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Orioles right-hander Chris Tillman pitched to catcher Matt Wieters during the 2008 season at Double-A Bowie. He threw to him again this season at Triple-A Norfolk.
And when Tillman debuted for the Orioles in July, Wieters, the franchise's most hyped phenom in two decades, had already been in the major leagues for two months.
Yet, the quiet Wieters who Tillman knew so well in the minors dissipated with each big league game, replaced by a more confident, more vocal force behind the plate.
In the minors, "he kind of let you pitch, kind of let you do your thing," Tillman said. "Here, he's kind of taking control, taking that leadership role of being a catcher and controlling the field and being more vocal. And he's doing a good job so far."
It's a common observation: Wieters the hot minor league prospect now looks to be Wieters the legitimate big leaguer.
"The biggest thing I like about him now is, as the season went along he kind of caught up to the league," Orioles hitting coach Terry Crowley said. "His actions are quicker. His feeling he belongs here and hitting in the middle of the order is accurate. He feels good about himself."
Wieters made his Orioles debut May 29 amid extraordinary expectations that rivaled perhaps only those surrounding pitcher Ben McDonald in 1989. He went hitless in four at-bats, but it didn't matter, as hungry fans packed the park to see Wieters.
"You were never going to be able to live up to Wieters' [hype], but he's obviously starting to show that he can really play at this level and make a big impact," second baseman Brian Roberts said. "I think guys just get built up so much and you expect him to come up here and just dominate. That's not going to happen."
In his second big league game, Wieters doubled and tripled against Detroit Tigers ace Justin Verlander, further cementing the 23-year-old's reputation. Then he experienced the inevitable rookie growing pains. He batted .253 in his next 24 games (21-for-83) and had just five extra-base hits in that month-plus span. Heading into August, he only had three homers and 13 RBIs in his first 157 at-bats.
"When I first got up here, I was trying to hit every ball as hard and far as I could," he said. "Now, it's you just got to go out there and play and whatever happens, happens. You work off the field. You work before the game, you work after the game. But once the game starts, it's just going back to playing."
He settled into a groove as the season progressed. In 29 games in September and October, he batted .333 with four homers, 17 RBIs and an .882 on-base-plus-slugging average.
"His swing is a little shorter. He is swinging at pitches in the strike zone more now," Crowley said. "When he first came up, at times he was a little too patient where he would take a strike or two. Now, if that first pitch is something he likes, he'll whack it."
Like on Sept. 16, when Wieters crushed a pitch from Russ Springer over the wall in left-center in the bottom of the ninth to break a 2-2 tie with the Tampa Bay Rays. It was his first walk-off homer at any level and one of his two top highlights of the season.
"The standing ovation I got the first day was something special and something I will always remember," he said. "And the walk-off home run, because you could really see how you helped the team win a game and that was special."
Wieters ended the season with a .288 average, .340 on-base percentage, nine homers and 43 RBIs in 96 games. He also made strides defensively, allowing just three passed balls while throwing out 24 percent of would-be base stealers on the season. His throws were crisper and more accurate as his experience grew.
"I feel pretty confident all around that I have been able to sort of hold my own up here," Wieters said. "But at the same time, I think every aspect needs improvement, from catching to throwing to blocking to hitting. I think everything is always going to need improvement. But all around, I feel like I have had a pretty successful year."
Perhaps what was most impressive about Wieters' 2009 season was how he dealt with the pressure and expectations.
"He handles himself well. He is quiet. He comes in and gets his work done, works hard. Knows what he has to do to get ready for big league ballgames," right fielder Nick Markakis said. "And when he is put in those situations, he handles himself like a big leaguer. That's a good example to set, and it's good to see out of such a young kid."
Wieters said he would take "three or four weeks off to get refreshed and relaxed." Then, at the urging of the Orioles, he plans to start a weightlifting program. He'll also spend time at an exercise institute in Southern California in hopes of making himself stronger, quicker and more flexible.
That, he hopes, will help him have a better season in 2010.
"Coming in and not knowing what to expect, this was a good year," Wieters said. "At the same time, you always have that .300 average you want to be around.
"It's been a quality year, but next year is a whole different year. So you've got to work hard and hope you improve."
Baltimore Sun reporter Jeff Zrebiec contributed to this article.
And when Tillman debuted for the Orioles in July, Wieters, the franchise's most hyped phenom in two decades, had already been in the major leagues for two months.
Yet, the quiet Wieters who Tillman knew so well in the minors dissipated with each big league game, replaced by a more confident, more vocal force behind the plate.
In the minors, "he kind of let you pitch, kind of let you do your thing," Tillman said. "Here, he's kind of taking control, taking that leadership role of being a catcher and controlling the field and being more vocal. And he's doing a good job so far."
It's a common observation: Wieters the hot minor league prospect now looks to be Wieters the legitimate big leaguer.
"The biggest thing I like about him now is, as the season went along he kind of caught up to the league," Orioles hitting coach Terry Crowley said. "His actions are quicker. His feeling he belongs here and hitting in the middle of the order is accurate. He feels good about himself."
Wieters made his Orioles debut May 29 amid extraordinary expectations that rivaled perhaps only those surrounding pitcher Ben McDonald in 1989. He went hitless in four at-bats, but it didn't matter, as hungry fans packed the park to see Wieters.
"You were never going to be able to live up to Wieters' [hype], but he's obviously starting to show that he can really play at this level and make a big impact," second baseman Brian Roberts said. "I think guys just get built up so much and you expect him to come up here and just dominate. That's not going to happen."
In his second big league game, Wieters doubled and tripled against Detroit Tigers ace Justin Verlander, further cementing the 23-year-old's reputation. Then he experienced the inevitable rookie growing pains. He batted .253 in his next 24 games (21-for-83) and had just five extra-base hits in that month-plus span. Heading into August, he only had three homers and 13 RBIs in his first 157 at-bats.
"When I first got up here, I was trying to hit every ball as hard and far as I could," he said. "Now, it's you just got to go out there and play and whatever happens, happens. You work off the field. You work before the game, you work after the game. But once the game starts, it's just going back to playing."
He settled into a groove as the season progressed. In 29 games in September and October, he batted .333 with four homers, 17 RBIs and an .882 on-base-plus-slugging average.
"His swing is a little shorter. He is swinging at pitches in the strike zone more now," Crowley said. "When he first came up, at times he was a little too patient where he would take a strike or two. Now, if that first pitch is something he likes, he'll whack it."
Like on Sept. 16, when Wieters crushed a pitch from Russ Springer over the wall in left-center in the bottom of the ninth to break a 2-2 tie with the Tampa Bay Rays. It was his first walk-off homer at any level and one of his two top highlights of the season.
"The standing ovation I got the first day was something special and something I will always remember," he said. "And the walk-off home run, because you could really see how you helped the team win a game and that was special."
Wieters ended the season with a .288 average, .340 on-base percentage, nine homers and 43 RBIs in 96 games. He also made strides defensively, allowing just three passed balls while throwing out 24 percent of would-be base stealers on the season. His throws were crisper and more accurate as his experience grew.
"I feel pretty confident all around that I have been able to sort of hold my own up here," Wieters said. "But at the same time, I think every aspect needs improvement, from catching to throwing to blocking to hitting. I think everything is always going to need improvement. But all around, I feel like I have had a pretty successful year."
Perhaps what was most impressive about Wieters' 2009 season was how he dealt with the pressure and expectations.
"He handles himself well. He is quiet. He comes in and gets his work done, works hard. Knows what he has to do to get ready for big league ballgames," right fielder Nick Markakis said. "And when he is put in those situations, he handles himself like a big leaguer. That's a good example to set, and it's good to see out of such a young kid."
Wieters said he would take "three or four weeks off to get refreshed and relaxed." Then, at the urging of the Orioles, he plans to start a weightlifting program. He'll also spend time at an exercise institute in Southern California in hopes of making himself stronger, quicker and more flexible.
That, he hopes, will help him have a better season in 2010.
"Coming in and not knowing what to expect, this was a good year," Wieters said. "At the same time, you always have that .300 average you want to be around.
"It's been a quality year, but next year is a whole different year. So you've got to work hard and hope you improve."
Baltimore Sun reporter Jeff Zrebiec contributed to this article.
Big progress
| Month(s) | Games | Avg. | HRs | RBIs |
| May/June | 24 | .247 | 2 | 7 |
| July | 17 | .323 | 1 | 6 |
| Aug. | 26 | .250 | 2 | 13 |
| Sept./Oct. | 29 | .333 | 4 | 17 |
| Totals | 96 | .288 | 9 | 43 |
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