Brad Bergesen probably should've been with the big league team since Day One, but he finally took the mound wearing an Orioles uniform Tuesday night. His first inning as a major leaguer consisted of a couple of groundouts followed by a 12-pitch duel with Carlos Quentin.
The White Sox left fielder finally went down whiffing on a slider, and the rookie pitcher shouted into his glove, hopped over the first base line and made his way to the dugout.
Bergesen went on to pick up the win in the Orioles' 10-3 victory, and it was no surprise he received a standing ovation when he left in the sixth inning. Bergensen is a symbol for the organization; he represents the start of the slow transition from a farm system stocked with prospects to a big league clubhouse filled with them.
Here's what the first two weeks hinted at and what Tuesday night confirmed: The changing of the guard can't come soon enough. "This is the first step in that new movement," manager Dave Trembley said.
"There's more coming," he added. "They're not here yet."
But they probably should be.
Trembley called the win, which ended a five-game losing streak, a "shot in the arm for the club," but it should also serve as a jolt of reality for the front office.
Count me among those who initially favored stashing the young prospects on the farm, letting them get some seasoning in Bowie and Norfolk before anyone fired up the coffee maker for August and September call-ups.
But the recent string of losses on the road, or more precisely, the nature of those losses, has thinking me otherwise. The Orioles' pitching has changed the biggest question of the season. Let's stop asking, why rush the prospects? Now, you've got to wonder, why not?
At this point, what do the Orioles have to lose?
Why should fans pay money to watch Adam Eaton give up 10 runs in eight innings? Can't someone else manage that and at least have growth to show for it by season's end?
Why would anyone want to tune in to see Gregg Zaun bat the weight of a runway model? Couldn't Matt Wieters just as easily do that and perhaps pick up a thing or two in the process?
And how long should we be content watching Felix Pie learn left field and work on his swing? Especially when you consider that in Norfolk, Nolan Reimold is batting .422 with three homers and 15 RBIs through 11 games.
The front office could continue giving Trembley a lousy hand to play most nights. Or team officials could start calling up young players. Like, right now.
