Friday, March 16, 2012
Defensive Position
A rather interesting series of quotes from Nick Leyva over at Fangraphs. I highly recommend taking a look at it. Basic run down is that the team uses some statistical analysis in how they position players, but Leyva says they had been doing that for years, though by hand and not with a bunch of computer analysis. An old school guy like him like the numbers, but also feels that sometimes the game at hand dictates things that, well with out a computer in the dugout, only the mind can process. Check it out, well worth it.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
The Little Engine That Could
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| Can Alex Presley continue the growth that started at Altoona? |
Then 2010 happened. Presley tore up the Eastern League hitting for a .350 clip with a .932 slugging percentage. The guy that was at Altoona seemed to be a totally different ballplayer. The Pirates promoted him to AAA after 67 games and he continued to do the same thing. He then got a call up to the majors in September. He looked like a one year wonder, until he played well again last seson in AAA, then acquitted himself nicely in the bigs.
If some remember last spring, Clint Hurdle seemingly challenged Presley a bit. I think at one point he said something to the effect that he did not see the player that was in AAA the year before. He did not impress the new skipper. I did not see him, so I do not know if that is the truth or some sort of challenge that Hurdle was laying out before Presley, but it worked.
I think the Alex Presley story over and over and try to think what was it that happened. I don't know if there is a better development story in the Huntington era than Presley. Perhaps one can look to Rudy Owens as well, as he struggled for sometime as well in the lower minors. I don't know if the feel good story will continue this season, but Presley is the sort of little engine that could with this team. How he goes may very well dictate how the offense goes, as he will bat leadoff. If he has a big season, we could have a lot of look forward to. If it is so, so then we will be seeing a lot of another little engine that could, an older model, in Nate McLouth. Here is hoping the Presley has more left to show.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
The Future Switches Camps
The people of Bradenton did not get too much of a look at Gerrit Cole this spring. He did not appear in any big league games, only two intrasquad games. He is now headed to the minor league camp. I would have like to see Cole get some sort of token inning or so in a big league game, but going to the minor league camp allows for more innings and work.
Cole will get plenty comfortable in Bradenton, as one would think he is ticketed to join the Marauders rotation. That rotation may feature the best talent of any corps in the Pirates' minor league and perhaps in all of minor league baseball. It will feature two top prospects in all of minor league ball in Cole and Jameson Taillon. Additionally one would expect to see Zack Von Rosenberg, Colton Cain, and perhaps Zach Dodson or Quinton Miller.
How long Cole there is anyone's guess. I would venture to say he will start there and by the time it is warm, he will be in Altoona. I would not rule out Taillon joining him in Altoona, if Bradenton does not have a playoff shot, but Altoona does. Having Taillon join a playoff race would clearly be an experience that the club would wish for him.
The future of the Pirates staff was briefly in big league camp, but now Cole joins the other young arms in the minor league camp. I am sure the people of Bradenton cannot wait to see more of him. I know I cannot wait for him and the others.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Previewing Rudy Owens
There is perhaps no pitcher in the upper minors that will be watched more closely than Rudy Owens this upcoming season. Granted many will be watching what Gerrit Cole does this season, but Owens will have plenty of eyeballs in Indianapolis and in Pittsburgh watching his starts and stat lines.
Owens was a draft and follow player that took his time getting acclimated to pro ball. He was seemingly and after thought in the farm system until his break out season in 2009, where he moved through 2 levels at once, showing excellent control and strikeout numbers.
He followed up that 11-2 season with an equally impressive 12-6 season at Altoona at the age of 22. Owens struck out 132 hitters in 150 innings and only walked 23 batters. He had a sub 3.00 ERA for the season. The fact that he followed up his break out with an equally strong if not better year in AA, made many think that great things were yet to come for Owens and the majors was just a short step away.
Then 2011 happened. While not a disaster, Owens did not look like the pitcher that had dominated the previous 3 stops. His hits rose, his walks per 9 almost doubled, his strikeouts dropped, in general it did not look that great.
What had happened that made this inevitable rise to Pittsburgh seemingly stall out in Indianapolis? Who knows for certain. There are many things to take into account. Pressure that he was just one step away perhaps played a role. Facing guys that are much more major league ready or former major leaguers perhaps played into it as well. There is no doubt better competition in the International League than in the Eastern League.
This season will then be an interesting one for Owens. Will he rebound? Can he adapt to the better hitters at the higher level? This season will explain a great deal about what type of pitcher Owens is. Frankly the Pirates surely are hoping that he can rebound as he is perhaps one of the better hopes for the upper level pitching. If he is able to put it together he might dovetail nicely into the rotation with a Gerrit Cole and a Jameson Taillon in Pittsburgh.
While many may be watching Cole this season, the overall health of the Pirates' future rotation depends a great deal on what happens in Indianapolis.
Monday, March 5, 2012
McCutchen Signs Long Term
Well it seemed to take some time, but I feel that many felt that it was always going to get done. It was only a matter of time and the team meeting McCutchen's price tag. The precedent was out there. There were many other guys from the 2005 draft class, Jay Bruce, Justin Upton, and Cameron Maybin recently. The Pirates just had to step up and make sure that McCutchen got a deal in the upper part of the neighborhood. They went and did that.
The team signed McCutchen, their centerpiece, to a six year contract worth $51.5 million. There is a club option for 2018 worth $14.75 million. Simply put Andrew McCutchen's best years will be in the black and gold of the Pirates. The team gets them out of what could have been a very pricey arbitration process, while at the same time grabbing some free agency years as well. That is what was key.
The team for some time has expressed a desire to get some control over possible free agency years, which they got. McCutchen wanted to get a contract that was on par with his peers, which he got then some. It is a win win for both sides, accomplishing what they each wanted out of the process. Add into the fact that the fans are happy to see a guy stick around, it is a huge win.
Additionally I don't think that the monetary investment is anything that should be sneezed at. This is quite an investment, albeit a smart and prudent one, but the team put up the money that it needed to. Many would have guessed it would have cost this much to sign him and now the team went and did it. Some will say that the club should do stuff like this, but those are the same ones that would have screamed had McCutchen walked or not signed. I dont' care for what that segment of the fan base has to say. All that matters is the team did what they said they would do, spend money on players that deserved.
The future still does not look like a shining city on the hill just yet. There are still plenty of questions to be asked, but right now it at least looks like there is a light on or lights on in that city on the hill. It is looking a little clearer and brighter than it did yesterday.
No Bunting
Too bad Stevie Janowski was not around when Clint Hurdle thought it would be good to have a bunting competition.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Let's Talk Prospects
Some may remember back in the spring when I took my trip to Texas to attend the Houston College classic. At the time, my main reason for doing this was to see then number one player in the country and potential Pirates draft pick Anthony Rendon in action. I wanted to see what all the hype was about and to bring everyone on here the best possible coverage I could of him.
Although the Pirates didn’t end with Rendon, the trip wasn’t a total loss. While there I used the time to attend as many games as I could to see what other potential “interesting” players were out there. Some of those players such as Ricky Oropesa , CJ Cron and Miguel Pena would go on to be high draft picks in 2011 while others such as Baylor’s Max Muncy had huge games and will no doubt get a look from Major League teams in 2012. During that time I also had the opportunity to see a couple of future Pirates farmhands in action in RHP Jordan Cooper and C Ryan Hornback, so there was a great deal of reward after all.
With that being said, I’ll be heading back down for about two weeks again this year to check in on the College Classic and some of the other colleges in the area to see what kind of talent is available for the upcoming draft. My hope is to introduce everyone to as many talented players as possible. Some of these players may be household names and others may not be so well known but they are all good players who deserve to get a little attention. In the event that they so happen to be drafted by the Pirates, we’ll all have a bit of a head start on whom they are.
If all goes well, I’m hoping to continue expanding on this and creating reports over the coming years of the players I’ve seen. As interest with prospects and the draft continues to grow, I felt this is the next logical step in the site's evolution. My ultimate goal is to keep a database of sorts with players I’ve seen. Included would be a small scouting report of the player along with a report of their game performance but that is down the road some. In the meantime to start this all off, I thought it would be nice to take a look back at the two Pirates draft picks and see what they ended up doing when I saw them in action.
Player:Ryan HornbackPosition:C
Ht:6'1
Wt:180
Bats:R
Throws:R
School:
San Jacinto Junior College
State:TX
Class:SO
Commitment:University of Mississippi
Previously Drafted:
2010-43rd Round (Tampa Bay)
2011-27th Round (Pittsburgh)
Ryan Hornback arrived at San Jacinto JC from Sweeny HS in Sweeny Texas, which is in Brazoria County a suburb of the Houston area. As a freshman at San Jacinto, he was an all conference selection and a gold glove award winner. He also finished third on his team in hitting, compelling a .341 batting average. Due to his success the Tampa Bay Rays took a flier on him in the 43rd round of the 2010 draft. Opting not to sign a pro contract, he returned to school for the sophomore year and made a college commitment to attend the University of Mississippi once he finished up at San Jacinto.
Saturday 2/26/11
When I arrived at San Jacinto, Hornback was one of the players on my watch list. From what I had read, he came highly regarded for his defensive abilities behind the plate. What I saw from him did not disappoint me. In the first game of a doubleheader, Hornback was the battery mate for future Boston pick Miguel Pena (5th Rd’11). Pena’s stuff was good but his control was a bit off at time so Hornback got some major work behind the plate. He moved very well behind the plate and was on a number of occasions made a few good blocks on balls that were in the dirt. At one point with a runner attempting to score, he did a nice job of blocking the plate and forced the runner to go wide leading to an out. In the 3rd inning of the first game, he made a beautiful throw to 3rd to catch a runner attempting to steal. To look at Hornback, one would not think of him as a catcher due to thin build, almost resembling Eric Fryer but he is a ball player. Some same due to where he was taken in the draft and how quickly he signed that he more than likely an organizational catcher which may end up being the case but if his hitting can come together, the Pirates may have something here.
Player:Jordan CooperPosition:RHP
Ht:6'3
Wt:205
Bats:B
Throws:R
School:University of Kentucky
State:KY
Class:SO
Previously Drafted:
2009-17th Round (Pittsburgh)
2011-23rd Round (pittsburgh)
Jordan Cooper arrived at the University of Kentucky from Shelbyville Central High School in Shelby, Tennessee which is in Bedford County. Coming into the 2009 draft, he was rated as the best high school arm and fifth best player in Tennessee. He slid to the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 17th round due to perceived bonus demands. Unable to get a deal done with Pittsburgh, he attended Kentucky and quickly made an impact for the wildcats becoming one of the top freshman pitchers in the country.
Sunday 3/6/11
Coming into his sophomore season, it seemed that huge strides were expected of Cooper. He was part of a talented pitching staff that included 2011 Nationals first round pick Alex Meyer. The day I got to see Cooper pitch was the third day of the tournament when Kentucky was coming off back to back losses, losing to both Rice and the University of Houston. That day, he pitched what might be his best game as a college player. He flashed some power stuff, striking out 9 Utes hitters in 7 innings of work and only gave up 1 earned run. In the outing he also only gave up 3 hits along with walking 3 batters. He did work some deep counts at times but seemed to find a way to get himself out of trouble. The most impressive thing that I took away from the outing was how he managed to hold Utah first baseman and 2011 Angles first round pick CJ Cron in check the entire game. Cron had gone 4-7 with 2 walks and 3 runs batted in the previous two days but Cooper was able to keep him off balance. That was the first win of the season for Cooper and showed everyone what kind of pitcher he can be. After that he bounced in and out of Kentucky’s rotation the remainder of the season due to inconsistency so when the Pirates landed him where they did, I feel they got a real steal and look for him to develop on the next level.
Although the Pirates didn’t end with Rendon, the trip wasn’t a total loss. While there I used the time to attend as many games as I could to see what other potential “interesting” players were out there. Some of those players such as Ricky Oropesa , CJ Cron and Miguel Pena would go on to be high draft picks in 2011 while others such as Baylor’s Max Muncy had huge games and will no doubt get a look from Major League teams in 2012. During that time I also had the opportunity to see a couple of future Pirates farmhands in action in RHP Jordan Cooper and C Ryan Hornback, so there was a great deal of reward after all.
With that being said, I’ll be heading back down for about two weeks again this year to check in on the College Classic and some of the other colleges in the area to see what kind of talent is available for the upcoming draft. My hope is to introduce everyone to as many talented players as possible. Some of these players may be household names and others may not be so well known but they are all good players who deserve to get a little attention. In the event that they so happen to be drafted by the Pirates, we’ll all have a bit of a head start on whom they are.
If all goes well, I’m hoping to continue expanding on this and creating reports over the coming years of the players I’ve seen. As interest with prospects and the draft continues to grow, I felt this is the next logical step in the site's evolution. My ultimate goal is to keep a database of sorts with players I’ve seen. Included would be a small scouting report of the player along with a report of their game performance but that is down the road some. In the meantime to start this all off, I thought it would be nice to take a look back at the two Pirates draft picks and see what they ended up doing when I saw them in action.
Player:Ryan HornbackPosition:C
Ht:6'1
Wt:180
Bats:R
Throws:R
School:
San Jacinto Junior College
State:TX
Class:SO
Commitment:University of Mississippi
Previously Drafted:
2010-43rd Round (Tampa Bay)
2011-27th Round (Pittsburgh)
Ryan Hornback arrived at San Jacinto JC from Sweeny HS in Sweeny Texas, which is in Brazoria County a suburb of the Houston area. As a freshman at San Jacinto, he was an all conference selection and a gold glove award winner. He also finished third on his team in hitting, compelling a .341 batting average. Due to his success the Tampa Bay Rays took a flier on him in the 43rd round of the 2010 draft. Opting not to sign a pro contract, he returned to school for the sophomore year and made a college commitment to attend the University of Mississippi once he finished up at San Jacinto.
Saturday 2/26/11
When I arrived at San Jacinto, Hornback was one of the players on my watch list. From what I had read, he came highly regarded for his defensive abilities behind the plate. What I saw from him did not disappoint me. In the first game of a doubleheader, Hornback was the battery mate for future Boston pick Miguel Pena (5th Rd’11). Pena’s stuff was good but his control was a bit off at time so Hornback got some major work behind the plate. He moved very well behind the plate and was on a number of occasions made a few good blocks on balls that were in the dirt. At one point with a runner attempting to score, he did a nice job of blocking the plate and forced the runner to go wide leading to an out. In the 3rd inning of the first game, he made a beautiful throw to 3rd to catch a runner attempting to steal. To look at Hornback, one would not think of him as a catcher due to thin build, almost resembling Eric Fryer but he is a ball player. Some same due to where he was taken in the draft and how quickly he signed that he more than likely an organizational catcher which may end up being the case but if his hitting can come together, the Pirates may have something here.
Player:Jordan CooperPosition:RHP
Ht:6'3
Wt:205
Bats:B
Throws:R
School:University of Kentucky
State:KY
Class:SO
Previously Drafted:
2009-17th Round (Pittsburgh)
2011-23rd Round (pittsburgh)
Jordan Cooper arrived at the University of Kentucky from Shelbyville Central High School in Shelby, Tennessee which is in Bedford County. Coming into the 2009 draft, he was rated as the best high school arm and fifth best player in Tennessee. He slid to the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 17th round due to perceived bonus demands. Unable to get a deal done with Pittsburgh, he attended Kentucky and quickly made an impact for the wildcats becoming one of the top freshman pitchers in the country.
Sunday 3/6/11
Coming into his sophomore season, it seemed that huge strides were expected of Cooper. He was part of a talented pitching staff that included 2011 Nationals first round pick Alex Meyer. The day I got to see Cooper pitch was the third day of the tournament when Kentucky was coming off back to back losses, losing to both Rice and the University of Houston. That day, he pitched what might be his best game as a college player. He flashed some power stuff, striking out 9 Utes hitters in 7 innings of work and only gave up 1 earned run. In the outing he also only gave up 3 hits along with walking 3 batters. He did work some deep counts at times but seemed to find a way to get himself out of trouble. The most impressive thing that I took away from the outing was how he managed to hold Utah first baseman and 2011 Angles first round pick CJ Cron in check the entire game. Cron had gone 4-7 with 2 walks and 3 runs batted in the previous two days but Cooper was able to keep him off balance. That was the first win of the season for Cooper and showed everyone what kind of pitcher he can be. After that he bounced in and out of Kentucky’s rotation the remainder of the season due to inconsistency so when the Pirates landed him where they did, I feel they got a real steal and look for him to develop on the next level.
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