Bielecki on Baseball: The O's, Matt Weiters, Barry Bonds, Tony Gwynn and Dave Parker

Patch: Mike, last week you mentioned you are doing a camp in Dundalk April 21, can you tell us more about the camp and how you got involved with Coach Gus?

“My friend Gus Kaplanges, who runs the Bay Bridge batting academy is holding the clinic. I know Gus from high school. I will be doing the pitching and fielding your position portion of the camp for high schoolers.”

Patch: We’re into the third week of the season and the O' s are hanging near the top of the American East. What are the biggest surprises to you so far this season?

“For the O's the starting pitching getting deep into games and the poise of the young staff.”

Patch: The O's fans are extremely happy with the start of the Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays, which team’s poor start is a bigger surprise to you?

“Probably Boston tanking. But that won't last long.”

Patch: This past week you were in Chicago with the Cubs. Can you tell us what you were doing there and how it came about?

“I was in Chicago doing a charity ball for Cubs’ Charities with current and former players. Cubs’ Charities are an enormous philanthropic organization that raises millions of dollars for the community. I was also signing autographs in one of the sponsor’s sky boxes eating their food and drinking their beer! I also do camps for the Braves. The two teams I spent most of my time with."

Patch: The other day I was talking with a parent of a young  baseball player, and the parent was telling me of how hard it is dealing with the pro scouts and college scouts on a daily basis. What advice do you have for parents that have a young player who is being recruited or scouted for either college or the pros?

“Lucky parent. Not many parents get to file that complaint. First of all, don’t force the kid to do what he doesn’t want to do or his heart won't be in it. If he is to go pro, talk to an agent and find out some basic facts about the signing bonus, which obviously is dictated by the round selected, and contract and percentage the agent charges. Shop around. It’s like hiring a lawyer, which most are. And if he is that good. I’ll be his agent!

Patch: Nick Markakis might be the best right fielder in the game today. Why do you think he does not get the respect from the rest of the league and the writers when it comes to the Gold Glove and All-Star game?

“Have no idea.”

Patch: Matt Wieters. Some fans are expecting this young kid to be the second coming of Johnny Bench. Can you compare him to any of the young catchers that you pitched to in the majors?

“Damon Berryhill from the Cubs. He was a switch hitter, natural lefty, with great skills behind the plate and handled the staff like a general. Damon was young, but called a great game – had a memory like an elephant. His staff was Maddux, Me, Sutcliffe and Schiraldi. Damon ended up tearing his rotator cuff and hung on a few years, but was never the star he was projected because of injury.”

Patch: So far, Wieters has turned out to be a great success for behind the plate. What do you say to the fans who are down on him because of his bat?

“His most important job now is learning the pitchers and defense. The power numbers will come with maturity.”

Patch: The rest of the month for the O's is tough. Yankees, Indians, Twins, Yankees, Red Sox and then the White Sox. What would be a good outcome for the O's leading into May?

“Win every series, what else!”

Patch: Barry Bonds had one of his worst batting averages against you, compared to all other pitchers he faced. Who did you love to see come to the plate and who, if any, gave you a slight chill coming to the plate when you pitched?

“Hated facing Barry, but always got him out. I didn’t realize that his B.A. was so low against me until he was going for the home run record. I never liked facing Tony Gwynn or Dave Parker. Gwynn would always run the count to full and get his single after throwing 12 pitches to him. And Parker scalded everything I threw up there. He was about 6-foot-7 and about 275-pounds of muscle and ran like a sprinter. He was definitely in my head.”