Results tagged ‘ Matt Wieters ’
Matt Wieters starts – Luke Scott stars
The storybook opening to Matt Wieters’ Major League career didn’t quite materialize last night, but the Orioles still got the win. Luke Scott saw to that.
MLB.com helpfully published a list of the opening performances by several great catchers, which firmly puts Wieters’ hitless debut in perspective. Johnny Bench, Carlton Fisk, Gary Carter and Craig Biggio’s careers weren’t exactly hampered by a hitless start, so no need to panic about the Orioles’ young star living up to the hype just yet.
There was so much pressure on Wieters’ shoulders, from the expectant home crowd to the pressure the young catcher was putting on himself, that the Tigers did the sensible thing and tested him right out of the box. Wieters dashed out from behind the plate, fielded the bunted ball cleanly and threw the runner out with a minimum of fuss.
Test number one was passed with aplomb.
The home crowd would have loved to see that defensive play followed up by a big hit from their new star, but the hits came from a less-heralded player. Luke Scott has been swinging the bat well over the last few days and he briefly took the attention away from the new boy by belting two bombs, one of which went for a grand slam.
The Orioles also got a look at another part of their future thanks to a solid outing by rookie pitcher Brad Bergeson. His eight-inning effort played a significant part in Baltimore’s 7-2 win.
Yet it was still Wieters’ name that was on everyone’s lips after the game and it will be again tonight as he looks to get his first Major League hit off Justin Verlander.
There’s a contest I can’t wait to see.
Happy Wieters Day!
Unless you’ve been on Planet Zog over the last few days, you’ll be well aware that the top Minor League prospect in baseball is about to graduate to the Majors.
Matt Wieter’s scheduled debut tonight has gained a great deal of publicity, which tells you a lot about just how talented a player he is. Expectations are sky-high and the catcher will need to go 5-for-5 with a couple of homers against the Tigers to not be seen as a disappointment by some.
Clearly we need to rein in our enthusiasm a little bit. Regardless of his talent, the Majors will be a steep learning curve for Wieters and we shouldn’t expect too much too soon. Yet he has been wowing scouts for so long that you wouldn’t be too shocked if he took to the Big Leagues with ease. That’s a scary thought.
The best thing about the hoopla for me is that it’s a rare moment in the sun for the Orioles. Their fans haven’t had much to get excited about in recent years. Those Orioles fans heading to Camden Yards today will have a spring in their step, bursting with excitement about the most eagerly anticipated game played by Baltimore for a while.
What’s more, this won’t just be a one-night-stand. Wieters looks like a star in the making, a player who will symbolize the organization for years to come. With the likes of Nick Markakis and Adam Jones already playing in the Majors and some young pitching talent also making its way to The Show quickly, tonight could be the start of a great era of baseball in Baltimore.
First pitch in tonight’s game is scheduled for 07.05pm Eastern Time, which makes for a five past midnight start here in Britain. I’m sure I won’t be the only Brit staying up to watch it.
No pressure Matt!
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