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07-15-2004, 12:16 PM
That's all I have to say about the first half of this season. Also this:
It sucked.
So, here's one view of why.
07/14/2004 8:00 AM ET
O's rotation starting to regroup
Staff beginning to settle down with Miller on board
By Gary Washburn / MLB.com
http://orioles.mlb.com/images/2004/07/07/DnJDLYdI.jpg
Dave Borkowski, called up July 5, won in his first Oriole start. (Gail Burton/AP)
BALTIMORE -- Orioles management knew it was taking a calculated risk by placing four inexperienced pitchers in the starting rotation for what was expected to be a resurgent season in Baltimore.
The plan was for the young staff to take its lumps but improve over time as the rejuvenated offense carried the team early, and then both would catapult the team to success in the second half.
Those plans didn't last a month. Not only did the Orioles' young pitchers falter, but three of the four spent time on the disabled list, forcing new manager Lee Mazzilli to find arms elsewhere.
In a doubleheader sweep on July 5 over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, the winning pitchers were Daniel Cabrera and Dave Borkowski, two pitchers who were not in the organization's plans two months ago.
It's been a difficult journey for Mazzilli, who had such high hopes when the took the job in November. The team subsequently signed Miguel Tejada, Javy Lopez and Rafael Palmeiro. The Big Three, for the most part, have lived up to expectations, but the team's main concern is pitching.
"It's obvious, to win you have to be able to pitch the ball," Mazzilli said.
"We need to throw strikes, challenge hitters and let our offense do that work. That has been tough this year, with all the young guys and the injuries."
The Orioles are last in the American League in ERA and walks, a primary reason management removed pitching coach Mark Wiley in place of former manager Ray Miller. Miller has some work to do with an impressionable pitching staff, but his presence is already beginning to make an impact.
In the first six games of July, the Orioles team ERA was 3.51 compared with 5.14 in June. Cabrera is emerging as the staff ace, with the confidence and poise of a seasoned veteran despite his 23 years. Rodrigo Lopez and Erik Bedard have settled into their roles after rocky starts. Lopez is cemented in the rotation after the acquisition of Jason Grimsley.
The most distressing aspect of the pitching staff in the first half has been the performance of Sidney Ponson, who signed a three-year, $22.5 million contract to be the No. 1 starter. With his loss on July 4 at Philadelphia, Ponson had dropped nine straight decisions and his 12 first-half losses are the most by a pitcher in team history.
Mazzilli has no plans to shelve Ponson or send the right-hander to the bullpen. He will pitch his way out of the slump.
"If I knew the problem, I would tell you guys, but I don't," Ponson said.
"All I can go is keep pitching and doing my best. I am making progress, but it doesn't really matter because I am not getting wins."
Ponson's decline has been the key to the team's breakdown in May and June. If Ponson wins four or five more decisions, the Orioles are a .500 team that will get nothing but healthier in the second half.
The injuries to the pitching staff have been devastating. Kurt Ainsworth was expected to be the team's No. 2 starter but did not have the confidence or aggressiveness and then hurt his elbow. Eric DuBose was the team's most reliable starter in the first month but battled with command problems and revealed he was pitching with bone chips in his elbow.
And Omar Daal never even got out of the gate because of shoulder surgery that will cost him this season.
"We're just trying to keep guys healthy and get guys healthy," Mazzilli said.
"We haven't have a full allotment of players all season and we have had to put some guys in roles they weren't used to and hoped they performed."
The Orioles are in search of a reliable starting pitcher before the trade deadline or might wait until the offseason to make a lucrative offer to a frontline pitcher. The organization hopes the starting rotation will stabilize over the next few months, but they wished it would have happened a lot sooner.
"There is a reason to be optimistic because there are some good arms in this organization," Miller said.
"All they need to do is take their time and make things fun. That's when you do your best."
Gary Washburn is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
It sucked.
So, here's one view of why.
07/14/2004 8:00 AM ET
O's rotation starting to regroup
Staff beginning to settle down with Miller on board
By Gary Washburn / MLB.com
http://orioles.mlb.com/images/2004/07/07/DnJDLYdI.jpg
Dave Borkowski, called up July 5, won in his first Oriole start. (Gail Burton/AP)
BALTIMORE -- Orioles management knew it was taking a calculated risk by placing four inexperienced pitchers in the starting rotation for what was expected to be a resurgent season in Baltimore.
The plan was for the young staff to take its lumps but improve over time as the rejuvenated offense carried the team early, and then both would catapult the team to success in the second half.
Those plans didn't last a month. Not only did the Orioles' young pitchers falter, but three of the four spent time on the disabled list, forcing new manager Lee Mazzilli to find arms elsewhere.
In a doubleheader sweep on July 5 over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, the winning pitchers were Daniel Cabrera and Dave Borkowski, two pitchers who were not in the organization's plans two months ago.
It's been a difficult journey for Mazzilli, who had such high hopes when the took the job in November. The team subsequently signed Miguel Tejada, Javy Lopez and Rafael Palmeiro. The Big Three, for the most part, have lived up to expectations, but the team's main concern is pitching.
"It's obvious, to win you have to be able to pitch the ball," Mazzilli said.
"We need to throw strikes, challenge hitters and let our offense do that work. That has been tough this year, with all the young guys and the injuries."
The Orioles are last in the American League in ERA and walks, a primary reason management removed pitching coach Mark Wiley in place of former manager Ray Miller. Miller has some work to do with an impressionable pitching staff, but his presence is already beginning to make an impact.
In the first six games of July, the Orioles team ERA was 3.51 compared with 5.14 in June. Cabrera is emerging as the staff ace, with the confidence and poise of a seasoned veteran despite his 23 years. Rodrigo Lopez and Erik Bedard have settled into their roles after rocky starts. Lopez is cemented in the rotation after the acquisition of Jason Grimsley.
The most distressing aspect of the pitching staff in the first half has been the performance of Sidney Ponson, who signed a three-year, $22.5 million contract to be the No. 1 starter. With his loss on July 4 at Philadelphia, Ponson had dropped nine straight decisions and his 12 first-half losses are the most by a pitcher in team history.
Mazzilli has no plans to shelve Ponson or send the right-hander to the bullpen. He will pitch his way out of the slump.
"If I knew the problem, I would tell you guys, but I don't," Ponson said.
"All I can go is keep pitching and doing my best. I am making progress, but it doesn't really matter because I am not getting wins."
Ponson's decline has been the key to the team's breakdown in May and June. If Ponson wins four or five more decisions, the Orioles are a .500 team that will get nothing but healthier in the second half.
The injuries to the pitching staff have been devastating. Kurt Ainsworth was expected to be the team's No. 2 starter but did not have the confidence or aggressiveness and then hurt his elbow. Eric DuBose was the team's most reliable starter in the first month but battled with command problems and revealed he was pitching with bone chips in his elbow.
And Omar Daal never even got out of the gate because of shoulder surgery that will cost him this season.
"We're just trying to keep guys healthy and get guys healthy," Mazzilli said.
"We haven't have a full allotment of players all season and we have had to put some guys in roles they weren't used to and hoped they performed."
The Orioles are in search of a reliable starting pitcher before the trade deadline or might wait until the offseason to make a lucrative offer to a frontline pitcher. The organization hopes the starting rotation will stabilize over the next few months, but they wished it would have happened a lot sooner.
"There is a reason to be optimistic because there are some good arms in this organization," Miller said.
"All they need to do is take their time and make things fun. That's when you do your best."
Gary Washburn is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.