Tillman offers advice to Givens regarding WBC

The Orioles are down to four players committed to play in the World Baseball Classic after outfielder Hyun Soo Kim reportedly withdrew his name from the South Korea roster. One of them received some advice from the staff ace during last week's minicamp in Sarasota.

Chris Tillman, who lives about 10 minutes from the Ed Smith Stadium complex, showed up all three days to continue his workouts and to watch the young pitchers throw their bullpen sessions. He also wanted to chat with reliever Mychal Givens, who made the drive from his Tampa home to play catch.

Tillman stood beside Givens on Tuesday and shared his thoughts on the young right-hander's decision to pitch for Team USA. Sort of a big brother moment.

"That's actually what we were talking about," Tillman said when I attempted to pry during his interview on the "Hot Stove Show" on 105.7 The Fan.

"I just told him, 'Be careful.' Because I've seen it 100 times, where guys go out, and there's nothing better than going out and representing your country, but you've got to be careful because you've got a team that's waiting for you to come back and help contribute. And he knows that.

"He's smart. I'm happy for him to go. I'm not trying to discourage him from going, but I just want him to be careful. It would be a bad thing to go out and come back and not be the same guy because you tried to do too much. I told him it's early and go out and have fun, but don't do too much."

Concerns about Givens' health trickle down the organization. They won't stand in his way and understand why he wants to participate, but they also worry that pitchers are more susceptible to injury. They're counting on Team USA officials and staff to be careful with him.

Tillman is a regular at the complex because of its proximity to his home. He's grown to love the area. Same with a handful of other players who moved there, including former Oriole Miguel Gonzalez, who still has a home in Sarasota.

"I'm there every day," Tillman said. "But I made it a point to come down and check out the guys. I've done that the last couple of years. They stick around and watch us, so I do my due diligence. Stick around and watch them and talk to them and get to know some of them. A lot of new faces this year, so there are a lot of guys to get to know."

"I'm completely open to talking to guys if they ask, if they want it. I'm not going to go out of my way to bug someone if they're not going to be receptive. So if guys ask questions, I'll sit down and talk about it all day if you want. I don't get enough of it, you know?"

Tillman has been working out with Triple-A Norfolk's Christian Walker, who moved from first base to the outfield last season. They've been regulars in the weight room.

"He's in great shape," Tillman said. "That guy's an animal. He is. He's been there every day working out. We've been having a lot of fun.

"It's not only him and I. We've got Jason Garcia and a couple other guys. We've been doing it for a couple years now. I think (Zach) Britton will be in town shortly. We have a lot of fun. We mix it up and we have fun. It kind of has that friendly competition."

The minicamp also gave Tillman a chance to meet with new pitching coach Roger McDowell, who's replacing Dave Wallace. No sense waiting until FanFest or spring training.

"I think they're very similar," Tillman said. "Obviously, I don't know Roger as well as I do Dave. I'm a huge fan of Dave and Dom (Chiti). I always have been and I always will be. I keep in touch with Dom quite a bit. I've got to get a hold of Dave a little more often.

"They were great and talking with them I've heard nothing but good things about Roger, and the conversations I've had with him have been great. And talking to all the other pitchers who have talked to him, it's all been positive. I've known Millsy (Alan Mills) for a long time and I've got nothing but good things to say about him."