I write this as I sit in the Oriole Park press box with the starting lineups being announced over the ballpark public address system.  The introductions are usually just background noise in the pre-game routine, but before the O’s take the field to face the Detroit Tigers- the lineup announcement commands attention as it’s the night catcher Matt Wieters makes his Major League debut. 

 ”Batting seventh and catching, number 15- Matt Wieters,” and the crowd goes wild.  Less than two years after he was drafted out of Georgia Tech- a first-round pick who got a record six million dollar signing bonus- the big catcher has arrived.  The excitement and anticipation are palpable at a ballpark starving for hope.  What struck me was not just that Wieters is here, but to hear Nolan Reimold (another rookie) batting after him and Brad Bergesen (rookie) announced as the starting pitcher.  Much has changed since opening day. 

Wieters’ arrival is a big deal, but there are aspects of reporting on the occasion that I dislike- such as being part of a media mob descending on the rookie before the game.  I spend much of the baseball season at the ballpark and in the Oriole clubhouse, therefore I have a pretty good sense for the team and some of its individual and collective personality.  So it was no surprise that as the mob of reporters gathered around Wieters there were hoots and hollers from his teammates.  Much of it sounded like good-natured ribbing, but I know there was some genuine displeasure mixed in regarding the attention being paid a kid who’d not yet played in the big leagues.  I get that and I’m sensitive to that sentiment, yet I’m there to do my job and get some recorded comments from Wieters.

After taking part in the mass question-and-answer session with Wieters, I made my way carefuly over to Greg Zaun.  Wieters’ arrival means Zaun is demoted to backup catcher, a situation he knew was in the offing when Zaun signed with the Orioles before this season.   Greg agreed to talk to me on camera, but only before he let me know that he wasn’t doing what he called a “Matt Wieters interview,” adding that he’d done all of that in spring training and just wanted to talk about the team.  Understood.  So we talked about working with young players in general as the O’s are a team in roster flux with a dramatic infusion of youth including  three rookie starting pitchers on the squad.  Out are Adam Eaton, Mark Hendrickson, and Chad Moeller.  Moeller was a popular teammate and it’s clear that there’s disappointment among some of the Oriole veterans that Moeller is moved out to usher Wieters in.  Everyone certainly understands the business side of such of a move, but there’s the personal side, too, and it can be painful for some.

Overall, it’s an exciting night.  Detroit lead-off batter Josh Anderson bunts on the first pitch, and Wieters springs out from behind the plate to gun the runner out at first.  And the crowd goes wild.

This should be a more interesting summer than we first thought.

Posted on Friday, May 29th, 2009 at 4:49 pm.
Categories: Mark's Blog.
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