He settled into a groove as the season progressed. In 29 games in September and October, he batted .333 with four homers, 17 RBIs and an .882 on-base-plus-slugging average.
"His swing is a little shorter. He is swinging at pitches in the strike zone more now," Crowley said. "When he first came up, at times he was a little too patient where he would take a strike or two. Now, if that first pitch is something he likes, he'll whack it."
Like on Sept. 16, when Wieters crushed a pitch from Russ Springer over the wall in left-center in the bottom of the ninth to break a 2-2 tie with the Tampa Bay Rays. It was his first walk-off homer at any level and one of his two top highlights of the season.
"The standing ovation I got the first day was something special and something I will always remember," he said. "And the walk-off home run, because you could really see how you helped the team win a game and that was special."
Wieters ended the season with a .288 average, .340 on-base percentage, nine homers and 43 RBIs in 96 games. He also made strides defensively, allowing just three passed balls while throwing out 24 percent of would-be base stealers on the season. His throws were crisper and more accurate as his experience grew.
"I feel pretty confident all around that I have been able to sort of hold my own up here," Wieters said. "But at the same time, I think every aspect needs improvement, from catching to throwing to blocking to hitting. I think everything is always going to need improvement. But all around, I feel like I have had a pretty successful year."
Perhaps what was most impressive about Wieters' 2009 season was how he dealt with the pressure and expectations.
"He handles himself well. He is quiet. He comes in and gets his work done, works hard. Knows what he has to do to get ready for big league ballgames," right fielder Nick Markakis said. "And when he is put in those situations, he handles himself like a big leaguer. That's a good example to set, and it's good to see out of such a young kid."
Wieters said he would take "three or four weeks off to get refreshed and relaxed." Then, at the urging of the Orioles, he plans to start a weightlifting program. He'll also spend time at an exercise institute in Southern California in hopes of making himself stronger, quicker and more flexible.
That, he hopes, will help him have a better season in 2010.
"Coming in and not knowing what to expect, this was a good year," Wieters said. "At the same time, you always have that .300 average you want to be around.
"It's been a quality year, but next year is a whole different year. So you've got to work hard and hope you improve."
Baltimore Sun reporter Jeff Zrebiec contributed to this article.
Big progress
Month(s) Games Avg. HRs RBIs
May/June 24 .247 2 7
July 17 .323 1 6
Aug. 26 .250 2 13
Sept./Oct. 29 .333 4 17
Totals 96 .288 9 43
