Rick Bauer
| G | GS | CG | SHO | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | W | L | Sv | P/GS | BAA | ERA |
| 56 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 83.2 | 84 | 41 | 37 | 12 | 36 | 45 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 93.0 | .268 | 3.98 |
Bauer is one of the few really pleasant stories to tell on the 2002 Orioles. He put together a pretty solid year in relief, making the team out of spring training. He picked up his first ML win against the Yankees on April 16, and posted a strong April, quickly establishing himself as the first man out of the pen, to be followed by Roberts, Groom. and Julio. He thrived in those short one inning stints, posting a .239 BAA in his first 15 pitches. Slumping in May and June, he recovered nicely and finished out a satisfactory season.
Bauer did not strike out many batters, but his sinking movement resulted in numerous ground balls, which were eagerly turned into DP's by the O's defense. He may find the sledding tougher in 2003 with a new shortstop.
The more Bauer worked per outing, the less effective he was. His one start against the Jays in late August was a disaster. Back-to-back outings were not to his liking, either. In 11 1/3 innings when he had pitched the previous day, he gave up 14 hits and a 7.15 ERA.
Bauer just turned 26 a week ago. He should be a positive performer for the Orioles' bullpen in 2003, based on his past performance. It's difficult to envision him as a starter considering his lack of strikeouts and the ineffectiveness of his longer outings. but he may still get that opportunity next season.
TO SUCCESSFULLY CONTRIBUTE NEXT SEASON, HE SHOULD:
(1.) improve his arm strength, or whatever it is that limits his effectiveness to short stretches.
(2.) work on a third pitch, especially since he's not a strikeout pitcher.
NOTES: posted a 3.71 ERA as a reliever...had a 2.93 ERA at home, 4.95 on the road...pitched 14 2/3 shutout innings against the Red Sox in 9 appearances...had a 3.38 ERA against the Yankees in 7 appearances...a 5.91 against the Jays...