masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgThe next issue of Sports Illustrated hits newsstands nationwide tomorrow, and you’ll recognize the player on the cover.

Matt Wieters better not believe in jinxes.

Wieters is the subject of the cover story, written by Tom Verducci.

No Oriole has appeared on the front of the magazine in more than 13 years, according to an SI spokesman.

Verducci goes into great detail about how rare it is for an MLB team to find a young catcher who has great skills, both offensively and defensively.

“In…The next issue of Sports Illustrated hits newsstands nationwide tomorrow, and you’ll recognize the player on the cover.

Matt-Wieters_SI_Cover_2010.jpg

Matt Wieters better not believe in jinxes.

Wieters is the subject of the cover story, written by Tom Verducci.

No Oriole has appeared on the front of the magazine in more than 13 years, according to an SI spokesman.

Verducci goes into great detail about how rare it is for an MLB team to find a young catcher who has great skills, both offensively and defensively.

“In Wieters, a switch-hitting, 6′ 5″ young catcher, the Orioles are holding a cornerstone who invokes a higher power: His teammates at Georgia Tech called him, simply, God,” Verducci writes.

Wieters is quoted as saying, “I liked catching right away, because if I had to play short or first, I wasn’t in on every play. Catching can keep you sane. You can go 0 for 4 at the plate and still feel like you had a pretty good game because of all the responsibilities on defense.”

Here’s the Rays’ lineup:

Sean Rodriguez SS
Carl Crawford LF
Evan Longoria 3B
Carlos Pena 1B
B.J. Upton DH
Matt Joyce RF
Dioner Navarro C
Reid Brignac 2B
Fernando Perez CF

Jeff Niemann RHP