Matt Wieters Move is a Matter of Time
Baltimore Orioles Catcher May be Getting Close to a Call-Up
May 19, 2009
As the Baltimore Orioles season heads towards Memorial Day, Oriole fans are awaiting signs from their front office announcing the call-up of catcher Matt Wieters from Norfolk. The time may be rapidly approaching both from sheer need and favorable schedule standpoint.
Wieters’ Season in Norfolk-Hitting
Thirty-two games into the 2009 season, Wieters is following up an overwhelmingly successful 2008 campaign at AA Bowie and A Frederick, with a solid performance at the plate for the Orioles' AAA affiliate Norfolk Tides. His current .282 batting average includes seven doubles, four home runs, and twenty-one runs batted in. Wieters’ OPS of .844 is third on the team for players with over 31 at-bats. While not overpowering AAA pitching, Wieters appears to be a solid bat that should carry over to the majors, and a vast improvement over any current Oriole catchers.
Wieters’ Season in Norfolk-Position Play
What’s holding Wieters in the minors until the last minute is clearly a strategy designed by Oriole management to make as sure as is possible that he can handle the rigors of catching on a day-to-day basis; the Orioles do not want Wieters up for part-time duty. Handling pitchers, calling and managing a game, blocking pitches and throwing out runners attempting to steal are arduous jobs that take time and commitment to learn, and both the team and Wieters are showing both.
At present in Norfolk, Wieters has committed only one error while handling future Orioles such as Chris Tillman, and current Orioles in the form of Rich Hill, Brad Bergeson and Matt Albers. Wieters was solid behind the plate in his AA Bowie stint, throwing out 46 percent of base stealers in the Eastern League, however base stealing statistics are not available through the Norfolk affiliate, so it is difficult to determine how he’s faring to date at the AAA level.
Finding a comfort level in calling a game will take time, but with a solid backup and mentor in the form of Gregg Zaun, who is in his 15th year in the major leagues, the Orioles are hoping the learning curve isn’t prohibitive.
Orioles Schedule is Favorable
The Orioles travel the first week of June to the west coast for games against Seattle and Oakland. The timing might be right to allow Wieters to break in and get his feet wet before the Birds return to Baltimore for a home stand against the Mariners and Braves. If the Orioles choose to work him in on the west coast, their first home stand in June might be the most anticipated in quite some time at Oriole Park.
Regardless of when it occurs, one thing is fairly certain: Wieters can expect a huge crowd and warm welcome on whatever date is set for his home debut.
