Former Grandview High School stars Greg Bird, left, and Kevin Gausman. (Denver Post file)
It’s going to be a Grandview High School reunion at Yankee Stadium Tuesday.
Orioles starter Kevin Gausman is scheduled to pitch against the Yankees where his former high school catcher, rookie first baseman Greg Bird, may start. The game is slated to begin at 5:05 p.m.
Gausman and Bird played on varsity together with the Wolves in 2009 and 2010. Gausman compiled a 12-4 record with a 3.40 ERA and 127 strikeouts in 101 innings pitched during the span. Bird blasted 27 home runs (the most of any Colorado player regardless of classification) while batting .574 with 74 RBIs.
In , the two future Major Leaguers shared thoughts on playing with each other:
“I’ve had some of the top guys in the country catch me and he receives it just as well as any of them,” Gausman said. “He’s really good at knowing what type of pitcher you are, what types of pitches you’re comfortable throwing in a certain situation. . . . He’ll have four or five times a game where he’ll get you a strike when you didn’t throw a strike.”
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While Bird acknowledges catching Gausman serves as a college-prep tool and praises the right-hander, he also claims: “I don’t like to give Kevin as much credit as a lot of people do; I stay on his butt.”
Bird is regarded as the No. 4 prospect in the Yankees’ organization, and since making his debut last month, he’s been hitting .263 through 22 games and has five home runs, including crushing a three-run shot against the Orioles Monday to lift New York to an 8-6 win. Gausman is 2-6 on the year with a 4.59 ERA for Baltimore.
Tags: Baltimore Orioles, Grandview High School, Greg Bird, Kevin Gausman, New York Yankees
