Players A to Z, Mark Hendrickson

Mark Hendrickson pitched in relief for the Baltimore Orioles in 2010 and now seeks work as a free agent. At 6′ 9″, he was the third tallest pitcher in the majors in 2010, but Mark could not use his height to intimidate batters. His 5.1 strikeouts per nine is low, especially when you consider that this height allows him to release the ball closer to the plate, which means hitters should have less time to react. With the low K rate, opposing batters hit .291 against him for his career. His strength as a pitcher comes from issuing few walks. At 2.6 BB per 9 IP, Hendrickson’s OBP allowed is only .340, good for a pitcher who allows so many hits. A team could probably do okay picking Henderickson up cheap for 2011. He pitched better in terms of the three true outcomes in 2010 than in 2009, but in the early year he posted an ERA about 1/2 a run better than his FIP, while in 2010 his ERA was over a run higher than his FIP. He might settle in this season to an ERA in...