With a Year in the Books, O's Mazzone Set for Next Chapter

Former Baltimore pitcher Rodrigo Lopez said Leo Mazzone, pictured, put up "barriers." But young players like Erik Bedard, Adam Loewen and Chris Ray flourished under Mazzone's tutelage. (Rick Bowmer - AP)

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Feb. 18 -- After less than a month as the Baltimore Orioles' pitching coach, Leo Mazzone, on a spring whim, had a blue and white pennant tattooed on his left arm. Inside the pennant were the words "14 Straight," a tribute to the 14 consecutive division titles won by the Atlanta Braves during his tenure. As if anyone needed to be reminded of who he was or what his task was in Baltimore, Mazzone in one brash gesture established himself as the man in charge of revitalizing the Orioles' pitching staff.

But the Orioles' pitching staff statistically flopped last season, ranking second worst in baseball with a 5.35 ERA. For all the fanfare given to Mazzone's hiring, the Orioles were statistically worse last year than they had been in 2005 with pitching coach Ray Miller. Sure, there were success stories: Erik Bedard flourished, Adam Loewen emerged as a potential ace, Daniel Cabrera mustered a strong second half, and Chris Ray became one of the league's top closers. The season was tumultuous for Mazzone, who quickly realized that his task was more involved than he imagined.

Not only did Mazzone have to familiarize himself with every pitcher on the staff, he also had to learn an entire league. Though Mazzone impressed with his work ethic, he also, according to several sources close to the team, alienated many.

"He has a personality where he's very respected because he's established and has had success and because of that it's difficult to change his mind," former Orioles pitcher Rodrigo Lopez, now with the Colorado Rockies, said in a phone interview. "He needs to adjust to the American League and needs to understand that it's difficult to pitch in the ballpark in Baltimore.

"It's difficult to work with him at certain points because he blocks you out. When you really need him he puts up a barrier. He needs to communicate better and be easier to talk to. There is a barrier there. As a coach you need to know each player and understand how to get the best of them. He doesn't treat everybody the same. He's got a difficult personality. He can be aggressive. He's not the most friendly person. It's not easy to talk to him."

Mazzone declined to address Lopez's comments.

"Since Rodrigo doesn't pitch for us, I don't want to get into it," Mazzone said. "Rodrigo and I got along fine."

Statistically, Lopez had his worst statistical season (9-18, 5.90 ERA) under Mazzone. Some who succeeded under him, like Loewen, have a different perspective.

"I think you just have to understand him," Loewen said. "He's very passionate about he does. Sometimes that can be taken differently than what it actually is."

Manager Sam Perlozzo staunchly defends Mazzone, and for good reason. Their futures are tied together. It was Perlozzo who persuaded his longtime friend to leave the Braves for the grand task of rebuilding the Orioles' pitching staff. Should one depart, it's likely the other also would.

"I thought he had tremendous success last year," Perlozzo said. "Some of the guys weren't supposed to be there. They were rushed up there and were kids still. That's difficult. He's trying to teach somebody at the major league level when we're trying to win ballgames. If somebody is wanting a miracle in one year, you're being unreasonable."

Less than a week into his second season, Mazzone said he feels much more at ease. The faces in the clubhouse are now familiar. Last year, spring practices took longer than usual because Mazzone wanted to watch every pitcher in camp throw a bullpen session. On Sunday the Orioles finished practice before noon and no pitcher threw a bullpen session.

"I'm familiar with the surroundings," Mazzone said. "It's nice to see the friendly faces."

Ultimately, Mazzone's tenure won't be defined by the number of friends he makes. Most important are the wins his pitching staff brings. He was given a huge hand in rebuilding the Orioles staff, and if he hurts some feelings in the process, so be it.

"I think with Leo it's always been about the results, with what he's done in the past, he brings that credibility, based on his 14 straight [division] championships," Orioles Vice President Jim Duquette said. "His style is one that is more direct. I don't think confrontational is the right word, but there will be some times that he'll have a confrontation with you when there is a disagreement in philosophies. He feels strongly about certain philosophies that he feels are tried and true and he's had a lot of success with."