 WHIP is outstanding.
So how did this guy fly under the radar? While he was drafted in the 14th round in 2009 and pitched effectively (1-0, 2.30 in 15 2/3 innings) in limited GCL duty later that season, his 2010 numbers for Bluefield were terrible – 0-2 with a 7.90 ERA in 4 starts covering just 13 2/3 innings. Maybe the problem was giving up 11 walks in that limited span.
But whatever the 20-year-old Baker did wrong last season, he’s seemed to fix the problem this season. After being one of the few bright spots of Aberdeen’s horrible start this year (1-2, 2.45 in five starts where he fanned 23 and walked just 8 in 25 2/3 innings) the organization challenged him a bit at Delmarva and David has more than measured up.
Interestingly enough, David is more of a fly-ball pitcher than most so his game is more about getting people to hit the ball in the deepest parts of the park – he has allowed 7 home runs in 75 innings overall this season. Yet giving up a solo home run may not be the worst thing in the world compared to what happens when a sinker ball pitcher’s stuff doesn’t sink. Watching him last night, the runs he allowed came on a pair of line-drive singles and a home run – but if not for a pickoff play gone awry he may have escaped the inning with no runs. Otherwise, the BlueClaws didn’t threaten David all night.
Obviously the next challenge for David will be advancing to pitch a full season next year, whether here or in Frederick. But Baker has shown he can handle this level quite well and may be putting himself on the Orioles’ radar screen for future scrutiny.
Shorebird of the Week – August 18, 2011
One definition of the level of play the South Atlantic League is known for is ‘raw.’ Teams place a lot of players here who, for one reason or another, need to work on one or more aspects of their game to advance and while much of the talent may be there it almost always needs a little polishing.
Take Shorebirds pitcher Matt Bywater for example. The 22-year-old Pepperdine product and California native has explosive stuff, as evidenced by averaging over a strikeout per inning in 45 innings split between Delmarva and the Gulf Coast League this season – 47 Ks to be exact.
On the other hand Matt can be frustrating to watch, like during the start against Hagerstown on August 11 where he walked 8 batters in just three innings of work. Bear in mind this came immediately after a start in Kannapolis where Matt allowed just five hits, an unearned run, and no walks in seven innings of work. That stands as his best Delmarva start, with perhaps the next best being last night at Lakewood where he allowed just one free pass and five hits in 5 2/3 innings.
So we don’t know if Jeckyl or Hyde will show up – in Matt’s six starts since becoming a Shorebird he’s allowed 19 walks in 13 innings in three starts, while allowing three walks in 16 2/3 innings in the other three.
Of course, Matt has a high ceiling as the Orioles picked him in the 7th round of last year’s draft – however, he didn’t make his pro debut until this season in the GCL where he dominated to the tune of an 0.59 ERA in 15 1/3 innings of work. His WHIP was under 1 despite allowing nine walks as he gave up just five hits.
His numbers with Delmarva are a little less superhuman – 0-2 with a 3.94 ERA in 29 2/3 innings. He’s had three good chances at that elusive first professional win; alas, the bullpen has let him down each time. Bywater has fanned 30 and walked 22 since becoming a Shorebird, so it’s very obvious where his talent is the most raw.
But with possibly three more outings this season as a starter, Matt has the chance to stake a claim to a starting role next season either here or possibly in Frederick. It’s all in whether he can corral his impressive stuff.
Shorebird of the Week – August 11, 2011
Since joining the team in June, Jeremy Nowak has likely done all that was expected of him. With a brief 8-game repeat of Aberdeen under his belt (a stint where he went 8-for-28 with 2 homers and 6 knocked in,) Jeremy has provided a good share of offense for this new-look team in the second half.
Right now the 23 year old from Cheektowaga, New York via Mt. Olive College – both sort of out of the way as far as baseball is concerned – is hitting .277/3/15/.816 OPS in 42 games with Delmarva. It appears Nowak has figured out the pro ranks after hitting just .179 in 52 games with Aberdeen last season. But the Orioles didn’t lose faith in their 13th round pick from 2010 – they just let him learn in extended spring training before assigning him to a team in mid-season.
Nowak started out great in his first half-dozen games, going 8-for-19 with a home run and six runs batted in. The league began to catch up to him in July, but Jeremy seems to have made the necessary adjustments and is bringing his average back up.
One thing to like about Jeremy is his idea of the strike zone, as he’s fanned only 36 times in 155 at-bats while taking 25 walks. That’s an asset which could serve him well at the next level, and since this is the time of year the Orioles begin to consider the 2012 prospects of the players in their minor league system that could lead Jeremy to begin his first full season at the advanced-A level. If not, the Shorebirds would have a solid hitter for the heart of their order.
Both photos by Kim Corkran.
Shorebird of the Week – August 4, 2011
While the second half of the season has been a little disappointing record-wise, there are players who came on board that are standing out. Moreover, much of the time over the last several seasons the catching position has been a black hole offensively as those who donned the tools of ignorance for the black and orange have more or less been an automatic out. Not so with Joe Oliviera.
Joe came to us after a brief 9-game stay at Frederick where he was hitting .308 in 26 at-bats, and since his arrival he has made the catching position one where there’s offensive prowess. That’s a bit surprising given his 2010 stats in Aberdeen (.204/0/7/.574 OPS in 36 games) but many’s the time a player “gets it” in his second season after making the transition to professional ball from high school or college during his first go-round. A 15th round pick last year out of the University of the Pacific, the 23-year-old San Diego native has put together a nice 80 at-bat run for the Shorebirds, hitting .325 with a homer and 13 batted in. He’s appeared in 23 games since becoming a Shorebird at the halfway point.
In looking at his splits, one thing that jumped out is that Joe has been money with runners in scoring position, collecting 9 hits in the 19 situational at-bats and driving in 11 of his 13 runs. Guys who come through in the clutch are golden for a team, and given the offensive struggles the Shorebirds as a whole have endured (after hitting nearly .280 as a team early on, Delmarva has slumped to a .253 overall average) it’s clear Oliviera is providing a spark.
It’s been years since we could claim a catcher who hit much above the Mendoza line on a consistent basis. But with Joe and fellow backstop Michael Ohlman leading the way the catching position isn’t the easy out this time around.
Shorebird of the Week – July 28, 2011
Believe it or not, in at least offensive area Garabez Rosa has surpassed the player he replaced, megaprospect Manny Machado.
Consider that Machado was hitting .276/6/24/.859 OPS when he was promoted for the second half of the season. Rosa doesn’t have the power numbers and isn’t drawing the walks, but has a higher average than Machado – his comparable numbers are .307/0/12/.731 OPS. Knowing that Machado is on the fast track in the Orioles’ eyes, Rosa was among the first players he passed on his way up the ladder. Everyone else is seemingly playing to be Manny’s eventual backup at the big league level. In fact, when Machado was promoted to Frederick Rosa was sent down to replace him.
If you set aside the Machado comparison, though, you can find that the 21-year-old Dominican signed by the Orioles in 2007 has his own bonafides. This is the second season in a row he’s gotten off to a good start in a Delmarva uniform – last year he flirted with .300 for much of the first half and parlayed it into a SAL All-Star selection. The long season and league may have caught up with him, though, since he ended 2010 with a .251/5/44/.632 OPS line. To be sure, Rosa wasn’t excelling at the Carolina League level, either, batting .212 in 53 games before the demotion to Delmarva.
Yet the free-swinging Garabez (just 30 walks in over 1,400 professional at-bats in five seasons) has an opportunity to improve on his 2010 numbers here and continue his quest up the ladder a step behind Machado. Staying at or above the .300 mark as we wrap up the season against familiar North Division foes will help his cause.
Shorebird of the Week – July 21, 2011
He endured a start which had him flirting with the Mendoza line through the end of May, but Brenden Webb has moved up his average over the last few weeks and earned himself a higher place in the batting order.
As a 30th round pick (out of Palomar Junior College in California) the 21 year old outfielder may not have been expected to do well at this level, but he seems to be slowly figuring it out. Considering he only hit .186 in a brief stint in the Gulf Coast League in 2009 and .227 last year with Bluefield, one may assume he’d have a difficult transition to the full-season level – and they’d be right.
Webb had gotten his average close to the .240 mark before a recent slump pushed him back down below .220 (since the mid-season break Webb has a .240 average, which includes the 1-for-22 slump.) With a couple hits in his last two starts he’s back up to .223/3/22 and a .644 OPS. The Orioles may have seen some power in Brenden since he’s hit 8 home runs in just over 500 professional at-bats; meanwhile Webb has become a more adept base stealer as he’s swiped nine this year. Moreover, Brendan seems to be a good #2 hitter since he has a good .355 on-base percentage (based on drawing a team-leading 57 walks) but could be much better when he cuts down on strikeouts (where he also paces the team with 103.)
I don’t think it would hurt either the Shorebirds or his development for Webb to repeat at this level in 2012. Obviously Brenden needs to put together a season where he hits for average to have a chance to move up in the organization, and repeating at Delmarva to begin 2012 would give him that opportunity. In the meantime, hitting .300 in those last 150 at-bats this season would give him a nice round .250 mark – considering the hole he dug for himself early on, that would be very respectable. To mix sports metaphors, the ball is in his court.
Shorebird of the Week – July 14, 2011
When you get down to the 50th round of baseball’s amateur draft you’re usually picking raw, projectable talent out of high school or a small college. Players coming from those rounds don’t often sign; if they do there’s not much of a bonus.
Yet that wasn’t the case with Tim Berry two years ago. While he received a bonus generally reserved for an upper round pick, he was only a 50th round pick by the Orioles in 2009. How could that be?
Well, the Orioles (and presumably other teams) knew Tim would have Tommy John surgery shortly thereafter, thus Berry didn’t make his organizational debut until last year – just 20 innings in the Gulf Coast League. In essence, Berry is a year behind the remainder of his draft class. The Orioles decided to take the chance that Tim could be an effective pitcher at the highest level after the surgery.
So it’s not surprising that Tim pitches no more than five innings per start. But lately he’s put together some solid outings, and that’s led me to pick him as a Shorebird of the Week. Over his last three starts (15 innings) Tim’s allowed just 9 hits and 3 walks (an 0.80 WHIP) while fanning 16. For the overall season, Tim is 3-5 with a 4.62 ERA in 17 starts. His 67 strikeouts are tied for the team lead; however, he’s pitched 16 1/3 fewer innings than Luis Noel, who also has 67 K’s.
There’s still an erratic streak in the 20 year old out of San Diego, as he’s walked 41 batters and has blown up in a couple starts that have grisly linescores (like 9 runs allowed in 2 1/3 innings against Kannapolis.) But he’s probably developing as nicely as the Orioles could have hoped. Given the fragility of his arm, it’s also likely that Tim will be shut down for the season shortly as he approaches the 100-inning mark.
It’s kind of a shame, as Tim seems to be hitting his stride. We may see him in 2012 but it’s also possible the Orioles will test him in Frederick.
Shorebird of the Week – July 7, 2011
Starters get the wins and closers get the saves, but any good pitching staff has that guy who can come in when needed for a spot start or eat a couple innings to keep the team in the game. For the Shorebirds, Cameron Roth seems to be that guy.
The lefty makes it two weeks out of three that a player from UNC-Wilmington has been selected as SotW (Michael Rooney was the other.) Roth was picked in the 29th round of last year’s draft and spent last season at Bluefield, where he went 2-4, 4.23 in 12 starts and compiled a 1.25 WHIP.
Cameron isn’t a stranger to starting, since that was his role with Bluefield, but for much of this year his role with the Shorebirds has been that of a long reliever – on average his relief stint was about 3 innings. Thus far his numbers have been reasonably good, as he’s compiled a 3-1 record with a 4.91 ERA, allowing 60 hits and 23 walks in 55 innings pitched, while fanning 39. Perhaps the highlight of his season was getting the start (one of three he’s made this year) at Hagerstown June 16, shutting out the Suns for 5 innings and picking up the win.
So what lies ahead for the 22-year-old Virginian? While he’s not thought of as a prospect yet, he seems to have potential once he leaves Delmarva – his home/road splits suggest he doesn’t much care for pitching here (6.46 ERA at Perdue Stadium, 3.73 in other parks.) He may be a nice addition to Frederick’s staff next year with a strong finish and solid spring.
Shorebird of the Week – June 30, 2011
Because last week was a short week due to the All-Star break, one could argue Jarret Martin wasn’t all that deserving of the South Atlantic League’s Pitcher of the Week honors – after all, he made just one start. Granted, it was six innings of one-hit shutout ball against Lakewood in the first game back June 23, but that may have been a fluke.
So he followed that start up yesterday with six more shutout innings against Greensboro, allowing just four hits in that span before finally tiring in the seventh and allowing two runs. It was enough for another “W” in his column and should have silenced any critics.
Placed into the starting rotation for the May 21st contest at Kannapolis, Martin was roughed up for seven runs in 2 2/3 innings. He also struggled in one other start at West Virginia.
But Jarret has been “on” in his last two starts, which have pushed his overall record to 4-3 and lowered his ERA to 4.47 for the season. He’s reacquainted himself with starting duty over the last month, as Martin was a member of Bluefield’s starting rotation last season – there he went 3-5, 4.07 with a 1.49 WHIP.
Still, Martin has one thing to work on. In 116 professional innings, the 18th round pick out of Bakersfield (CA) Junior College has allowed 81 bases on balls. Allowing over 6 walks per 9 innings is not a formula for success at higher levels.
And oddly enough, statistically Jarret was a more effective long reliever than starter, although the two poor starts probably inflated those numbers to a degree.
We will probably see the native Californian who turns 22 in August for the rest of the season here. But if he can continue putting together good outings such as his last two and trim his walk numbers, there’s no reason to believe he can’t anchor Frederick’s starting rotation in 2012.
Shorebird of the Week – June 23, 2011
Not to be confused with another, similarly-named Shorebird infielder, Michael Rooney has set himself on a mission to return to Frederick by hitting the cover off the ball here at Delmarva.
Brought on board to replace Jonathan Schoop (who was promoted to Frederick) on June 5th, Rooney has managed 17 hits in 11 Shorebird games, sporting a gaudy .386 average so far. That which Rooney has accomplished in 11 games and 44 at-bats with the Shorebirds has pretty much matched his total output for Frederick in 26 games and 62 at-bats earlier this season. He was hitting .226 for the Keys prior to his demotion.
A 30th round pick out of UNC-Wilmington last year, Rooney is on the hottest streak of his nascent career since he only hit .234/0/11 for Aberdeen last season with a lackluster .613 OPS. (Compare that to a solid .890 OPS so far at Delmarva.) But one thing which pops out in looking at the 22-year-old Tar Heel’s stats is that he rarely strikes out or takes a walk – in 281 professional at-bats he’s fanned just 48 times and drawn 30 walks. Rooney tends to get wood on the ball, so it’s just a matter of how hard it was hit and where it was placed.
With megaprospect Manny Machado out of the way, manager Ryan Minor may well continue to go with the hot hand of Rooney in the infield for the foreseeable future. As there are four players listed as shortstops on the current roster (but none at second base,) Michael now anchors a crew which is radically different from the group that started the season here – of that four-player shortstop group, not one began the season with Delmarva.
But that doesn’t mean we’ll have any less success – particularly if Rooney can keep the average over the .300 mark.
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