Tickets are $10 each and the raffle goes until Friday, January 29. The Baysox will announce a winner on Friday, February 5.

Bowie Baysox first baseman Eric Crozier has experienced all three of those scenarios during his nine-year career in professional baseball. During a recent interview with Baseball Daily Digest minor league correspondent Paul Bugala, the Baltimore Orioles farmhand attributed much of his success and perseverance to recalling the joy he felt playing baseball long before it became a job.

On September 4, 2004, Crozier made a statement in his major league debut with the Toronto Blue Jays.

“I got my first Web Gem in my very first game,” Crozier said during a recent interview in Bowie. “I came in as a defense replacement for Carlos Delgado. It was a foul ball on the first base side. I think I dove about four rows up, fully extended and made the play. After the game, I got off the plane, turned my cell phone on and I had about twenty messages from everybody who had seen it. That was awesome. Everybody sees everything you do well in the major leagues and that’s a good feeling.”

Crozier made an unlikely climb from being the 1,234th pick in the 2000 First-Year Player Draft to being traded for long-time major leaguer Josh Phelps to making it to the big leagues himself.

“I’ve been playing every summer, since I was seven,” he said. “It was just a sport that came naturally to me. I also liked basketball, but I just thought more opportunities would come in baseball.”

Opportunities came for Crozier, but he had to earn them. The day of the 2000 draft was stressful and when his phone finally rang the call came from an unexpected source.

“My father’s a big Internet person, so he was actually the one who called me,” Crozier said. “And he said, ‘Did you see it?’ And I said, ‘See what?’ As soon as he said that, the other line rang and it was Cleveland and they told me I was drafted. I was an architecture major and I was finishing that up, but baseball is something that only comes around once in a lifetime. It wasn’t a hard decision at all.”

Crozier was the MVP of the High-A Carolina League with Kinston in 2002 where he played for his current manager Brad Komminsk. In 2004, he hit 20 home runs in 84 games with Triple-A Buffalo and then was traded to the Blue Jays for Phelps.

“Being traded kind of hurt a little,” Crozier said. “Given the season I was having, I thought I would be called up instead of traded. Sometimes I look at those guys in the big leagues in Cleveland and wish I was there with them. But fortunately, I at least had an opportunity to experience the big leagues and I have a lot of good memories from my time with the Cleveland organization.”

Crozier began the 2005 season in the Blue Jays organization and then spent time with New York Yankees and Cincinnati Reds Triple-A affiliates. The following years brought more change and two trips to the Atlantic League. Crozier persisted, but found that new settings brought new challenges.

“Every time you move to another organization, you meet all new people and it seems like you have to prove yourself all over again,” he said. “Some people see you for a short period time and they may not have as much patience as the organization that groomed you. When you have that kind of pressure and you’re a person who cares about the game, it can almost work against you.”

However, part of the reason why Crozier continues to get opportunities is his maturity and disposition.

“I think through these tough times you have to be an example,” he said. “Being around this game for a long time, I could very easily throw stuff or bang stuff around, but you know what does that show. In being a professional, you have to handle the highs as well as the lows. And I think that’s what stays in the minds of people as you move on into other things.”

Crozier’s opportunity with Bowie came after he ranked among the Atlantic League leaders in several categories through early June of this year. Once again, when the call came it wasn’t exactly what he expected.

“The day after I found out I was going to be the starting first baseman in the (Atlantic League) All-Star game, my manager called me into his office and told me the Orioles had picked me up,” Crozier said. “It was a rush of emotions, because everybody in that league is looking for a second chance to go back to any affiliate to prove himself once again.”

In June of this year, Crozier had a 1.041 OPS in his first 39 at-bats with the Baysox. He hasn’t matched those numbers yet, but there’s no sense of frustration when Crozier reflects on his season.

“When you get hard on yourself, it makes those lows last longer,” he said. “I was just talking to (Baysox teammate Steve) Torrealba today he said, ‘Everyday, the sun comes out for a new day. And just make it a new day.’”

Crozier hopes to spend his ninth off-season in professional baseball playing in a winter league. And he understands that returning to the major leagues depends on channeling the joy he felt playing when he was a kid as much as anything else.

“That’s a feeling everyone wishes they could have on the baseball field. I’ve heard Derek Jeter mention it. I’ve heard Albert Pujols say it too,” Crozier said. “You know, it’s a kids’ game and when you can take it to that place mentally it helps you perform a lot better.”

Credit: Bill Vaughn

Like a lot of students, Orioles prospect Brian Matusz visited Washington, DC when he was in junior high. Like a lot of kids that age, he visited the monuments and the Smithsonians, but never imagined he’d return to the Mid Atlantic to help renew hope in the long-suffering Baltimore Orioles organization.

“In eighth grade I didn’t think baseball was something I was going to pursue my whole life,” Matusz said during a recent interview with Paul Bugala of Bowie Baysox Blog. “I just can’t believe how lucky I am to be able to play professional baseball.”

Of course, as the left-hander knows, luck can only take you so far. Success in professional baseball requires lots of helping hands and hard work. Matusz’s luck is backed up by plenty of both.

Like a lot of players, the Matusz began his journey to professional baseball in the shadow of his big brother.

“My big brother Chris was always better than me,” Matusz said. “He was the better baseball player and the better basketball player. I always looked up to him and I always will. He helped me out when guys would pick on me because I was the young guy on the team in high school. He was always there to back me up. I still talk to him after every outing and during the off-season he watches me throw bullpen sessions and helps me out.”

Like a lot of high school graduates, Matusz had to decide whether going to college or work was the best idea for him. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim picked Matusz in the fourth round of the 2005 amateur draft and offered him an opportunity to realize his dreams. In the end, Matusz decided he still had more to learn and opted for college.

“I’m sure it would have been real tough if I went pro out of high school,” Matusz said. “I don’t know if I’d still be playing baseball right now. You never know, being so young. I feel like I developed in college.

“In high school, I threw a fastball and curveball predominantly. I had a change up, but I threw it about four times in my high school career. In high school, I could throw a fastball by guys and there was no point in having a change up.”

Matusz attended the University of San Diego where he matured as a pitcher and a person.

“In high school you live at home with your parents. You’re not independent. But in college, I was independent. It was a five or six hour drive from home,” Matusz said. “I didn’t go there with any friends. I had to meet new people. I took a step out of my comfort zone and tried something new.”

His willingness to challenge himself and be open to new ideas also helped Matusz round out a repertoire of pitches that today is among the most polished in minor league baseball.

“Once you get to college, a 90 mile per hour fastball is pretty common,” he said. “So, a change up was one of the best things I could have learned during my freshman year. It felt natural, but I worked on it a lot with our pitching coach Eric Valenzuela. I felt like I could keep my arm speed consistent with my fastball and it ended up being very good in my sophomore and junior years.

“The slider was a pitch I worked on my sophomore year, right before the season. I tried to learn a cutter. I just messed around with it and it turned into a slider. It’s a different angle and look than the curveball. And when you have two breaking pitches to keep batters guessing, you’re in pretty good shape.”

By his junior year at University of San Diego, Matusz was a first team All-American and, according to the 2009 Baseball America Prospect Handbook, few pitchers entering professional baseball have had better secondary pitches. So when Baltimore selected Matusz with the fourth-overall pick of the baseball amateur draft, he was widely considered the best pitcher available.

“I put myself in a situation to get drafted high and now I’m with the Orioles,” Matusz said. “And I couldn’t be any luckier. This is a great place to be and I’m enjoying every day of it.”

After a good showing in the Arizona Fall League, Matusz learned some lessons about the importance of fastball command with the Frederick Keys of the High-A Carolina League at the beginning of the 2009 season. He started the year with a few short outings, but posted a 2.16 ERA through 66 and two-thirds innings and earned a promotion to the Double-A Bowie Baysox in June.

“A lot of the guys I’ve faced here (in the Carolina and Eastern Leagues) are the same guys I faced in college,” Matusz said. “I don’t focus on competition as much. I focus on what I can do for myself to succeed. It’s no secret. As a pitcher what you have to do is hit spots. You need to mix it up and keep guys off balance. It’s making adjustments to the hitters. And I’ve been lucky to have great catchers like Caleb Joseph and in Frederick and Adam Donachie in Bowie.”

At the Eastern League All-Star break, Matusz has allowed only 11 hits in 26 and a third innings in Bowie. He has yet to give up a home run and has struck out 32 batters. Matusz’s dominance earned him a spot in the 2009 Future Game and the Eastern League’s Pitcher of the Week honors for the week ending July 12.

“You can call all four pitches in any count,” Adam Donachie said after Matusz’s July 7 start. “The curveball is his out pitch right now, but the next time he comes out it could be his slider. Even a couple times today he used his change up. Later he was starting to get a little tired and his curveball was getting up. So, he went to his change up and it was still right there.”

Matusz is one of several promising young pitchers in the Orioles organization. Still, the lanky prospect knows his performance is all that he controls and consistency will get him to the major leagues.

“It’s just a matter of maintaining,” Matusz said. “The whole point of this first year is to get that five day rotation and go deep into the year. I’m locked in right now. It’s just a matter of time and getting my innings in.

“Getting to play baseball for a living is the best thing in the world. I talk to other people and if they’re lucky they’re going to work to sit at a desk. My job is throwing a baseball and having fun playing a game that I loved since I was a little kid. It’s an unbelievable opportunity. I think about it everyday.”

(Source: mlb.com)

Roch Kubatko of MASN is reporting that Brian Matusz will be promoted from Frederick to Bowie. The following is a Baysox Blog story about Matusz published on April 20.

(This story also appears at Baseball Daily Digest.)

Orioles prospect Brian Matusz showed the repertoire and poise that made him the first pitcher picked in the 2008 draft during his first home start for the High-A Frederick Keys on April 19. The left-hander scattered seven hits through six innings by setting up a sharp curve with a 91 to 94 mile per hour fastball, a slider, and a change up.

“During my first two starts, I was rushing things a little too much,” Matusz said after the Keys game on Saturday. “I’ve been a little too anxious and tried to do too much. Tomorrow I’m going to go out there, throw strikes and get ahead in the count and let guys put balls in play.”

The Orioles top pitching prospect threw 96 pitches, 67 for strikes, on Sunday. He seemed to gain focus as the game went along. Overall, Matusz had seven ground-ball and three fly outs and averaged 3.4 pitches per batter.

“My focus has been on throwing the fastball for strikes earlier in the count and trying to get ground balls earlier on,” he said. “My focus (on April 19) will be on the fastball. I’ll work it in and out on both sides of the plate.”

Matusz’s 11.34 K/9 is among the league leaders in the Carolina League and he has yielded one homerun in 15.2 innings. These excellent results and the 22-year-old’s knack for getting out of jams indicate he is making a smooth transition to professional baseball.

“(The difference between college and professional baseball) is different scenery,” Matusz said. “It’s still the same game. There hasn’t been a huge difference in the hitters so far. I’m just trying to get ahead in the counts and throwing strikes. That’s what I didn’t do in my first two starts, which is something I need to work on. I need to avoid getting deep into counts, which just makes it harder for me.”

The ease of Matusz’s transition may be explained in part by the responsibility he was given in college, where pitches are generally called by the coaching staff and not the catcher.

“In college I had the right to shake off whenever I wanted to. So, I did shake off a lot and I threw what I wanted to throw,” the University of San Diego alumnus said. “So, it hasn’t been a huge difference and luckily the catcher (at Frederick) Caleb Joseph is very smart behind the plate and we’ve worked together very well.”

After a fairytale 2008 season, Orioles prospect Jake Arrieta’s 2009 campaign was a much different story through the first week of May. A string of rainouts in April and early May and a groin pull introduced the first few clouds into the promising career of Baltimore’s number three prospect, according to Baseball America.

“The layoff was a huge factor and I strained my groin in my (April 26) start against (Philadelphia Double-A affiliate) Reading,” Arrieta said before a recent Bowie Baysox game. “It really affected my command. That’s why I went to some off-speed pitches early in the count, to try to get ahead. But I was missing away to lefties and they took advantage of the fastball late in the count. I just had trouble with my command. It’s something that when I’m fully healthy is never a problem for me.”

By his sixth start, the clouds parted and Arrieta regained the form that earned him 2008 Carolina League Pitcher of the Year honors, a spot on the Beijing Olympic team, and a non-roster invitation to the Orioles’ Spring Training. In his last two starts, the right-hander has picked up two wins, improved his earned run average from 3.80 to 2.70, and—as result—earned Eastern League Pitcher of the Week honors for the week ending May 17. The weather improved, but health was a bigger factor.

“I think the biggest thing right now is staying healthy,” Arrieta said. “I think that most people could see that I wasn’t 100 percent and it’s very frustrating to me to go out there that way. But I’m always going to pitch to the best of my ability.”

Arrieta is part of a bumper crop of pitching prospects in the Baltimore farm system that includes the fourth overall pick in the 2008 draft Brian Matusz, a 2008 Baseball America Double-A All-Star Chris Tillman, and the 2008 Eastern League strikeout leader David Hernandez. However, Arrieta’s experience and success on the big stages, whether it was at the Olympics or the 2008 Futures Game at Yankee Stadium, makes him stand out among his peers.

“I think all those experiences have prepared me for playing at the next level,” Arrieta said. “Being able to meet and play with all the different type of players has been a great experience so early in my career.”

Along the way, Arrieta has picked the brains of Hall of Famers George Brett and Rollie Fingers, but Baltimore Orioles right-hander Jeremy Guthrie made a particularly strong impression on him during Spring Training this year.

“Being the ace of the staff, I liked to watch him throw his bullpens and basically do everything that I do,” Arrieta said. “I liked to watch how he did those things. Just kind of watch what makes him successful.”

Through observation and trial, Arrieta is learning success at the next level is dependent on perfecting the finer points of the game, such as minding base runners.

“There are a ton of little things that go into pitching that are just as important as attacking hitters and trying to get strikeouts,” he said. “Controlling the running game is a huge part of the game and something that I take pride in. If I happen to walk a guy or give up a base hit, I don’t want to give him second base. I’ve always worked on having quick feet, changing my looks and perfecting my holds. That has helped me have a pretty good pick off move.”

Arrieta’s tenacity and meticulous approach to the game are just a few of the reasons why the forecast for Baltimore Orioles fans is sunnier than it has been in a long time.

Tell us a little bit about yourself. What brought you to The Baltimore Sun? What do you enjoy most about covering the Orioles’ farm system?

Well, I was born and raised in Baltimore. I played baseball at Archbishop Curley High School, and attended Towson University for journalism. Baseball and writing have always been interests, so it was natural for me to pursue a related career.

Luckily, I was able to get a job at The Baltimore Sun right out of college in May 2007 as a Web Producer for baltimoresun.com. I shifted to the Sports Producer position in August 2008 and started writing O’s on Deck about the Orioles’ minor league system. I have to credit my father for the name of the blog, but I think it’s definitely fitting.

My favorite part about covering the Orioles’ minor league system is definitely the abundance of top pitchers. It feels like they are everywhere.

It’s great for fans because they can pretty much go to a game on any given night and see a tremendous pitching performance at any of the affiliates.

I think it’s definitely a refreshing feeling for fans to be able to have optimism and hope for the future after all the losing seasons at the major league level.

If everything falls through, however, with this set of “can’t miss” prospects — similar to the Erik Bedard, Daniel Cabrera, Adam Loewen and Hayden Penn set — then it could cause a bunch of fans to abandon ship with the organization.

Fortunately, there’s so many promising pitchers that a miss or two could easily be fixed. We’ll see.

Did any of the Orioles’ minor league rosters assignments surprise you?

Jason Berken [to Bowie], but the Orioles have since adjusted that by bumping him up to Norfolk when Brad Bergesen was promoted to the major leagues. A mild surprise was Troy Patton with the Baysox, but I think the team wanted to ensure that he was healthy before throwing him into Triple-A competition. It looks like Patton has proven that he’s ready for the promotion, so we’ll see how long it takes the Orioles to make a move.

Which players have surprised you with their early performances this season?

I wouldn’t say it was much of a surprise, but it’s good to see Troy Patton pitching well at the beginning of the season. There were definitely question marks about how he would respond to the labrum surgery, and it looks like everything is perfect so far.

It’s a little surprising that Brandon Erbe lost his first two starts even though he only allowed one earned run in nine innings. Still, he got himself into a little bit of trouble during his first start with four walks, and the defense hasn’t been his friend so far. We’ll see how he is able to build off these two starts for the rest of the season.

Shortstop Pedro Florimon Jr. and catcher Caleb Joseph have been solid performers for the Frederick Keys. Florimon, who only batted .223 in 81 games for the Delmarva Shorebirds in 2008, hit successfully in the first eight games of the season for Frederick. Joseph, who is probably the second-best catching prospect in the organization behind Matt Wieters, continues to impress with his hitting in 2009.

What’s your best guess as the opening day starting rotation, closer and batting order of the 2012 Orioles?

Oh man, this is a very difficult question, but I’ll give it a shot. I like predicting these type of things, and then looking back and seeing if I got anything right.

I think Nick Markakis and Adam Jones will eventually switch spots in the lineup, but that’s interchangeable at this point. The Orioles might re-sign Aubrey Huff — he’ll be 35 years old in 2012 — but I have Lou Montanez as an insurance policy at designated hitter. The No. 5 through No. 7 spots below can be flipped around, in my opinion, depending on how those players perform over the next three seasons. The Orioles seem to be impressed with Justin Turner and Blake Davis, so I expect both of them to make contributions in the major leagues before 2012.

As for the rotation, I think Jeremy Guthrie will still have a place in the middle somewhere. Theoretically, Koji Uehara also could be in the mix, but we’ll have to see how many of the young pitchers make it to the major leagues. Keep in mind that some of these guys could be traded before 2012 for additional pieces. Chris Tillman and Brian Matusz are rated higher than Jake Arrieta by most people, but I think Arrieta is going to develop into a workhorse in the major leagues.

David Hernandez could develop into a long-term solution at closer for the Orioles if Chris Ray is unable to pitch effectively in that role over the next few years.

Starting lineup
2B Brian Roberts
RF Nick Markakis
CF Adam Jones
C Matt Wieters
DH Aubrey Huff or Lou Montanez
LF Nolan Reimold
1B Brandon Snyder
3B Justin Turner
SS Blake Davis

Rotation
1 Jake Arrieta
2 Brian Matusz
3 Jeremy Guthrie
4 Chris Tillman
5 Troy Patton or Brad Bergesen

Closer
David Hernandez or Chris Ray

Brad Komminsk has mentioned that he plans to take a closer by committee approach with the Baysox bullpen, but it appears Wilfrido Perez is closing games early in the season. Do you have a sense for how potential closers such as Chad Thall feel about this?

I haven’t gotten any vibes from the players about their feelings, but I’m sure they are OK with the approach that Komminsk has used so far this season. It’s definitely worked to this point because Thall, Perez and Josh Perrault have pitched impressively out of the bullpen for Bowie. I think these guys all know that saves aren’t a statistic that will determine their status within the organization, and that it’s more important to get the guys out when it’s your turn in the game.

At this early point in the season, the Baysox are leading the Eastern League in walks surrendered. Are the Baysox pitchers just shaking off some of the rust from the off-season or do you see a bigger problem with not being aggressive and pitching to contact?

Although the players say the weather doesn’t affect them, I think it might have something to do with the high amount of walks so far in 2009. The team played in Akron, Ohio and Erie, Pa., before returning home to Bowie — not exactly warm climates. I’d wait a month or two before expressing concern about this issue. With that said, the pitchers should be aggressive because there’s nothing worse in baseball than free passes.

Do you think the Baysox will be in hunt for the Eastern League title this year? What other teams look like contenders and why?

If the starting pitchers remain with the Baysox for most of the season — or if Brian Matusz is promoted to Bowie as a replacement — then the team will certainly remain in the hunt in the Eastern League. Still, I think the Akron Aeros have to be considered the favorite in the division this season. They have beaten the Baysox in six out of eight games already in 2009, and they are surging in front of the rest of the league in the standings. Plus, they could always bring back Travis Hafner to take part in the playoffs this season. OK, I joke about the last part, but they are definitely the favorite at this point in 2009.

Which Frederick Keys (or other Orioles affiliate) players are we likely to see in Bowie this year? Of those, which will have the biggest impact?

As long as he continues to pitch well, Brian Matusz will be promoted to Bowie at some point. He could play a big role in the playoff run if the Baysox are still in the hunt. I think it’s also possible to see Brandon Waring or Caleb Joseph promoted from Frederick, depending on how they play, how quickly the Orioles want to test them with greater competition, as well as which players are above them in Bowie later in the season.

Should fans hurry out to a Baysox game if they’d like to see Troy Patton pitch in Bowie? Are there other Baysox who appear primed for quick promotions?

I was talking with a couple different media members about this during Bowie’s home opener. My advice is for fans to go to Bowie to see him pitch as soon as possible. If he keeps pitching the way he did in his first two starts, Patton shouldn’t be in Bowie for much longer. He is doing everything he can to prove that he’s healthy, and personally, I think he might do a better job in the major leagues than half of the Orioles’ starting pitchers. He needs to consistently build up his velocity and then he’ll be making the move to Norfolk.

Jake Arrieta possibly could move to Norfolk, but I don’t think that’s a definite plan. Wilfrido Perez and Josh Perrault also could make the jump to the Tides, depending on their success and the need for relief pitchers in Triple-A.