By Daniel Rifkin

Matt Wieters batted .323 with 20 hits a home run in July. (Mitch Stringer/PressBox)

As catchers go, the Orioles' Matt Wieters and the recently traded Gregg Zaun couldn't be more different. Some of the differences are pretty obvious at first glance, as Zaun would openly admit.

"I'm short; he's tall," Zaun said with a grin.

It has already been said, with varying levels of sarcasm, that the arrival of the hugely hyped Wieters will mark the beginning of a new era; that one day Oriole history will be viewed in two parts: Before Matt Wieters and After Matt Wieters.

Zaun’s recent departure to the Tampa Bay Rays marks the end of a brief era, as essential to the team as it is unsung: The Matt Wieters and Gregg Zaun era. Hopefully, it will be remembered as the era in which Wieters was still learning how to be a starting catcher and when two very different players with contrasting styles teamed up at the position.

At 6-foot-5, Wieters did indeed tower over the 5-foot-10 Zaun, and most other catchers. His size breaks the mold for his position, much like Cal Ripken once did at shortstop. But that was by no means the only glaring difference between the two.

At just 23 years old, Wieters is already labeled the savior of the franchise, despite not having really accomplished much in the majors thus far, a career trajectory that might have appeared entirely foreign to Zaun. The 14-year veteran toiled for many years as a backup and journeyman for the Orioles and other teams, not establishing himself as an everyday starter until he was well into his 30s.

Not surprisingly, Zaun, during his most recent stint here, played the role of the gritty veteran whose knowledge of the game helped him keep up with younger players. Wieters, on the other hand, is still adjusting to the challenges of the major league game, but most around him, including Zaun, agree his potential sets him apart.

"He's a different type of hitter than me and he's a different kind of catcher," Zaun said. "The one thing I have going for me is experience, and I'm able to feel things coming a little quicker than he probably does because he hasn't been through it. But give him 15 years in the big leagues and it'll probably be a little different.”

The scrappy veteran and the young phenom made for a solid, if unlikely, tandem behind the plate. And for all their differences, Zaun did the job he was brought to Baltimore to do before flying south to help the Rays. He held down the fort, while also helping Wieters take the last step in his development and become the everyday catcher of the future.

Perhaps the most important thing Zaun brought to the table was his years in the AL East. Before signing with the Orioles, he played the last four seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays. For the late-blooming Zaun, the Toronto years were some of his most productive. But for Wieters, those same years represented a valuable store of experience and knowledge, especially regarding the hitters of the AL East that has proven essential to Wieters as he attempts to guide a young pitching staff against the deadly lineups of this division.

"You can learn so much from a guy who's caught this long," said Wieters. "He's seen every hitter we're going to face pretty much, and in this league especially. You can take it and put it in your own game."

Wieters has batted .263 in 49 games, after hitting .323 in July. The power numbers he had in the minor leagues, however, have not followed him so far, and he has struck out three times as often as he has walked. In the field, Wieters has been praised for his handling of the pitching staff but has struggled throwing out base stealers.

"I'd like to see him work on his footwork, his throwing,” said catching instructor Don Werner. “I think sometimes a catcher has a tendency to try and make up for a good jump that the runner has gotten off the pitcher, and he tries to make up for it and be too quick and that makes your throws not too accurate.”

That said, the Orioles front office clearly saw enough from Wieters to feel confident about trading Zaun. Replacing him is Chad Moeller, another veteran who has spent time in the AL East. However, Moeller is unlikely to get two or three starts a week, as Zaun often did. Whatever issues he is having, Wieters will have to work out on his own as the undisputed starter. The Zaun-Wieters era has come to an end, and even the departed veteran probably wouldn’t argue with his counterpart’s increase in playing time.

“I always feel that way about young players,” Zaun said. “If they did something good enough to get themselves here, I think it's only fair that you let them play the game.”

Issue 140: August 2009