Chuck McElroy was a member of the "new and improved" Orioles bullpen for 2000. Even though he had joined the O’s after a disastrous stint with the Colorado Rockies, he had put up some decent numbers in the past, and he seemed to be a solid left-handed addition.

Instead, he turned out to be a major contributor to a bullpen destined to surpass even the 1999 group for ineptitude. Like most of the 2000 bullpen, McElroy came out of the box smoking…the graphs displaying ERA in Grover’s office had to be extended onto the wall to hold McElroy’s 14.14 ERA for April. The major culprit? Eight walks and ten hits in seven innings. Thus began the sad saga of the 2000 season. McElroy seemed to have caught whatever disease Arthur Rhodes had contracted in the bullpen in 1999 as a lefty who couldn’t control his pitches. The only differences were Rhodes threw harder, and McElroy wore glasses. Well, and McElroy could throw more than twice a week, not that anyone wanted him to.

Quietly, McElroy righted himself, and pitched well, if somewhat sparingly, in May and June. But just when you thought it was safe to pick up the bullpen phone, McElroy blew up again in July and August, giving up 21 hits and 10 walks in 14 innings.

His numbers for 2000 were made deceptively respectable by two emergency outings as a starter. His overall relief ERA was 5.50, with 31 walks in only 52 innings.

Now, maybe he’s one of those guys who is more suited to starting. He’s never had a real stint there. But the O’s are taking a real flyer if they expect to draw any conclusions from two starts, despite how solid they may have been. The bottom line was that for most of 2000, Chuck McElroy was terrible.

Since he only gave up a .204 average and .344 slugging percentage to lefties, it appears that any role that limits him to getting out a tough lefty might be a good one. Anything else is really questionable.

TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE 2001 ORIOLES, HE MUST:

Cut down on his walks.

Improve a brutal overall .378 OBP against righthanders, or not face so many of them. (not likely to happen if he starts)

Either pitch more like a reliever or become an at-least mediocre starter.