Loyola Blakefield grad Zimmermann earns spot in Orioles’ rotation

As a student at Loyola Blakefield, Bruce Zimmermann remembers attending games at Camden Yards and yelling the traditional “O” alongside his fellow orange-clad fans during the National Anthem.  

Zimmermann envisioned the day he would become a major-league pitcher, and perhaps even play for his hometown team.

That dream has become a reality, as Zimmermann was recently named the

Orioles No. 3 starting pitcher after a  successful college and minor-league career. The 26-year-old will make his 2021 debut Easter Sunday in Boston, against the Red Sox.

“Through and through, I grew up definitely as an Orioles fan,” said Zimmermann, who attended Woodmont Academy in Cooksville growing up. “As long as I can remember, coming to Camden Yards with my dad, wanting to be the Orioles at the local rec league.”

Zimmermann attended Cardinal Gibbons School in Baltimore as a high school freshman, but after it closed, he transferred to Loyola Blakefield. He became a standout pitcher for the Dons and was selected to play in the Brooks Robinson All-Star Game, a senior showcase, at Camden Yards in 2013.

Much of that development occurred on the watch of Jimmy Crowley, then the Loyola Blakefield coach.

“When he arrived as a 10th-grader I knew he had the ability and good baseball instincts, but he was young and small, 5-9ish,” Crowley said. “By his senior year, he was one of the best high school pitchers in the area and I knew his college future was bright.”

Crowley knew what making it to the major leagues required. His father, Terry, was a renowned pinch-hitter for the Orioles in the early 1970s. The former Dons coach starred at Dulaney High and Clemson University, was an 11th-round draft pick in 1991, and got as far as the Orioles’ Triple-A team, then in Rochester.

“I was blessed and fortunate to grow up around baseball, watching my dad play for 13 years in the big leagues,” Crowley said. “I also played at a top college (Clemson) and then five years of professional baseball. I had the opportunity to see some of the best players in the game and know how hard and competitive it is with players from around the world.

“I saw the potential was there for Bruce, but also recognized how hard it is to make it to the professional level.”

According to Crowley, Zimmermann brought an uncommon aptitude for the game.

“He was always very appreciative of the coach’s advice,” Crowley said. “I was fortunate to have some good baseball guys and business leaders around the team.  We preached working hard, doing the right things in and out of school, and staying away from trouble. Bruce took that to heart, and out-worked most of the other guys, whether he was with us, his pitching coach, or his summer team.”

While the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association has produced MLB all-stars, such as Mount St. Joseph grad Mark Teixeira, Zimmermann is only the second Loyola Blakefield product to reach that level. Tim Nordbrook, class of 1967, played for the Orioles as a utility infielder, 1974-76.

“I’m very excited for the Loyola baseball community,” Crowley said. “I am even more excited for Bruce and his family. He loves the game and played with such passion that it makes you feel good when you see it work out in this Way.”

After Loyola Blakefield, Zimmermann attended Towson University for two years, then transferred to the University of Mount Olive, a Division II program in North Carolina. As a senior, Zimmermann went 9-2, with a 3.18 ERA and 129 strikeouts, which tied the single-season program record.

Zimmermann was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the fifth round of the 2017 MLB draft. In July 2018, the Orioles acquired Zimmermann in a trade that included Kevin Gausman and Darren O’Day. 

He was called up to the Orioles’ roster late last season, and made his first career start Sept. 17 against the Tampa Bay Rays. Zimmermann allowed five runs on four hits, with one walk and two strikeouts over three innings. He first big league strikeout came against Nate Lowe in the first inning.

Zimmermann pitched in one other game for Baltimore and didn’t render a decision on the season.

“A lot of minor-league ballplayers don’t get to play anywhere near their hometown,” Zimmermann said. “Playing in front of family and friends, every moment of that, I didn’t take for granted.”

Zimmermann worked hard in the offseason and had one of the most impressive performances among all Orioles pitchers during spring training, allowing just one hit in nine scoreless innings as a reliever. That performance prompted Orioles Orioles manager Brandon Hyde to name Zimmermann as the No. 3 starter to begin the season. 

“He’s pitched outstanding in camp,” Hyde said. “Really feel like he’s had a really good spring training. He’s had some good starts here. I really like his stuff. I think this guy’s a four-pitch guy, he’s pounded the strike zone all spring, his velocity’s ticked up, his breaking balls have been sharper, and he’s healthy and ready to go. He’s earned it with how he’s pitched this spring.”

Zimmermann’s family is just as excited about the upcoming season. As lifelong Orioles fans, they didn’t have to exactly scavenge for team gear. 

“It was definitely a special moment calling my family members and telling some of my friends,” Zimmermann said. “Some of them have already booked flights up to Boston to come see me for that opening weekend and obviously looking forward to that opening weekend in Baltimore. It was definitely a nice culmination to a lot of hard work this offseason, coming into spring training and pitching well. I’m just looking forward to continuing into the regular season and pitching well.”

After pitching in Boston, Zimmerman will likely start at Camden Yards April 10, against those same Red Sox. The Orioles’ home opener is April 8.

Approximately 11,000 will be allowed into games at Camden Yards to begin the season. Several of those tickets will be claimed by Zimmermann’s family and Friends. Instead of sitting alongside them, like he did as a teen, Zimmermann will be wearing a real Orioles uniform, not replica merchandise. 

“I can’t deny that,” he said. “It’s going to be special to finally hear that Camden ‘O’ with fans in the stands for the first time, being on the field instead of being one of the ones yelling it.”

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