KERRY LIGTENBERG

SEASON SUMMARY
After spending his entire big league career in Atlanta, Kerry Ligtenberg signed a one-year contract with the Orioles prior to the start of the 2003 season.  The most reasonable expectation was that Ligtenberg would be adequate bulk right-handed relief, and that essentially played out.  The Orioles declined to offer Ligtenberg arbitration after the season and Toronto signed him to a two-year deal on December 9.

2003 was the first time in Ligtenberg's six-year major league career that he allowed more hits than innings pitched...barely.  It was also the first time in his big league life that Ligtenberg overcame a maddening tendency to walk opposing batters, allowing fewer than two unintentional walks per nine innings.  Entering 2003, he had issued 3.88 walks per nine innings.

Ligtenberg's undoing, such as it was, was the gopher ball.  The nine home runs in 59.1 frames (1.37 HR/9IP) was the worst per nine inning mark in Ligtenberg's five full seasons.

Still, Ligtenberg couldn't be described as ineffective, all things considered.  While he wasn't as effective as his ERA would imply, he wasn't that much worse.  His Component ERA was 3.93--obviously worse, but still not dreadful by any means.

The Orioles used Ligtenberg frequently (68 appearances), but certainly didn't burn him out.  He faced only 3.6 batters per appearance and averaged well under an inning a game.  Ligtenberg has always been a short reliever; for his career he's tossed 326 innings in 322 appearances.

When effective, Ligtenberg relies on a split-finger fastball and slider to get batters out, mixing in a modestly better than average velocity fastball.  For the most part, Ligtenberg tries to get hitters out on pitches out of the strike zone.

Next year, he'll be attempting to do this for another member of the American League's Eastern Division.