Radhames Liz

Infobox MLB player


width = 150
name = Radhames Liz
team = Baltimore Orioles
number = 62
position = Starting pitcher
birthdate = birth date and age|1983|6|10
birthplace = El Seybo, Dominican Republic
bats = Right
throws = Right
debutdate = August 25
debutyear = 2007
debutteam = Baltimore Orioles
statyear = 2008
stat1label = Win-Loss
stat1value = 6-8
stat2label = Earned run average
stat2value = 6.77
stat3label = Strikeouts
stat3value = 81
teams =
*Baltimore Orioles (by|2007-present)

Radhames Corey Liz (born October 6, 1983 in El Seybo, Dominican Republic) is a starting pitcher who plays for the Baltimore Orioles. He is 6'2", weighs 186 lbs, and throws right-handed.

Career

Liz, who is one of 11 children in his family, started playing baseball when he was 16 years old and learned how to pitch in by|2003 and by|2004 while playing in the Dominican Summer League. [http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060705&content_id=102116&vkey=news_milb&fext=.jsp] He started pitching in the United States with the short-season Aberdeen IronBirds and Single-A Delmarva Shorebirds in by|2005.

In by|2006, Liz started his first full professional season with the Frederick Keys, the highest of the Orioles' three Single-A teams. Liz began the season by striking out 33 batters in his first 15 innings pitched. [http://www.frederickkeys.com/cgi-bin/dist/news.cgi?id=1146065717] Later in the year, he represented the Orioles on the World squad at the All-Star Futures Game. He also received a promotion to the Double-A Bowie Baysox; between the two teams, he struck out 149 batters in 133 1/3 innings before playing in the Dominican Winter League. However, he had difficulty with his control in the 2006 season, walking 75 batters. Baseball America named Liz the Orioles' fifth-best prospect going into the by|2007 season, following Billy Rowell, Brandon Erbe, Nolan Reimold, and Pedro Beato.

Liz returned to Bowie for the 2007 season and was selected for the Eastern League's All-Star Game. He no-hit the Harrisburg Senators on June 1. His no-hitter was the first nine-inning no-hitter ever pitched at Prince George's Stadium, which has been open since by|1994. On August 14, Liz took a no-hitter into the eighth inning against the Connecticut Defenders; he then allowed a single and a two-run home run, but struck out 14 batters in eight innings. [http://www.theday.com/re.aspx?re=c1ab8b2c-5b27-4127-94de-7feb6cd63b0d]

For the 2007 season, Liz had an 11-4 record for the Baysox with a 3.22 ERA and 161 strikeouts in 137 innings pitched. In his 10 starts at the Baysox' Prince George's Stadium, he was 9-0 with a 2.02 ERA in 62 1/3 innings pitched. [http://baysox.com.ismmedia.com/ISM2//2007%20Game%20Notes/8-20-07.pdf]

The Orioles recalled him from Bowie on August 24, mlby|2007, to make a start against the Minnesota Twins at Oriole Park at Camden Yards the following day. [http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070824&content_id=2167826&vkey=news_bal&fext=.jsp&c_id=bal] He allowed five runs, including a three-run home run to Torii Hunter, in six innings. He consistently threw 97-98 miles per hour, with one pitch clocked at 100. [http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/baseball/bal-osnotes0826,0,3821875.story]

couting report

Liz is known for his remarkably long arms; when he stands with his arms at his sides, his fingers reach below his knees. [http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/news/261271.html] Liz uses a straight overhand pitching motion and throws his fastball consistently in the mid- to upper-90s [http://www2.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2007/07_29-62/SPO] and has been clocked at 99 mph. [http://www.orioleshangout.com/article.asp?id=1011] His other pitches include an overhand curveball, a sinker, a slider, and two variations of a changeup. [http://www.orioleshangout.com/plus/tracker.asp?ID=53]

Early in his professional career, Liz received attention because of a clicking sound which is sometimes loud enough to be heard in the stands and occurs whenever he throws a pitch. Some have thought it to be his thumb clicking against his index finger. [http://www.sportingnews.com/blog/pneumonia-pony/tag/BostonRedSox] Oriole's head athletic trainer Richie Bancells discovered that Liz's scapula caused the clicking; although rare, this condition does not hurt his pitching career. To treat this condition, Liz has been doing an exercise program to strengthen the muscles around his collarbone. [http://www.baysox.com/news/?id=11979]

External links

* [http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?n=Radhames%20Liz&pos=P&sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=467785 Minor League Baseball profile]
* [http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=467785 Liz's MLB.com player page]