Masterful Performance by Guthrie at Fenway

Guthrie was virtually untouchable yesterday against the Boston Red Sox, who carry the best record in all of Major League Baseball. Guthrie pitched into the ninth inning, giving up only three hits and not a single earned run in his 8+ innings, a truly remarkable feat.

Unfortunately, the Baltimore relief pitchers subsequently allowed 6 runs against the Red Sox in the bottom of the ninth after Guthrie was pulled, so the Orioles ended up losing the game. Regardless, Guthrie's performance comes as an immense blessing for the Orioles, who have suffered injuries in three of their five starters so far this year. Guthrie appears to be making his way into the permanent rotation.

Here are a couple articles about the game:

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/baseball/bal-os0513,0,5991292.story?coll=bal-sports-baseball

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=270513102

Guthrie Comes Up Big

Here's a great article from MLB.com describing Guthrie's strong performance against Tampa Bay and his bright prospects for the future:

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/gameday_recap.jsp?ymd=20070508&content_id=1952690&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

Guthrie Shuts Down Tampa Bay

Jeremy Guthrie pitched six strong innings against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, giving up just one run on 6 hits to capture the win in his second start of the season. Of his 67 pitches, an impressive 46 were strikes. He also induced several double plays that neutrialized runners in separate innings. His excellent performance could cinch Guthrie's place in the permanent rotation considering the recent injuries of both Jaret Wright and Adam Loewen in Baltimore's starting rotation.

Watch for Guthrie to start again for Baltimore this Sunday as they take on the Boston Red Sox...

Guthrie Starts Tonight Against Tampa Bay

Guthrie will be on the mound starting for the Orioles tonight, replacing the injured Jaret Wright in the rotation once again. Another strong start for Guthrie would give him a great chance to take Wright's spot indefinitely, considering Wright's prolonged injury. Here's the game preview:

http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070507&content_id=1950863&vkey=news_bal&fext=.jsp&c_id=bal

Possible Start Tuesday vs. Tampa Bay

Jeremy Guthrie has been named as a tentative selection for the starting role in Tuesday night's game vs. Tampa Bay. Starter Adam Loewen will be out for at least a couple of months with an arm injury, so Guthrie may have a chance to try his stuff in the starting rotation for a while.

Stay tuned...

Approaching a Starting Role?

With the recent injury of starter Jaret Wright, who might be out for the season now, Jeremy Guthrie has a chance to break into the Orioles' starting rotation. Sources indicate that he and Brian Burres are the top two candidates for the job.

After Jeremy's strong start in Wright's place a couple weeks ago, he is building credibility for a spot in the rotation. Here is a clip from an MLB.com interview with Orioles' pitching coach Leo Mazzone:

_________________________________________________________________________________
MLB.com: Where do you see Jeremy Guthrie, long-term? Is he a late reliever?

Mazzone: I think he's a starter, down the road. He's got an above-average fastball, and the breaking ball and offspeed stuff are good enough. The key in his spot start was his location and the command of his fastball. He was really popping it.

Guthrie Pitching Strong in Spring Training

From The Capital newspaper in Annapolis:

Guthrie makes big pitch to O's

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) - If Jeremy Guthrie intended to sneak under the radar to claim a spot in the Baltimore Orioles bullpen, the right-hander's stellar spring performance has changed his plan of attack.

"He might be a guy we're seriously considering whether we can carry him on the ballclub and how we can fit him in there to give us a multiple-inning guy," manager Sam Perlozzo said of Guthrie. "He's got a nice arm and it looks to me like he can pitch in the big leagues."

The Indians thought so, too, bestowing a then-franchise record $3 million signing bonus after drafting Guthrie with the 22nd overall pick in 2002. But after Guthrie went 0-0 with a 6.08 ERA in 16 games during five trials over three seasons, Cleveland designated him for assignment to clear a roster spot.

Baltimore claimed Guthrie off waivers Jan. 29, added him to the roster and invited him to spring training. Because he is out of minor league options, Guthrie must make the Orioles or again be exposed to waivers.

"To be designated when I was, that was a positive for me," said Guthrie, 27, who was 9-5 with a 3.14 ERA last year with Triple-A Buffalo. "It was before camp started, so it gave me a much better chance to be claimed, to have an opportunity."

Guthrie, who took off 1999-2000 for a Mormon mission to Spain after his freshman year at Brigham Young, has made the most of his chance. In five games, Guthrie has worked 10 innings to a 1.80 ERA, allowing two runs - one earned - on four hits, walking two and striking out nine.

Though the Orioles bulked up their bullpen with the offseason acquisitions of free agent relievers Jamie Walker, Danys Baez, Chad Bradford and Scott Williamson, none of them are long relievers. While Guthrie would prefer to start, he's been impressive enough to warrant consideration for a long relief role.

"It's good to be able to go in and make a good impression and play up to the ability you know you have," said Guthrie, who transferred to Stanford in 2000. "It's an opportunity. ... It's always nice to be somewhere where you have a chance."

Despite focusing on relief rather than starting, Guthrie hasn't changed his approach to pitching.
"I'm doing the same thing I've done the last two years - try to attack the hitters early, throw fastballs, try to get them to hit the ball," said Guthrie. "I think I get in trouble when I try to hit too many spots early and get behind guys."

Bullpen coach Dave Trembley saw plenty of Guthrie while managing Baltimore's Triple-A affiliate in Ottawa for the past two seasons. Trembley thinks the Orioles made a wise choice to offer the right-hander a second chance.

"He's quiet but intense at the same time. He's reserved but very committed. I think he lets his performances on the field do that talking," Trembley said. "The guy is a workaholic. He doesn't say a lot, but coming in here to a new club, I think he's taking the right approach."

Mission to Succeed

From today's Miami Herald:


Orioles pitcher Guthrie on a mission to succeed
BY SARAH ROTHSCHILD

While roaming Spain on a Mormon mission, Jeremy Guthrie learned a valuable lesson that he continues to use to guide his career as a pitcher.

''You have to keep going, even when there is rejection and disappointment,'' said Guthrie, a member of the Orioles.

In Spain, where the majority of the population is Catholic, Guthrie said, ``If we tried to talk to 100 people a day, sometimes one person would listen to us, or maybe nobody.''

But that never deterred Guthrie, and the perseverance has served him well.

The Cleveland Indians selected him in the first round of the 2002 draft and gave him a $3 million signing bonus, the largest in their history. But Guthrie is still trying to establish himself as a reliable right-hander.

Guthrie is 40-36 with a 4.40 ERA in 101 minor-league games and winless in 16 relief appearances in the major leagues.

But his near-flawless spring with the Orioles is paying dividends. The coaching staff said Guthrie is making a strong case to be put on the Opening Day roster.

In four games, he has pitched eight scoreless innings in relief, yielding just two hits and one walk.

''He might be a guy we're seriously considering whether we can carry him on the ballclub and how we can fit him in there to give us a multiple-inning guy,'' Baltimore manager Sam Perlozzo said. ``He's got a nice arm, and it looks to me like he can pitch in the big leagues.''

The Orioles claimed Guthrie off waivers Jan. 29, but could face a predicament if Guthrie, 27, isn't on their 25-man roster because they would have to put him on waivers.

Guthrie has embraced a new beginning with the Orioles.

''You feel like there are new expectations, but you get to make those expectations with your performance. They created so much excitement and hype that they became disappointed that I didn't reach their goals,'' Guthrie said of the Indians' organization, fans and media.

Following his mission, Guthrie transferred from Brigham Young University to Stanford, where he flourished before joining the Indians' farm system. When Guthrie didn't cruise to the big leagues his first season, the criticism started. Guthrie remembers hearing and reading about how his two years away from baseball hurt his development.

''Without those two years, I wouldn't even be here, I probably wouldn't even be playing baseball because I wasn't very successful before the mission, and afterward I've really been blessed,'' Guthrie said.

Orioles Count on Guthrie

Jeremy has pitched 4 scoreless innings so far in spring training for the Orioles. Here's a great article describing the Orioles' acquisition of Jeremy Guthrie and their high hopes for his potential in their organization:


Guthrie seeks spot
Waived by Cleveland, former first-round pick hopes to realize his potential and land role with O's
By Roch Kubatko
Baltimore Sun
Originally published March 5, 2007, 6:31 PM EST

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. On the same day that pitcher Jeremy Guthrie boarded a flight to his home in Las Vegas, the Cleveland Indians cleared room on their 40-man roster by removing him from it.Claiming Guthrie off waivers never seemed like much of a gamble to the Orioles.

Of course they would take a chance on a guy so talented that three different teams drafted him in separate years. So talented that the Indians used the 22nd overall pick to get him in 2002. And so talented that an Orioles scout and a former minor league manager offered robust endorsements once he became available.Guthrie threw two more scoreless innings today against the Florida Marlins, raising his total this spring to four. He remains in the mix for the long relief job with the Orioles, who would have to expose him to waivers if they wanted to send him down. And if an injury creates an opening in the rotation, he'll receive consideration."They don't do much as far as communication here compared to what I'm used to," he said. "It hasn't been said, but my thought process is I'm trying to get a bullpen spot and hopefully get some innings there and be ready if given an opportunity to do anything else."Guthrie, who became Orioles property on Jan. 29, escaped a bases-loaded jam in the third inning today by inducing a double-play grounder from Josh Willingham, and disposed of the Marlins with ease in the fourth, striking out Cody Ross."He's shown good control of his fastball and has a nice changeup," pitching coach Leo Mazzone said. "He also fields his position extremely well. He shows a lot of athleticism. So now it becomes this: When the lights go on and you're facing some pretty good hitters, can he trust the effort that he's putting on his pitches right now, because he's been locating extremely well?"Locating Guthrie hasn't always been a cinch. He pitched at Brigham Young as a freshman before embarking on a two-year Mormon mission in northern Spain. Upon his return, he enrolled at Stanford University in the fall of 2000 and went 13-2 with a 2.51 ERA as a junior.Along the way, Guthrie refused to sign with the New York Mets, who chose him out of high school in the 15th round, because they wouldn't allow him to go on his mission. And he never reached agreement with the Pittsburgh Pirates, who selected him in the third round in 2001."The Pirates didn't ever talk to me," he said. "They switched general managers and they never approached me until the day I went to school. I wanted to get closer to my [sociology] degree at Stanford and I was still two-plus years away from graduating."Brave decisions have been a routine part of Guthrie's life. And he isn't afraid of being labeled a bust, which often happens when a first-round pick is released."Those thoughts don't even enter my mind," he said. "I feel like I can compete."The Indians signed Guthrie to a major league contract after drafting him, just as the Orioles did with Adam Loewen, the starter in today's 5-3 victory. Guthrie was out of options this year, and the Indians had no room for him in their rotation or bullpen -- and no faith that he was ready to pitch for them.He made 16 appearances with the Indians over three seasons, including one start, and posted a 6.08 ERA. They called him up three times last year, and he allowed 15 runs and 24 hits in 19 1/3 innings.Guthrie, who turns 28 next month, won't accuse the Indians of giving up on him too soon. Along with his ability to hold runners on base, he also can hold himself accountable.He points to his first professional season, when he went 4-9 with a 6.52 ERA at Triple-A Buffalo. And 2004, when he allowed 17 earned runs in 191/3 innings with the same team."The struggles I had early on, I think probably made them a little scared to bring me up," he said. "At the same time, pitchers below me were pitching great. And the starters already there missed something like 10 starts in two full seasons. Those guys stayed healthy."I got opportunities early, and I think if I would have pitched better that first year, I could have been in Cleveland. I had chances and I never once felt like they gave up on me. The only time I really proved that I could pitch there was last year. In April, I thought I was pitching as good as I ever had, and they wanted to go in another direction."Dave Trembley, now the Orioles' bullpen coach, saw enough of Guthrie's starts while managing at Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Ottawa to trust in his ability. He sees the potential for a substantial reward down the road."The guy throws low to mid-90s all the time, with movement," Trembley said. "If he had command of his fastball early in the game, you weren't going to get him because you couldn't sit on one pitch. I just don't think he ever found his niche with Cleveland. But I talked to him when he got here and I think he's real comfortable. He knows some people and he knows he's going to get a legitimate shot."

Orioles Have High Hopes for Guthrie

Here's an interesting article from the BaltimoreSun.com:

Jeremy Guthrie
by Roch Kubatko
January 31, 2007, 8:59 AM

The Jeremy Guthrie signing gets more interesting by the day.

Guthrie spent parts of three seasons with the Indians. He's out of minor league options. He has to make the Orioles' 25-man roster in spring training or be exposed to waivers before they can send him down.

"I'm sure he would not make it through," said Dave Stockstill, director of minor league operations (or farm director, if you prefer the simple version).

"I'm sure a lot of people have him rated very highly. He'll be given every opportunity to make it, and from what we've seen, I think he should. And if he doesn't, we'll have to deal with that when the time comes."

The Orioles really do like his chances of making the club. Stockstill says Guthrie, a right-hander with a 95-mph fastball, projects as a long reliever or fourth or fifth starter. Not exactly what the Indians envisioned when they used the 22nd overall pick on him in the 2002 draft and gave him a major league contract, but the Orioles would be satisfied.

For Guthrie to crack the bullpen, the Orioles either would have to enter the season with one left-hander, Jamie Walker, or Todd Williams and Scott Williamson would battle it out for a spot.

Another scenario, depending on how everything unfolds in spring training, is Guthrie making the rotation and Adam Loewen being the second leftie in the 'pen.

Either way, Hayden Penn might want to start looking for housing in Norfolk right now.

Dave Trembley, former manager at Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Ottawa, has raved about Guthrie for the last three or four years. One of the Orioles' scouts, Dave Hollins, placed an immediate call to Stockstill once Guthrie was designated for assignment earlier this month when the Indians signed free-agent outfielder Trot Nixon.

"He's got a very good power arm," Stockstill said.

So why did Guthrie post a 6.08 ERA in 16 games, including one start, with the Indians, allowing 42 hits in 37 innings, with 23 walks and 24 strikeouts?

"It very easily could be that they rushed him up there," Stockstill said. "He got a big league contract and that's a lot to handle, and he didn't necessarily do what they expected. They made him available and we were very happy to get him. A change of scenery could do him good, and the opportunity we have for him has got to help his mental outlook."

Interesting that Stockstill mentioned "mental outlook." Though he didn't say it, some Orioles officials are aware that Guthrie's confidence begins to crumble as soon as he starts to struggle, and that's something that has held him back.

Guthrie joined the Indians on April 22 last season and was optioned on May 16, the first time he stepped through their revolving door in 2006. He also was recalled on June 13 and optioned seven days later, returned on Aug. 13 and was optioned the following day. The Indians recalled him again on Sept. 5.

Then they cut him loose. And the Orioles rushed to sign him.
Somebody will be proven wrong.

Jeremy Guthrie joins the Baltimore Orioles

Baseball is a game of changes, and Jeremy Guthrie will now be donning a Baltimore Orioles uniform. The team picked him up this week from the Cleveland Indians and added him to their 40-man roster. Here's an article on the change:

http://wjz.com/sports/local_story_029214028.html

The Orioles begin Spring Training soon down in Ft. Lauderdale. Here's the Orioles 2007 schedule:

http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/schedule/index.jsp?c_id=bal&m=3&y=2007

Outlook for Next Season

Here's an article from Cleveland.com that discusses various potential scenarios that Jeremy Guthrie faces for next season:


Pitching picture fuzzy for Guthrie
Paul HoynesPlain Dealer Reporter

Arlington, Texas -- It looks as if the Indians have run out of time with former No. 1 pick Jeremy Guthrie.

They aren't the only ones who know it.

Guthrie, a Stanford graduate, has been calculating his chances of making the Tribe's pitching staff next year.

"I'm probably in the same situation Brandon Phillips was this spring," said Guthrie. "Their five starters are set, and they've got Fausto Carmona and Brian Slocum behind them.

"So that makes me, probably, seventh or eighth on the depth chart in the rotation and probably 10th in the bullpen. When the depth chart is five [starters] and seven [relievers], the eighth starter and 10th reliever usually doesn't get a job."

Phillips came to spring training in February out of options. The Indians had to keep him, trade him or put him on waivers. They traded him to Cincinnati, where he became the Reds' starting second baseman.

When Guthrie goes to spring training next year, he too will be out of options. It gives the Indians three ways to handle a pitcher they paid the largest signing bonus in club history, $3 million, in 2002. They can keep him, trade him or put him on waivers.

"It all depends what we can do this off-season with our bullpen," said manager Eric Wedge. "We just have to wait and see how the winter plays out."
Guthrie bounced between Class AAA Buffalo and Cleveland four times this year.

He bounced the Tribe's way for the fourth time Sept. 5. Friday night, 17 days later, he made his first appearance, allowing one run on two hits in the seventh inning. One of the hits was Carlos Lee's leadoff homer.

He will probably pitch winter ball in the Dominican Republic or Mexico to let other teams know he's available.

"I know it's better to pitch well in the big leagues, but you never know who's watching when you're on the hill," said Guthrie.

Guthrie signed a four-year big-league contract worth $4 million in 2002. Besides the $3 million signing bonus, Guthrie received a four-year deal worth $1 million.

He started his pro career by going 6-2 at Class AA Akron in 2003. He was promoted to Buffalo, but went 4-9 with a 6.52 earned run average.

Guthrie went 1-2 at Buffalo in 2004, but was quickly sent back to Akron where he went 8-8.

Last year, Guthrie had his best season at Buffalo, going 12-10 with a 5.08 in 25 starts. He made just one appearance with the Tribe.

"I thought last year I pitched well enough to get a chance to go to Cleveland, but there was no opportunity," said Guthrie. "I understand that completely. All five starters were having great years. I think they missed only three starts."

This year, Guthrie, 27, felt he had his best spring training ever. He didn't make the club out of spring training, but was recalled on April 22.

"I felt I threw well the first time I was up," said Guthrie. "I felt I was pitching consistently. But Fausto [Carmona] came up and I got sent down. Fausto had to pitch."

Guthrie's next trip to Cleveland came on June 13.

"I threw well in Buffalo, but I came up and sat in the pen for six days," said Guthrie

Guthrie allowed four runs on six hits in two innings against the Cubs on June 19 and was sent down again. He returned Aug. 12 to start the second game of a doubleheader against Kansas City.

He allowed four runs on five hits in 4 2/3 innings. It was his first big-league start.

"I didn't have a good start," said Guthrie. "I was nervous. I just didn't pitch well.

"That's why I thought I'd get a chance to make a couple of start in September and get a chance to feel comfortable. Some guys get in there right away and get comfortable. For whatever reason it hasn't worked for me."

But the Tribe's six-man rotation only had had room for Carmona and Slocum once Jeremy Sowers was shut down for the year.

Guthrie was 9-5 with a 3.14 ERA in 21 games, including 20 starts, at Buffalo. He struck out 88 and walked 48 in 123 1/3 innings.

There is nothing wrong with Guthrie's arm. He throws consistently between 92 mph and 94 mph. If he pitches well this winter and has a good spring, someone will give him a job if the Indians don't.

He can only hope it works out as well as it did for Phillips.

Guthrie Pitches One-Hitter

Jeremy continues to dominate in Buffalo. Check out his latest game:


Guthrie Pitches One-hitter

By MIKE HARRINGTON
News Sports Reporter
7/27/2006

Dunn Tire Park has been crawling with Cleveland Indians front office officials the last few days, and General Manager Mark Shapiro has been in town since Monday preparing for the imminent call-up of Buffalo Bisons third baseman Andy Marte.

Marte could be gone as soon as Friday night. On Wednesday, pitcher Jeremy Guthrie sent the GM a message he rates a look as well.

In easily the most dominant performance of his four-year Buffalo career, Guthrie fired a one-hitter as the Herd silenced the Louisville Bats, 3-1, before an announced crowd of 9,077.

With one out in the first, Guthrie (6-3) walked Ray Olmedo and wild-pitched him to second. Matt Kata followed with an RBI double down the right-field line, but that was Louisville's only hit of the night.

Guthrie retired the next 11 hitters before a walk and hit batsman in the fifth. He got out of that jam and retired the final 15 men.

"In the middle innings, it almost looked like their hitters were just giving themselves up, but that's a credit to Jeremy," said Bisons manager Torey Lovullo. "He was putting pressure on them from the minute they stepped in the box. It was probably one of the most impressive pitching performances I've seen since I've been managing."

It was the Bisons' first nine-inning one-hitter downtown by a single pitcher since Kevin Blankenship beat Oklahoma City, 5-0, on Aug. 1, 1991. Several others have been combined jobs or come in seven-inning games, such as Jeremy Sowers' gem May 19 against Pawtucket.
Guthrie struck out seven, walked two and got 13 groundball outs in lowering his earned run average to 3.07. He threw 109 pitches, 76 for strikes.

"He was awesome, consistent the whole game throwing strikes," said Marte, who made several strong defensive plays on Guthrie's behalf.

Ryan Garko led the offense with an RBI double in the first and an RBI single in the third. Guthrie, who declined to speak to reporters, did the rest to earn his 23rd career victory as a Bison and move into fourth place on the franchise's modern-era list behind Rick Reed (35), Dorn Taylor (34) and Joe Roa (28).

The Indians have never given Guthrie, their No. 1 draft pick in 2002, a shot to start in the big leagues as he's made 14 relief appearances the last three years. But the word out of Cleveland is Marte is going to be anointed the starting third baseman in the coming days.

At Yankee Stadium

I just got back from Yankee Stadium after seeing Jeremy's game against the Yankee's. Though Jeremy didn't pitch tonight, it was great to see him and cheer him on in his major league career. Here are a few photos that my friend Jason and I took after the game.

Jeremy is Called up to the Majors - Joins Indians in NYC

Jeremy was called up to the Major Leagues today and just arrived in New York City to join the Indians on their road trip against the New York Yankees over the next three days. I happen to be living in the NYC metro area right now, so I'll be heading to Wednesday night's game to see Jeremy live in action. More to come...

All-Star Voting: Vote Now!

Click on the link below to vote for Jeremy in the AAA All-Star Game. You can vote up to 25 times. Send this link to friends and family that know Jeremy.

http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/
app/milb/events/asg/y2006/ballot.jsp

First Loss of the Season

Jeremy suffered his first loss of the season, bringing his record in Buffalo to 3-1 and his ERA to 2.78. See the feature below about his latest appearance on the mound:

"Buffalo's Jeremy Guthrie (3-1) suffered his first loss in eight starts. He surrendered season highs of eight runs on nine hits in 6 1/3 innings, striking out six and walking three."

from http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/app/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=t422&t=g_wra&gid=2006_06_09_bufaaa_chraaa_1

Another Dazzling Performance

Jeremy's latest start featured another dominating performance on the mound. This commentary comes from MLB.com on yesterday's game:

Jeremy Guthrie's domination at Triple-A Buffalo continued Sunday, as the right-hander helped the Bisons to a 9-4 win at Columbus by tossing six scoreless innings in which he gave up just five hits and a walk with four strikeouts. Guthrie took a no-decision, but his ERA improved to 0.53 on the year. Shortstop Ramon Vazquez and first baseman Jake Gautreau both drove in three runs, and Ed Mujica (3-0) pitched two scoreless innings of relief to get the win.

Jeremy's Fastball Registers at 99 Miles per Hour

Jeremy Guthrie's fastball has been clocked recently at 99 miles per hour. See the above link for additional information.

Jeremy's Bright Future Imminent

This article was recently published by Knight Ridder newspapers all across the country.

A Pitcher Named Jeremy Could be the Answer for Indians

by Terry Pluto
Knight Ridder Newspapers

If the Cleveland Indians are truly serious about contending, Jeremy Sowers will replace Jason Johnson in the starting rotation.

If not Sowers, then they should bring up Jeremy Guthrie, who has been tremendous at Class-AAA Buffalo, where he's 3-0 with an 0.64 ERA and has not allowed a run in his last two starts.

Two pitchers named Jeremy . . .

Either would be a better option than Johnson, who is scheduled to start Sunday in Detroit.

The Indians are nine games behind the Tigers as they open a three-game series in Detroit tonight. They are eight games in back of the World Series champion Chicago White Sox. They are in baseball's toughest division.

They can't keep starting a guy whose ERA is 12.42 the last four times out. Jason Johnson is 32 years old. He was 16-26 with a 4.80 ERA for the Tigers the last two years.

He's 2-4 with a 6.52 ERA this season. Since the year 2000, he's 44-78.

The Indians like to examine statistical trends.

Think about this: Before this season, Johnson was a much better pitcher in his career before the All-Star break (33-44, 4.43) than after (19-42, 5.48).

There is no rational reason to stick with the veteran right-hander unless the Indians were out of options, but they have two exciting alternatives at Buffalo.

Most fans are aware of Sowers, who is 6-1 with an 0.94 ERA. He's on a streak of 22 scoreless innings. In 67 innings this season, he's allowed only one home run!

He a finesse lefty. He doesn't strike out a lot of hitters (37 in 67 innings), nor does he walk many (18). He wins games, gets batters out. He's started only 37 pro games, but he's 20-5 for his minor-league career.

Compare that with Johnson, whose minor-league record was 35-48. His overall big-league mark is 54-90. He has a good arm, a 92 mph fastball and an impressive sinker. But the parts are far better than the finished product.

The Indians say they love Sowers, but wouldn't mind giving him a little more time to work on holding base runners and some other subtleties of pitching.

OK, bring up Guthrie.

He has been terrific at Buffalo. In fact, the Indians have rated his last two starts even better than those of Sowers. On the season, Guthrie's 0.64 ERA is backed by 29 innings of 19 hits, no homers allowed and 21 strikeouts.

He showed promise with the Tribe in the bullpen last month, where he had a 4.63 ERA in 11 innings. His fastball was in the high 90s.

A creative idea would be to put Sowers in the rotation for Johnson, Guthrie in the bullpen for Guillermo Mota.

Unlike the 23-year-old Sowers, who has been a pro for less than two years, Guthrie is 27. He's in his fourth pro season. The four-year deal he signed with the Tribe out of Stanford is about to expire. He won't be a free agent, but the Indians must decide how he fits.

Let's find out now, and do it knowing he'll help more than Mota.

There was a reason the Indians first backed off from Mota during the trade talks with Boston in the Coco Crisp/Andy Marte deal. There were concerns about Mota's arm, even though he did pitch in 67 innings of relief in 2005.

Mota's fastball remains in the mid-90s. He is supposed to have an excellent change-up, but has used it sparingly. On the season, he is 0-3 with a 5.89 ERA. Digging deeper, you discover he's given up five home runs in only 18 innings. In May, his ERA is 8.20 with three homers in 7 innings.

Shall we be kind and say that he's trending in the wrong direction, to use the jargon of today's baseball executives?

The Indians have won seven of their last nine games. The pitching staff is shaping up. C.C. Sabathia has been dominating. Veteran Paul Byrd is a notorious slow starter (career 5.01 ERA in May), but is 1-1 with a 4.00 ERA and only three walks in his last four starts.

The time to make a move is now, both in the standings and with the pitching staff.

Jeremy's Latest Start for the Bisons

Below is the report of Jeremy's latest start for the Buffalo Bisons. The complete article can be viewed by clicking the link above.

Coming off a rough road trip, it was not in the Mud Hens' favor to run into one of the stingiest pitchers in the International League, Buffalo's Jeremy Guthrie.

Guthrie did not relent. The Bisons won 5-0 at Fifth Third Field last night, leaving Toledo with its fourth straight loss.

Although the Hens loaded the bases in consecutive innings early, the Buffalo right-hander got strikeouts both times to finish the side. Guthrie, who was sent down last week after a stint with Cleveland, has given up just two earned runs in 28 innings pitched for the Bisons this season. He improved to 3-0 with an 0.64 ERA.

"He threw the ball well, sometimes you tip your hat to them," Hens infielder Kevin Hooper said

"He located the ball well and was on top of his game."

At 20-24, the Hens are five games back of Indianapolis in the International League West division. They finished 3-7 on their most recent road trip.

Guthrie, the Indians' first-round draft pick in 2002, threw in the 90s consistently in his five innings and had seven strikeouts.

"Sometimes you can hit those [fast] guys and sometimes you can't," Kelly said. "He had all of his pitches working so that's what made it tough."

Impressive Performance in the Major Leagues

These excerpts come from the article that can be seen by clicking the link above, speaking of Jeremy's recent visit to the major leagues:

Guthrie, 27, was optioned to Class AAA Buffalo when relief pitcher Rafael Betancourt was activated and added to the 25-man roster before Tuesday night's game against Kansas City.

Making six appearances in relief, Guthrie was 0-0 (4.63 ERA) from April 22-May 9 - giving up six runs on 11 hits in 11 2/3 innings, striking out 12 and walking five.

"[Guthrie] did an outstanding job for us," said Tribe manager Eric Wedge. "He made some great strides.

"I can't say how many strides he made, not just this year, but in the last two. He became the odd man out."

Guthrie became the odd man out because he has minor-league options left.

At Buffalo, Guthrie will return to the starting rotation, where he was 2-0 (1.00 ERA) in three starts before being recalled by the Indians on April 22.

The Indians projected that Guthrie, the 22nd overall pick of the 2002 draft, would be in their starting rotation by now. He joined the organization with gaudy credentials - a 26-6 record (2.72 ERA) in two years at Stanford.

"But," said Tribe pitching coach Carl Willis, "this is not an easy game to play. The money is nice, but it can be a bit of a distraction.

"He earned his status as a first-round pick, but finding yourself under the microscope for the first time takes some getting used to."

Guthrie, 31-31 in three previous minor-league seasons at Buffalo and Class AA Akron, is off to his best start as a professional. "We've done a lot of work on his delivery," Willis said.

"Because it has improved, he's commanding his fastball better and he's got the hard slider back that he had in college."

Welcome and Introduction

Hello and welcome to the Jeremy Guthrie Fan Club blog. Our blog postings will celebrate and track the career of a remarkable individual in the world of sports. Jeremy Guthrie has distinguished himself as a gifted athlete but is also a devoted husband and father, a devout Christian, an intelligent scholar, and an active leader in community service. In an era devoid of moral values and role models it is refreshing to witness the resounding success of Jeremy Guthrie, a man of sterling character, integrity, and virtue.

Jeremy was the #1 draft pick of the Cleveland Indians in the 2002 Major League Baseball draft and currently pitches for the Baltimore Orioles.

This blog will include postings of news articles, links, statistics, reflections, biographical insights, and commentary from fans and supporters of Jeremy Guthrie. We invite you to publish comments on the site or send intriguing articles for a blog post.

I know Jeremy well after having spent two years with him as a Christian missionary in Europe. He has remarkable determination, discipline, conviction, ability, and heart. It is my hope that this blog will help more people come to know a great leader and example in our age.