FORT MILL - It's a beautiful, albiet windy, day for a baseball game out here, just south of the border.
Through three innings, Norfolk's Radhames Liz, one of the Orioles top pitching prospects, has only given up one walk (a first-inning job to former White Sox Jerry Owens) and a sharp single to left to Francisco Cortez through four quick innings.
Liz throws heat (he's been clocked at 99 mph) and has a nasty slider, but so far, he's been effectively wild. When he misses, he misses bad. And this is probably why he's in Norfolk, not Baltimore. He may be able to throw through a brick wall, but the question remains, which wall.
After Daniel Cabrera's 7-walk performance Monday in Chicago, all the Orioles need is another starter who struggles with his command.
Fantasy Spin: Liz has the raw tools to be a pro starter, if he can hone his control. His minor league walk rate is 4.62/9 innings, which needs improvement. He's worth a gamble in deep keeper leagues. Liz may be a factor the second half of 2008. But with 24 K's in 21 2/3 innings pitched going into today's game, he could give your lagging strikeout totals a Lincecum-type effect, but he could drain your WHIP.
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