- Full name Richard Earl Dorman
- Born 09/30/1978 in Medford, OR
- Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 210 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Corban
- Drafted in the 13th round (376th overall) by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2000.
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The Devil Rays made Dorman the first player ever drafted from Western Baptist College, only to release him in January 2002. A former catcher who didn't become a full-time pitcher until 2000, he made decent progress in his first two years in the Seattle system before shooting forward last season. After pitching primarily in relief in 2003, he moved to the rotation in 2004 and quickly earned a promotion to Double-A, where he was San Antonio's pitcher of the year. If he hadn't fallen 31⁄3 innings shy of qualifying, he would have ranked second in the Texas League in strikeouts per nine innings (11.3) and opponent batting average (.231). The biggest reasons for Dorman's advancement last year were that his plus curveball and his mechanics became more consistent. He located his 87-93 mph fastball better as well. He still pitches up in the strike zone too often, which could be his undoing at higher levels. He's making progress with his slider and changeup, and he could be a No. 3 or 4 starter if they continue to develop. If not, he could be an effective reliever relying on his fastball and curve. For now, he'll remain in the rotation and move up to Triple-A.
