When the Orioles selected high school pitcher Matt Hobgood with the fifth overall pick in the last draft, there was certainly mixed feelings at first.  Some said the pick was a "money conscious" move by the front office, although Hobgood did receive a hefty $2.42 million signing bonus.  Since then, the general consensus has seemed positive as Oriole fans alike now just want to see the young right hander succeed.

Hobgood, out of California, has impressive physical stats.  Standing 6'4'' and checking in around 245 lbs, Matt should have the size and stamina to handle the grind of a full professional season.  His fastball clocks in the low 90's with the ability to get as high as 95mph when needed.  The pitch that has many people talking is the sharp-breaking curve ball that had California high schoolers buckled (draft day video clip). 

Since signing with the organization Hobgood has been with the Bluefield Orioles (West Virginia) working as a starter.  The team has clearly been using Matt very cautiously, as he has yet to work more that five innings in any of his eight starts.  He has also been averaging 6-7 days rest between outings, which may have made it difficult to find consistency.

The numbers have been relatively decent.  His best effort (and only win thus far) came August 13 when Hobgood pitched five scoreless innings, allowing only two hits.  He has lost two decisions, including his worst outing on August 20 which saw Matt allow six earned runs over four tough innings.  Hobgood's ERA finished at 4.73, a number that shouldn't be too troubling considering the circumstances.

With his season now over and fall/winter ball unlikely for such a young arm, Hobgood can focus on the off-season and hopefully keeping his Ponsonesque pleasantly plump frame in shape.  It is tough to say what the front office will decide is the proper promotion for Matt in 2010.  There are only two real choices: short season Aberdeen or Class A Delmarva.  They can afford to be slow to move him through the system, so Delmarva may be a stretch.  Wherever he goes, the key will be developing more pitches to add to his now-limited repertoire.

With all of the recent promotions seen by the big club, it has been easy to forget that there are still some potential impact players in our farm system.  Today was a much better day for many of our affiliates than it was for the O's...

Norfolk Tides (AAA): In a rare turn of events the Orioles defeated the Red Sox...at the AAA level.  Former PawSox star and AAAA'er David Pauley led the Tides to a 5-3 victory.  After a rough start with Norfolk, 1B Brandon Snyder has improved his play at the plate.  Today he was 2-5 with an RBI and is now sporting in OPS in the low .700's and climbing.

  Snyder

Bowie Baysox (AA): In the pitching performance of the day, Brandon Erbe held New Hampshire (Toronto's AA team) HITLESS over eight full innings in route to a 7-1 win.  Since returning from "arm fatigue" Erbe has yet to lose in 5 starts with Bowie, allowing just 9 earned runs over 27.2 innings.  His ERA now stands at 2.08 on the year and Brandon could be a candidate for winter ball considering he just broke 60 innings pitched on the season.  No Josh Bell again as I am assuming the ankle is still an issue.

Erbe

Frederick Keys (A+):  Zach Britton, one of my personal favorites to land at the back of the future rotation, had a decent outing today against Winston-Salem (White Sox A+ squad).  The Keys were 15-3 winners behind the southpaw, who allowed 3 earned runs over 5.1 innings.  The effort actually raised Zach's ERA to 2.79, but did earn him his eighth win on the season.  Brandon Waring contributed a homerun and four RBI's in the offensive outburst by a team not noted for offensive firepower.  I believe that he, along with catcher Caleb Joseph could contribute at the major league level at some point in time.

Britton

Delmarva Shorebirds (A): The story of the day in Delmarva was starting pitcher and current K machine Cole McCurry, who didn't allow a run over six full innings of work.  Cole fanned eight Hagerstown hitters to raise his season total in strikeouts to 116 in just 108 innings pitched.  Throughout his first few professional seasons McCurry has averaged nearly a K per inning and has managed an even 22-22 record since debuting in 2007.

  McCurry

It is tough to stay positive sometimes, but the future continues to look promising.  I know CC will be buzzing with excitement at this time in a year or two...

Today was supposed to be the day that we unleashed our beasts.  Chris Tillman was slated to start the annual Futures Game in St. Louis, and expectations were high.  With Brian Matusz waiting in the wings, this was going to be the day that we as members of Birdland served notice to the rest of the league!  And then they actually played the game...

Tillman took the hill under dark skies with impending rain, which I like to think may have had a negative effect on him.  Chris labored through the first before rain halted play, throwing 29 pitches.  He struggled with his control, as only 16 of his pitches found the zone and included a hit batsman.  In all, Tillman gave up two earned runs on two hits, putting the U.S. Futures in an early hole.

Brian Matusz entered the game in the third inning, and found it difficult to find the strike zone as well.  Brian was able to limit the damage though after 13 pitches, allowing one earned run on one hit and a walk.

To top the day off, the Norfolk Tides' Jake Arrieta was given a beating by the Durham Bulls.  Jake gave up two solo home runs early on, then appeared to settle down.  The sixth inning would prove fatal however for Arrieta.  His final line: 5.2 IP, 5 H, 6 ER, 5 K, 3 BB.  Jake has struggled thus far in AAA, as he is now sporting a 4.42 ERA.

I understand that in the big picture, this was only one day.  I can't help but feel slightly let down though.  My hopes were high that it would be a bright day for our young arms...I guess it just wasn't to be.

This evening (Tuesday, July 7) I was treated to the pitching performance of the year for the organization.  In front of a somewhat sparse crowd in Bowie, MD, Brian Matusz made the Harrisburg Senators look like a junior league team.  Granted, the Sens are the AA affiliate of the Washington Natinals and are not very talent-laden.  But hey, eight innings of one-hit ball is nothing to sneeze at no matter who the foe. 

The weather was wonderful and the Baysox were having their version of t-shirt Tuesday with a sparkling white Matt Wieters edition.  Matusz was on his game from the start, recording strikeouts (many looking) early and often.  Contact was few and far between, with many weak foul balls and pop-ups for easy put outs.  Brian was toying with the Senators, featuring a low-mid 90's fastball that was spotted with ease and a sharp-breaking curve ball that found the zone with consistency.  When he needed to, Matusz turned to a relatively effective change-up that left some hitters buckled.

Another thing that had many fans taking notice was the fact that Brian was waiting for his teammates after each inning on defense at the dugout to show his appreciation for their defensive efforts.  He was also leading the cheer from the bench during the various offensive outbursts.  Following the game Matusz greeted fans along the home-side stands, signing autographs and briefly chatting.  I was able to congratulate him and obtain a few sigs before he continued into the clubhouse. 

Great day in what will hopefully be a great career...Go O's!!

I am sure that much of this was at least mentioned in the game thread, but today was a busy day for many of our prospects.  And here, we, go.

Delmarva Shorebirds (A)-There has been some mention here about the Delmarva starters, but for those who don't know they are Filthy!  Cole McCurry pitched berry well today (and has all season) as the Shorebirds defeated Kannapolis 6-2.  McCurry went seven strong innings, allowing only 3 hits and a single earned run.  He is now 3-2 on the year with a 1.62 ERA.

Frederick Keys (Advanced A)-Frederick had a lot of work to do today, as they played two against the Kinston Indians.  Game one was actually the completion of a suspended game from May 17, as the Keys were victorious 9-4.  Zach Britton got the win and is now 2-1 with a 2.66 ERA.  Frederick also managed to take game two, this time 5-4 in seven innings.  The much maligned Bill Rowell chipped in two RBI in the win and is showing some signs of improvement this year.

Bowie Baysox (AA)-The lack of offense in Bowie was on display, as the Baysox were the only affiliate to lose today.  Harrisburg got the win 3-2 despite another strong outing by Jake Arrieta.  His line: 6 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 9 K.  All three of the Senator's runs came in a rough first inning for Arrieta which saw him yield a two-run shot to one of Harrisburg's more formidable hitters.  The loss was Jake's second on the year against four wins, with a sporty 2.97 ERA.

Norfolk Tides (AAA)-In perhaps his most dominant outing to date, David Hernandez made his case for a call-up in a 4-3 Norfolk victory.  The hard-throwing righty went deeper into the game than I can ever recall, pitching into the 8th inning.  Hernandez was in the process of pitching a gem when the Norfolk defense let him down, allowing 3 unearned runs to cross the plate in the eighth.  Hernandez was pulled and did not receive a decision, but that didn't really matter in the big scheme of things.  Matt Wieters (some of you may have heard this name in passing) continued his hot streak, going 2-4 with a double and a run batted in.

Given the season-long problems that the starters have had, it is likely that the next waive of call-ups will be sooner than later.  We know this: Guthrie, Uehara, Hill, and Bergesen will likely remain in place barring injury/sucktitude.  This leaves only one spot remaining, assuming management does the right thing and parts ways with Mr. Eaton.

There are many different scenarios that could develop for that fifth spot.  We could use up our remaining stop-gaps from AAA, those being Chris Waters and David Pauley.  This would be ok, although most here agree that neither of these two is a long-term solution in any way.

We could make a bold move and call-up one of the coveted youngsters from AAA, those being Chris Tillman and David Hernandez.  Many here at CC (including myself) would advise against this.  Both pitchers have things to work on which is well known among the Oriole informed.

That leaves the final starter not mentioned from AAA-Jason Berken.  With all of the pitching talent in our minor league system, someone like Berken can easily go overlooked (similar to Brad Bergesen's rapid ascent).  This is understandable given his relatively inauspicious beginnings.  Jason was a sixth-round draft pick out of Clemson with basically average size and average stuff.  His first two seasons (2006 and 2007) were spent in Aberdeen and Frederick respectively, where he showed more averageness.  It wasn't until last year when Berken was with the Bowie Baysox that he began to open some eyes.  In 145 innings, Berken walked only 38 batters and struck out 125 while going 12-4 with a 3.58 ERA.

This season Berken began at AA Bowie again, but this lasted only two relatively mediocre starts.  Since his promotion to AAA Norfolk Jason has made 5 starts, going 2-0 with a minuscule 1.05 ERA!!  This is remarkable and definitely will not continue, but Berken has at least served notice that he should be considered for the next call-up.  Nobody expected much from him, so like Bergesen anything we can get is basically a bonus.

So there are the options.  Who should get the call?  A "veteran" who is likely to not succeed?  A youngster who is likely not ready?  Or the guy in the middle of it all who is the most unlikely to have made it this far?  Your thoughts please...

We are all very aware that the pitching depth in the organization is rich.  The Orioles have managed (through drafting and trades) to position themselves to possibly have a devastating rotation in the near future.  The names are there: Matusz, Tillman, and Arrieta.  We affectionately refer to them as 'The Big 3'.  Sort of ESPN Celtics like, but whatever.

Another pitching prospect that many O's fans have certainly caught wind of is local boy Brandon Erbe.  Selected in the 3rd round of the '05 draft, Erbe was a childhood Birds fan growing up in Owings Mills.  Since being drafted, Brandon has definitely had his ups and downs.  This makes it hard to remember that Erbe, now playing in his fifth professional season, is ONLY 21 years old!

Throughout his minor league career, Brandon's stat line has had a consistent feel:  more losses than wins, a generally decent ERA, and a lot of K's.  His development has been called slow by many, which could be fair I suppose.  He features a low-mid 90's fastball, tight slider, another slower breaking pitch, a cutter of sorts, and is working on his change up.  Control can be an issue, but not to the point that it destroys his starts.

2009 has yielded a strange start for Erbe.  His record is a dismal 0-3, however this can be directly attributed to the face that Brandon Snyder is the only worthwhile hitter in the Bowie lineup.  He has a sparkling 1.29 ERA, has held opponents to a .157 BA, and is tied with GQ Arrieta for the team lead with 16 K's. 

Ladies and gentlemen, I feel confident in saying that Brandon Erbe has the stuff (both physically and mentally) to be an above average major leaguer.  I have had the chance to meet Brandon a few times and the guy fully understands that nothing will come easy now that Baltimore is the place for future pitching stars.  So here's to making the Big 3 into the Big 3.1, cheers all!

According to the parent site, Luke Scott avoided arbitration by inking a deal as mentioned in the headline.  The projected idea is that Scott will DH, except against tough lefties where I suspect we could see (fill in name of righty here).  Felix Pie, let's see what you got sucka...

George Sherrill on the other hand was a little less in agreement with the club's offer.  Flat breezy was asking for 3.4, while the team was countering with 2.2.  There is still a chance the two sides could reach terms and avoid arbitration, but who knows.  With the return of Ray (who I am not making a pitch for, ha ha), Sherrill's role in the pen could return to more of a lefty specialist with some closing mixed in.

In other news, I suppose we are just waiting for Nick to complete his physical.  Wouldn't it be ironic if we now discovered some horrible condition like, oh, I don't know, say a degenerative hip or something...