Team of the Week: Lynchburg Hillcats
Hitter of the Week: Garrett Jones, Indianapolis
Pitcher of the Week: Dustin Molleken, Lynchburg
Indianapolis (2-3) For the Week
The Indians only got in five games this week due to the schedule and the weather. Garrett Jones made the most of those five games as he had 6 hits, 2 home runs, and 11 RBI, as he continues to learn the outfield. Jeff Salazar had 5 hit, 2 of those home runs, and Steve Pearce had 5 hits, 4 RBI, and 2 HR. Neil Walker had a 1 home run this week, and Andrew McCutchen has cooled a bit, though he did have a day off, with only 3 hits.
Virgil Vasquez went 6 innings, allowing only 3 to pick up a win this week. Daniel McCutchen gave up 5 runs in a loss, as did Ty Taubenheim. Juan Mateo and Chris Bootcheck were both effective, neither giving up a run, as the pitched 2 and 3.1 innings respectively.
Altoona: (3-3) For the Week
Some of the Curve bats came alive this week, and good thing since Jose Tabata is going to be missing some time. Jim Negrych had 7 hits, as did fellow infielder Pedro Lopez. Jason Delaney, back with the Curve, had 6 hits and 7 RBI. Steve Lerud came to life this week with 5 hits and 5 RBI, and before getting hurt, Tabata had five hits.
In one start this week, Brad Lincoln went five innings, striking out only 2, and giving up 3 runs for another loss. Tony Watson threw 4 scoreless for a no decision and Danny Moskos went 6.1, giving up 4 earned. The lack of strikeouts from those three guys is not all that promising. Jeff Sues gave up 2 runs in 4 innings and Yoslan Herrera, Eric Krebs, and Jean Machi all picked up wins in relief.
Lynchburg: (3-3) For the Week
At Lynchburg, Ray Chang led the way with 7 hits and Kris Watts
continued his hot hitting with 6 hits and 4 RBI. Alex Presley had 5
hits and Pedro Alvarez had only 4 hits, one a home run, and three RBI.
Jordy Mercer had 3 hits and a home run as well.
Chi-Hung Cheng pitched 6 innings in his start this week, allowing 2
runs, to pick up a win. Aussie Paul Mildren threw 10 innings in 2
starts, striking out five between the two, to get a win an a loss.
Justin Wilson gave up 4 runs in a loss this week. Michael Dubee pitched
a scoreless inning, striking out the side, and closer RJ Rodriguez
picked up 2 saves this week. Dustin Molleken pitched five scoreless in relief, striking out 7 to pick up a win.
West Virginia: (2-5) For the Week
The hit leader for the week, apparently he is getting comfortable, was Robbie Grossman. He had 9 hits this week. Calvin Anderson is more than comfortable as he had 8 hits, 1 HR, and 5 RBI. Chase D'Arnaud had 8 hits and 4 RBI, to go with his own HR.
Rudy Owens gutted out a 6 inning start to pick up a win this week. Brian Leach picked up the other win this week. Owen Brolsma threw two scoreless, as did Eduardo Pena. Tyler Cox, if anything consistent, lost two starts this week. Yoffri Martinez lost two in relief.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Our Pitcher's Arms are Going to Fall Off
In what is inexplicably yet another loss in Milwaukee, the Pirates allowed the seemingly unthinkable to happen. John Russell allowed Ian Snell to throw 131 pitches. One Hundred and Thirty One. Why on earth should a guy throw 131 pitches in April? There are very few scenarios that I can even imagine seeing a pitcher throw that many. A perfect game opportunity. No hitter opportunity. A clinching of a pennant. Game Seven of the World Series, but the third game of an early season series in Milwaukee?
I think we all remember when Jim Tracy trotted out Tom Gorzelanny for countless meaningless innings, late in the season, but this is all together different. I really cannot understand this one. Granted Snell has a line that looks good, (7 IP, 1 ER, 5 H), but to let him throw that many is really, really strange. Looking at it some of the other starters have had a strong workload.
Zach Duke threw 120 in a complete game and 114 in his last start. Paul Maholm seems to be hovering around 100 or so each time out. Snell has gone over 100 once, 104, and has been in the 90's for two others. Only Ohlendorf and Karstens have yet to reach the 100 pitch mark, but both have thrown plenty of pitches in fewer innings.
The question is how long can these starters continue to be trotted out there like this? Granted some of it is that they have seen early success, therefore they are in there longer, but other times it seems as though they are staying in just a little longer than perhaps ideal. Is this a sign of little confidence in the bullpen? I would have to think so.
In the early going we have seen Jesse Chavez, at first look shaky, Donnie Veal be all over the place, Craig Hansen being Craig Hansen, Tyler Yates really not being as effective as one would like. Some of these things need to change. Yates should change and it looks like Chavez could as well. We cannot expect Veal to get better overnight, and Hansen is a complete mystery.
Too much of a reliance on the starters, could lead to problems later this season, when pitchers tend to get tired, or it could even hurt down the line more, if an injury should befall them. We need for the bullpen to improve and for the defense to continue to be solid, as that is the unsung reason for the better pitching, these guys are faster than last year's team and better defenders.
If the starters have to continue to be abused, it may not matter if you field a team of Gold Glovers, it won't matter.
I think we all remember when Jim Tracy trotted out Tom Gorzelanny for countless meaningless innings, late in the season, but this is all together different. I really cannot understand this one. Granted Snell has a line that looks good, (7 IP, 1 ER, 5 H), but to let him throw that many is really, really strange. Looking at it some of the other starters have had a strong workload.
Zach Duke threw 120 in a complete game and 114 in his last start. Paul Maholm seems to be hovering around 100 or so each time out. Snell has gone over 100 once, 104, and has been in the 90's for two others. Only Ohlendorf and Karstens have yet to reach the 100 pitch mark, but both have thrown plenty of pitches in fewer innings.
The question is how long can these starters continue to be trotted out there like this? Granted some of it is that they have seen early success, therefore they are in there longer, but other times it seems as though they are staying in just a little longer than perhaps ideal. Is this a sign of little confidence in the bullpen? I would have to think so.
In the early going we have seen Jesse Chavez, at first look shaky, Donnie Veal be all over the place, Craig Hansen being Craig Hansen, Tyler Yates really not being as effective as one would like. Some of these things need to change. Yates should change and it looks like Chavez could as well. We cannot expect Veal to get better overnight, and Hansen is a complete mystery.
Too much of a reliance on the starters, could lead to problems later this season, when pitchers tend to get tired, or it could even hurt down the line more, if an injury should befall them. We need for the bullpen to improve and for the defense to continue to be solid, as that is the unsung reason for the better pitching, these guys are faster than last year's team and better defenders.
If the starters have to continue to be abused, it may not matter if you field a team of Gold Glovers, it won't matter.
2009 Draft Target: Donavan Tate
Every once in a while there is a high school athlete that seems to just blow everyone away with his athletic abilities. Donavan Tate is just one of those types of athletes. Tate is the son of former NFL player, Lars Tate, and like his father Tate plays on the gridiron as well as baseball.A North Carolina commitment in both baseball and football, Tate is one of the more sought after high schoolers in the country. He has great size at 6'3", he runs a 4.3 40yd dash, and has a rifle for an arm. An Aflac All-American Tate can do plenty of things at the plate. The ball seems to explode off of his bat to all fields. He is projected by many as a five tool athlete that could play just about anywhere, though right now he seems to be an outfielder.
The sky seems to be the limit for Tate as scouts all just love his tools. Right now thought, that is where Tate stands, he has excellent tools. He still needs to develop as a baseball player, but when he puts it all together he could be really dangerous. The dual commitment to North Carolina is a little troubling, but Scott Boras is advising him for the draft. The fact that he got Boras, to me, means that he is not so much thinking of classes in Chapel Hill but cashing a big league bonus check.
The Pirates have not drafted such high upside kid like Tate, in well, I can't really remember. There is a slight risk as he is a high school player and they will be paying him top dollar to sign. On the other hand there are too many positives to come from having a potential star in the making in Tate in the organization. The only downside is that he is a toolsy guy that may not develop as planned, but the upside might just be too much for a system looking for impact players. Do I think we'll take Tate? I wouldn't rule it out, but my guess they will go for an advanced college hitter first.
MLB.com Profile
Donavan Tate at AFLAC All-America
Monday, April 27, 2009
No Moss?
Going into this season, Brandon Moss was a player that I felt as though we could count on seeing a great deal more from this season. I thought he could surprise some people with his power and stroke from the left hand side. So far this season, he has looked completely lost at the plate when there are runners in scoring position.
Take for instance his splits this season:
Those are not pretty numbers and a heck of a lot of zeroes. He has just disappeared any time there are runners on base and that is clearly not what we need from anyone in the lineup, let alone one that we are looking to for run production. It is not like we are asking much from him for run production, he has a bit of a track record for producing in the minors.
Moss' inability to drive in runs is not only hurting him, but will hurt the team down the line. The less productive he is the more we will need to depend on Hinske and Monroe to hit, making the bench less valuable. It is not to suggest that Hinske or Monroe cannot do the job, but it is better to have them on the bench, where they are much more valuable and productive for us.
One would think that Brandon Moss has a future with Pittsburgh. He came here with a track record and seemingly needed a chance. We are giving him that opportunity, but he so far has not grabbed that opportunity. It is early, but the less and less productive he continues to be the more likely he will get pushed aside in the future outfield picture.
Take for instance his splits this season:
| Situation | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | K | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| Bases Empty | 35 | 0 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0.314 | 0.314 | 0.429 | 0.743 |
| Runners On | 15 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0.211 | 0 | 0.211 |
| RISP | 11 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.267 | 0 | 0.267 |
| RISP w/2 Outs | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.333 | 0 | 0.333 |
| Bases Loaded | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Those are not pretty numbers and a heck of a lot of zeroes. He has just disappeared any time there are runners on base and that is clearly not what we need from anyone in the lineup, let alone one that we are looking to for run production. It is not like we are asking much from him for run production, he has a bit of a track record for producing in the minors.
Moss' inability to drive in runs is not only hurting him, but will hurt the team down the line. The less productive he is the more we will need to depend on Hinske and Monroe to hit, making the bench less valuable. It is not to suggest that Hinske or Monroe cannot do the job, but it is better to have them on the bench, where they are much more valuable and productive for us.
One would think that Brandon Moss has a future with Pittsburgh. He came here with a track record and seemingly needed a chance. We are giving him that opportunity, but he so far has not grabbed that opportunity. It is early, but the less and less productive he continues to be the more likely he will get pushed aside in the future outfield picture.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Times They Are Changin'
Who would have thought that the Pirates, in relying on Adam LaRoche for offense in April, would be able to play so well? This past weekend the injuries just seemed to come in waves as the Bucs went to San Diego, but the team continued to roll.
Nate McLouth has a 'tweaked' back. Craig Hansen his neck. Jack Wilson, after that horrible bunt on Friday, says that maybe his finger is hindering him. Up comes Evan Meek and Brian Bixler to the big league club. Fortunately for the club, the injuries have not hit the starting pitching, which despite the offensive output, is what is carrying the club.
One has to wonder though how much longer the pitching can keep it up? Is this really the start of a new trend or is it just the luck of the draw to start the season? I cannot tell, as it seems everyone of the starters is pitching better and rather consistently. Sooner or later there is going to have to be some sort of regression to the mean, and hopefully that does not happen for the foreseeable future. The offense cannot carry the team.
Adam LaRoche though is somehow proving that he can indeed carry the team. What may have once seemed so unlikely is indeed happening as LaRoche is hitting like he would do in June and July. But looking at the numbers, it is not just him. Everyone is seemingly contributing to the output, it is just LaRoche's is so eye-catching.
Take for instance the play of Jaramillo and Diaz. They have came up big offensively, and perhaps juggled correctly, they may not be a huge a drain offensively in Doumit's absence.
These early wins have not been a fluke, they have played well to win. I can only hope that the winning continues as they move to a 10 game stretch within the division.
Nate McLouth has a 'tweaked' back. Craig Hansen his neck. Jack Wilson, after that horrible bunt on Friday, says that maybe his finger is hindering him. Up comes Evan Meek and Brian Bixler to the big league club. Fortunately for the club, the injuries have not hit the starting pitching, which despite the offensive output, is what is carrying the club.
One has to wonder though how much longer the pitching can keep it up? Is this really the start of a new trend or is it just the luck of the draw to start the season? I cannot tell, as it seems everyone of the starters is pitching better and rather consistently. Sooner or later there is going to have to be some sort of regression to the mean, and hopefully that does not happen for the foreseeable future. The offense cannot carry the team.
Adam LaRoche though is somehow proving that he can indeed carry the team. What may have once seemed so unlikely is indeed happening as LaRoche is hitting like he would do in June and July. But looking at the numbers, it is not just him. Everyone is seemingly contributing to the output, it is just LaRoche's is so eye-catching.
Take for instance the play of Jaramillo and Diaz. They have came up big offensively, and perhaps juggled correctly, they may not be a huge a drain offensively in Doumit's absence.
These early wins have not been a fluke, they have played well to win. I can only hope that the winning continues as they move to a 10 game stretch within the division.
Friday, April 24, 2009
2009 Draft Target: Grant Green
In the Pac 10 we find one of the top hitting collegiate prospects in USC's Grant Green. A 6' 3" shortstop Green impressed plenty in baseball with his terrific sophomore season, where he hit 10 home runs.In high school in California, Green was selected by the Padres in the 14th round of the 2006 draft, after he was named an All-League infielder. Green turned down the Padres for a chance to play at USC. He quickly acquitted himself to the college game as freshman, earning co-Freshman of the Year honors for the conference. Starting every game for the Trojans, Green set a USC record for triples with ten and was named a Rivals.com and Louisville Slugger second team All-America. He went to Cape where he teamed with White Sox prospect Gordon Beckham to win the Cape Cod league.
His sophomore season saw Green lead the Trojans in batting average, triples, slugging percentage (.644), on-base percentage (.438) and home runs. He again returned to the Cape where he hit .348 with six home runs and 21 RBI. After the Cape season he was named the Top Pro Prospect of the league.
The expectations are extremely high for Green coming into the season. He has established himself as one of the top collegiate players in the entire country due to his bat. Many see him as a potential five tool type of player and at shortstop that would make him a cornerstone type ballplayer. He has drawn comparisons to both Troy Tulowitzki and Evan Longoria. While he may not develop into the offensive juggernaut that Longoria is, Green should be pretty good.
Some scouts look at his size (6'3") and think he maybe a little big for the position, but Green has excellent range for shortstop, but he does have the tendency to commit his fair share of errors. Leading to the one question scouts have about Green, and that is consistency. Perhaps the challenges of pro ball could change that. If Green can hit in pro ball like he has in college, his offensive skills at shortstop would make him a very well paid player, somthing Scott Boras will make certain of.
If the Pirates were to have the opportunity to take Green, they should jump at the chance, even if he is represented by Scott Boras. It is not every year that a shortstop with his offensive ability comes along. He has five tool type potential and at the very least profiles as an excellent offensive player. While the Pirates have drafted plenty of shortstops/middle infielders, none of them could have the impact that Green could. Couple him with Pedro Alvarez and you would have one talented infield.
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This Week on the Farm
Team of the Week: Lynchburg
Hitter of the the Week: Andrew McCutchen
Pitcher of the Week: Daniel McCutchen
Indianapolis: (3-4) for the Week
Andrew McCutchen continues to hit and hit at Indy. This past weeek he had 9 hits, 1 HR, 4 RBI, and 9 runs. Also having solid weeks were Steve Pearce ( 8 hits, 5 RBI, 1 HR) and Jeff Salazar (8 hits). Brian Bixler had 7 hits and 5 RBI and Luis Cruz, learning many new positions, had 7 hits, a HR, and 3 RBI.
Daniel McCutchen had a strong week on the mound for the Indians. In 11 innings he allowed 2 earned and struck out 13 in picking up a win this week. Tom Gorzelanny picked up a win as well, though looked rather pedestrian in doing so (5.2 IP, 4 ER). Virgil Vasquez was lit up for 18 hits this week, though he did strike out 10.
Altoona: (3-3) for the Week
The hitting machine Jim Negrych continues to rake at Altoona as he had 9 hits in just 6 games, he also drove in 6 runs. Jonel Pacheco had 2 home runs and Pedro Lopez had 7 hits and a HR.
Danny Moskos picked up a win this week, as he had 6 IP for the week and struck out 5. Brad Lincoln only struck out two in 5 innings, though he did not allow a walk. Tony Watson picked up another loss, as he gave up 3 in five innings. Mike Crotta led the Curve this week with 6 strikeouts.
Lynchburg: (4-2) for the Week
Pedro Alvarez had 5 hits, one being a home run this week. Miles Durham had 9 hits and 8 RBI, leading the Hillcats. Alex Presley had 8 hits and 6 runs, while Kris Watts had 9 hits and 6 runs. Ray Change drove in 5 for the week.
Justin Wilson picked up another win this week after he went 5 strong innings. Ron Uviedo had another tough luck loss, as he threw five scoreless and struck out five in a no decision.
West Virginia: (3-4) for the Week
Bobby Spain had 8 htis to led the Power. Chase D'Arnaud had 5 hits as did Erik Huber and Calvin Anderson, who somehow motored around for a triple.
Owen Brolsma picked up 2 losses this week as Kyle McPherson, Rudy Owens and Jose De Los Santos picked up the wins for the Power.
Hitter of the the Week: Andrew McCutchen
Pitcher of the Week: Daniel McCutchen
Indianapolis: (3-4) for the Week
Andrew McCutchen continues to hit and hit at Indy. This past weeek he had 9 hits, 1 HR, 4 RBI, and 9 runs. Also having solid weeks were Steve Pearce ( 8 hits, 5 RBI, 1 HR) and Jeff Salazar (8 hits). Brian Bixler had 7 hits and 5 RBI and Luis Cruz, learning many new positions, had 7 hits, a HR, and 3 RBI.
Daniel McCutchen had a strong week on the mound for the Indians. In 11 innings he allowed 2 earned and struck out 13 in picking up a win this week. Tom Gorzelanny picked up a win as well, though looked rather pedestrian in doing so (5.2 IP, 4 ER). Virgil Vasquez was lit up for 18 hits this week, though he did strike out 10.
Altoona: (3-3) for the Week
The hitting machine Jim Negrych continues to rake at Altoona as he had 9 hits in just 6 games, he also drove in 6 runs. Jonel Pacheco had 2 home runs and Pedro Lopez had 7 hits and a HR.
Danny Moskos picked up a win this week, as he had 6 IP for the week and struck out 5. Brad Lincoln only struck out two in 5 innings, though he did not allow a walk. Tony Watson picked up another loss, as he gave up 3 in five innings. Mike Crotta led the Curve this week with 6 strikeouts.
Lynchburg: (4-2) for the Week
Pedro Alvarez had 5 hits, one being a home run this week. Miles Durham had 9 hits and 8 RBI, leading the Hillcats. Alex Presley had 8 hits and 6 runs, while Kris Watts had 9 hits and 6 runs. Ray Change drove in 5 for the week.
Justin Wilson picked up another win this week after he went 5 strong innings. Ron Uviedo had another tough luck loss, as he threw five scoreless and struck out five in a no decision.
West Virginia: (3-4) for the Week
Bobby Spain had 8 htis to led the Power. Chase D'Arnaud had 5 hits as did Erik Huber and Calvin Anderson, who somehow motored around for a triple.
Owen Brolsma picked up 2 losses this week as Kyle McPherson, Rudy Owens and Jose De Los Santos picked up the wins for the Power.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
The Only Thing We Have to Fear Is.....
Perhaps one of the few things that the most optimistic of Pirates' fans could have looked to and thought we cannot have that happen, was for anything to happen to one of the core players. Today we got news that Ryan Doumit, perhaps one of the more important players on the team, will be out for 8-10 weeks.
In the first week of the season, John Russell had said that the lineup looks totally different without Doumit in the middle. That of course, is a vast understatement and we will have to look at a Doumit-less lineup for the foreseeable future.
The catching duties fall to Jason Jaramillo and Robinson Diaz, two players that have little major league experience. It will be interesting to see how the two inexperienced players handle the duties. I would think that a platoon or sorts between the two may be adequate, but we will sorely miss the offensive production of Doumit.
The loss of Doumit, means even more so, that we will need to see more offensive production from Brandon Moss and Andy LaRoche. More offense was expected from the two of them to begin with, but now they will definitely have to pick up the slack.
The injury to Doumit, again underscores his track record for injury problems. He will yet again have another season where he did not play the entire season. One has to wonder if the contract extension given to him, may really turn out to hurt the Pirates down the line.
In more positive news, the team was able to come back, after hearing of Doumit's injury, and beat the Marlins again to win another series. The pitching was the story yet again, as Jeff Karstens was able to put together a solid start against the once hot, but now cool, Marlins.
In Non-Pirate news, I found this article that is talking about a movie that will start filming soon. It is based on the book Moneyball, which I am sure everyone who follows baseball is familiar with. The central figure, Billy Beane, is probably also very familiar to many as well. I can only hope that someday if a film is made of me, I can be as lucky as Billy Beane and have Brad Pitt play me. I am sure this film will reignite the debates of new vs. old in baseball.
In the first week of the season, John Russell had said that the lineup looks totally different without Doumit in the middle. That of course, is a vast understatement and we will have to look at a Doumit-less lineup for the foreseeable future.
The catching duties fall to Jason Jaramillo and Robinson Diaz, two players that have little major league experience. It will be interesting to see how the two inexperienced players handle the duties. I would think that a platoon or sorts between the two may be adequate, but we will sorely miss the offensive production of Doumit.
The loss of Doumit, means even more so, that we will need to see more offensive production from Brandon Moss and Andy LaRoche. More offense was expected from the two of them to begin with, but now they will definitely have to pick up the slack.
The injury to Doumit, again underscores his track record for injury problems. He will yet again have another season where he did not play the entire season. One has to wonder if the contract extension given to him, may really turn out to hurt the Pirates down the line.
In more positive news, the team was able to come back, after hearing of Doumit's injury, and beat the Marlins again to win another series. The pitching was the story yet again, as Jeff Karstens was able to put together a solid start against the once hot, but now cool, Marlins.
In Non-Pirate news, I found this article that is talking about a movie that will start filming soon. It is based on the book Moneyball, which I am sure everyone who follows baseball is familiar with. The central figure, Billy Beane, is probably also very familiar to many as well. I can only hope that someday if a film is made of me, I can be as lucky as Billy Beane and have Brad Pitt play me. I am sure this film will reignite the debates of new vs. old in baseball.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Gone Fishin'
After looking lifeless in the final game of their series against the Braves, I was not expecting all that much to happen in the series against the red hot Marlins. Then again things have just seemed weird so far this season, so I probably should have seen Ross Ohlendorf's dominance of the Fish coming.
Ohlendorf mixed his pitches well and through with some velocity, quieting the Marlins through 7 innings. It is starts like this that we all hoped would become the norm when we acquired him last season. If he can become a little more like the Ross Ohlendorf of tonight, instead of the slightly erratic one, we will be in good shape.
Also tonight, I believe that any doubts of Nate McLouth having difficulties in moving down in the order can be put to rest. He has handled the move rather well and his 4th home run of the season has shown that he really is not pressing all that much. I am sure that he will continue to be fine in the order. Whether or not he has a year exactly like last year's remains to be seen, but I am not going to bet against him.
I don't know what Adam LaRoche did this offseason, perhaps he realized it was a contract year, but it seems to be working for him as he picks up two more RBI. He has been like Babe Ruth, compared to Adam LaRoche of previous Aprils. I don't know what to make of this one, but the fact that he is not a huge black hole at the plate in the early going, has something to do with the somewhat surprising start so far.
It all of course cannot be good news for Pirate fans, and we all seem to expect something bad from this team. Ryan Doumit has reported a problem with his wrist and is undergoing tests to see what is wrong. Dejan has reported that the MRI and X-Rays have come back inconclusive and he will have a CT scan to see if they can find what is wrong.
Early reports seemed to have it not be so serious, but with them needing to take multiple tests, it has given me some reason to worry. I can only hope that he is fine and that he just needs some rest, because the thought of him being out of this lineup for a significant amount of time is a very scary thought.
Ohlendorf mixed his pitches well and through with some velocity, quieting the Marlins through 7 innings. It is starts like this that we all hoped would become the norm when we acquired him last season. If he can become a little more like the Ross Ohlendorf of tonight, instead of the slightly erratic one, we will be in good shape.
Also tonight, I believe that any doubts of Nate McLouth having difficulties in moving down in the order can be put to rest. He has handled the move rather well and his 4th home run of the season has shown that he really is not pressing all that much. I am sure that he will continue to be fine in the order. Whether or not he has a year exactly like last year's remains to be seen, but I am not going to bet against him.
I don't know what Adam LaRoche did this offseason, perhaps he realized it was a contract year, but it seems to be working for him as he picks up two more RBI. He has been like Babe Ruth, compared to Adam LaRoche of previous Aprils. I don't know what to make of this one, but the fact that he is not a huge black hole at the plate in the early going, has something to do with the somewhat surprising start so far.
It all of course cannot be good news for Pirate fans, and we all seem to expect something bad from this team. Ryan Doumit has reported a problem with his wrist and is undergoing tests to see what is wrong. Dejan has reported that the MRI and X-Rays have come back inconclusive and he will have a CT scan to see if they can find what is wrong.
Early reports seemed to have it not be so serious, but with them needing to take multiple tests, it has given me some reason to worry. I can only hope that he is fine and that he just needs some rest, because the thought of him being out of this lineup for a significant amount of time is a very scary thought.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Can't Complete the Sweep
It seemed as though the Pirates were going to be on quite the roll in the series against the Braves. On Friday Paul Maholm had another great start for the club. It was a tight game that the Bucs were able to put away with a late Nate McLouth home run.
Saturday, during the day not at night, the Bucs were led by Craig Monroe in an offensive onslaught of the Braves pitching. One would think then that with Zach Duke, looking like the Duke of old, going on Sundy it looked as those a sweep might be in the cards.
Duke did look like the Duke of old, just the old Duke that did not pitch well. He struggled through 6 and then gave way to the bullpen, where Hansen and Veal did not fare all that better.
This series presents a multitude of questions going forward. For one, what kind of offense can we expect going forward? Granted we are not going to see games like Saturday all that often, but will we see them more productive than they were Sunday? There are reasons for hope that the offense might be more productive. Adam LaRoche for one being the prime example. I would also say that Russell's continued effective handling of platoon situations, like starting Monroe, will help in yielding better results.
The fortunes of this Pirate team rest more so on the arms of their pitching. The game Sunday showed very clearly that things can do south quickly. It really looked like Zach Duke might be getting back into form, then he has an outing like he did. Was it just a bad start, or a sign that things maybe have not changed for him?
The bullpen, a long list of question marks, up to the very back end, also showed what many have feared. Unless things change, the more of Hansen and Veal we see the worse things are getting. For this team to accomplish anything this season, anything positive, the bullpen needs improvement or at least competency from guys like Hansen and Veal. Without it, we will be pouring gasoline on fires.
Saturday, during the day not at night, the Bucs were led by Craig Monroe in an offensive onslaught of the Braves pitching. One would think then that with Zach Duke, looking like the Duke of old, going on Sundy it looked as those a sweep might be in the cards.
Duke did look like the Duke of old, just the old Duke that did not pitch well. He struggled through 6 and then gave way to the bullpen, where Hansen and Veal did not fare all that better.
This series presents a multitude of questions going forward. For one, what kind of offense can we expect going forward? Granted we are not going to see games like Saturday all that often, but will we see them more productive than they were Sunday? There are reasons for hope that the offense might be more productive. Adam LaRoche for one being the prime example. I would also say that Russell's continued effective handling of platoon situations, like starting Monroe, will help in yielding better results.
The fortunes of this Pirate team rest more so on the arms of their pitching. The game Sunday showed very clearly that things can do south quickly. It really looked like Zach Duke might be getting back into form, then he has an outing like he did. Was it just a bad start, or a sign that things maybe have not changed for him?
The bullpen, a long list of question marks, up to the very back end, also showed what many have feared. Unless things change, the more of Hansen and Veal we see the worse things are getting. For this team to accomplish anything this season, anything positive, the bullpen needs improvement or at least competency from guys like Hansen and Veal. Without it, we will be pouring gasoline on fires.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
This Past Week on the Farm
This first roundup is a little more than a week, more the season to now review.
Hitter of the Week: Pedro Alvarez, Lynchburg
Pitcher of the Week: Brad Lincoln, Altoona
Team of the Week: Lynchburg Hillcats
Indianapolis: (3-5 for the Week)
The Indians feature plenty of familar faces that return to the club this season and many got off to a hot start. Andrew McCutchen has had little time to work on the small things as he has done a lot of big things. So far he has 8 runs, 10 hits, 3 triples on the season, proving that he really doesn't need to work so much on the bunting. Brian Bixler has been hot as well, shifting around the middle of the infield as he has 11 hits and 7 runs to start the season. Recently converted outfielder, Garrett Jones has played well at Indy. He has 11 hits, 6 runs, 1 HR and 5 RBI. Neil Walker has had 2 home runs, 9 hits, and 5 RBI. Steve Pearce has chipped in 5 RBI and Shelby Ford, coming back from an injury, has a home run and 3 RBI.
The relievers have gotten the wins for the Tribe this week as Jeremy Powell has picked up 2 wins and Denny Bautista one. Jason Davis pitched 5 innings, allowing 9 runs and took a loss. Gorzelanny threw 11 innings, leading the team, but gave up 5 runs in those 11 leading to no decisions. Daniel McCutchen pitched 5 innings and struck out 7 and Even Meek has thrown a little over 5 scoreless innings. Virgil Vasquez has also thrown 5 without giving up an earned run.
Altoona: (0-7 for the week)
The Curve are off to their worst start in history, but it is not the fault of Brian Friday who has 11 hits, 6 runs, a HR, and 4 RBI. Jim Negrych picked up 7 hits and Jose Tabata has 6 hits. Jamie Romak, now playing almost exclusively first base, had five hits, one being a home run.
The Curve ptiching staff, a strength of the team I had believed, has not come out of the gate strong. Eric Krebs gave up 6 earned in 1.2 innings to pick up 2 of the Curve losses. Danny Moskos in 4.1 innings has give up 5 runs and walked 5. Tony Watson in a little over 3 innings, gave up 9 earned. Brad Lincoln in throwing 9 took a loss, but has pitched well. He has 12 strikeouts in those 9 while only walking two. Jeff Sues, returning to the Curve, has 10 K in 6 innings.
Lynchburg: (6-2 for the Week)
At Lynchburg the buzz has been about Pedro Alvarez. He homered in his first game, but then went cold until he hit a three run walk off Thursday night. He has 6 hits, 2 home runs, and 14 RBI. First baseman Matt Hague paced the Hillcats with 11 hits. Jose De Los Santos has 12 runs scored to go along with 8 hits of his own and catcher Kris Watts has 9 hits and 5 RBI. 2008 draft pick Jordy Mercer has 6 RBI and 8 hits.
Dustin Molleken has picked up 2 wins this week and Justin Wilson won his first start, but looked so so in his second. Ron Uviedo, now starting, pitched 10 innings, allowing 2 runs and striking out 5, but he did pick up a loss. Taiwan's Chi-Hung Cheng pitched 5 scoreless innings of relief this past week. RJ Rodriguez picked up 2 saves as well for the 'cats.
West Virginia: (1-6 for the Week)
The Power really have not shown all that much Power outside of Calvin Anderson and his 2 home runs this week. Anderson had 9 hits for the week and drove in 6. Chase D'Arnaud had 7 hits as did Robbie Grossman. Quincy Latimore also chipped in with 7 hits and 4 RBI for the Power.
The pitching staff did not fare well, starting with Tyler Cox and his 11 ER in 4 innings. Duke Welker gave up 6 runs in 9 innings. Rudy Owens allowed 2 runs through 8 but did not get any decisions. Brad Hinkle, the tall righty, picked up the only win of the week, and he did not fully start the year at West Virginia. Eduardo Pena picked up the lone save of the week.
Hitter of the Week: Pedro Alvarez, Lynchburg
Pitcher of the Week: Brad Lincoln, Altoona
Team of the Week: Lynchburg Hillcats
Indianapolis: (3-5 for the Week)
The Indians feature plenty of familar faces that return to the club this season and many got off to a hot start. Andrew McCutchen has had little time to work on the small things as he has done a lot of big things. So far he has 8 runs, 10 hits, 3 triples on the season, proving that he really doesn't need to work so much on the bunting. Brian Bixler has been hot as well, shifting around the middle of the infield as he has 11 hits and 7 runs to start the season. Recently converted outfielder, Garrett Jones has played well at Indy. He has 11 hits, 6 runs, 1 HR and 5 RBI. Neil Walker has had 2 home runs, 9 hits, and 5 RBI. Steve Pearce has chipped in 5 RBI and Shelby Ford, coming back from an injury, has a home run and 3 RBI.
The relievers have gotten the wins for the Tribe this week as Jeremy Powell has picked up 2 wins and Denny Bautista one. Jason Davis pitched 5 innings, allowing 9 runs and took a loss. Gorzelanny threw 11 innings, leading the team, but gave up 5 runs in those 11 leading to no decisions. Daniel McCutchen pitched 5 innings and struck out 7 and Even Meek has thrown a little over 5 scoreless innings. Virgil Vasquez has also thrown 5 without giving up an earned run.
Altoona: (0-7 for the week)
The Curve are off to their worst start in history, but it is not the fault of Brian Friday who has 11 hits, 6 runs, a HR, and 4 RBI. Jim Negrych picked up 7 hits and Jose Tabata has 6 hits. Jamie Romak, now playing almost exclusively first base, had five hits, one being a home run.
The Curve ptiching staff, a strength of the team I had believed, has not come out of the gate strong. Eric Krebs gave up 6 earned in 1.2 innings to pick up 2 of the Curve losses. Danny Moskos in 4.1 innings has give up 5 runs and walked 5. Tony Watson in a little over 3 innings, gave up 9 earned. Brad Lincoln in throwing 9 took a loss, but has pitched well. He has 12 strikeouts in those 9 while only walking two. Jeff Sues, returning to the Curve, has 10 K in 6 innings.
Lynchburg: (6-2 for the Week)
At Lynchburg the buzz has been about Pedro Alvarez. He homered in his first game, but then went cold until he hit a three run walk off Thursday night. He has 6 hits, 2 home runs, and 14 RBI. First baseman Matt Hague paced the Hillcats with 11 hits. Jose De Los Santos has 12 runs scored to go along with 8 hits of his own and catcher Kris Watts has 9 hits and 5 RBI. 2008 draft pick Jordy Mercer has 6 RBI and 8 hits.
Dustin Molleken has picked up 2 wins this week and Justin Wilson won his first start, but looked so so in his second. Ron Uviedo, now starting, pitched 10 innings, allowing 2 runs and striking out 5, but he did pick up a loss. Taiwan's Chi-Hung Cheng pitched 5 scoreless innings of relief this past week. RJ Rodriguez picked up 2 saves as well for the 'cats.
West Virginia: (1-6 for the Week)
The Power really have not shown all that much Power outside of Calvin Anderson and his 2 home runs this week. Anderson had 9 hits for the week and drove in 6. Chase D'Arnaud had 7 hits as did Robbie Grossman. Quincy Latimore also chipped in with 7 hits and 4 RBI for the Power.
The pitching staff did not fare well, starting with Tyler Cox and his 11 ER in 4 innings. Duke Welker gave up 6 runs in 9 innings. Rudy Owens allowed 2 runs through 8 but did not get any decisions. Brad Hinkle, the tall righty, picked up the only win of the week, and he did not fully start the year at West Virginia. Eduardo Pena picked up the lone save of the week.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
The Collection Grows
Neal Huntington continued his collection of 'depth' with the acquistion of Delwyn Young from the Dodgers. Young, recently designated for assignment, has been on the Pirates' radar for some time as they talked of Young when there was some interest of a Jack Wilson trade.
The deal is a bit of a head scratcher, mainly because I cannot fully see where he fits in just yet. It seems as though we have given up, either cash or two minor leaguers, for a bench/utility player. Quotes from Huntington have him wanting Perry Hill to work with Young on improving defense at second and third, but they view him as an outfielder. I cannot see how he can stay an outfielder as we have three that play in the majors now and McCutchen and Tabata on the very near horizon.
If he is viewed as an outfielder, then why work him in the infield? Are we trying to build up depth in anticipation of casting off our middle infield? That makes more sense to me than making him an outfielder, where we have some depth right now.
Then again maybe he is going to be just a bench player, but that seems unlikely as they have targeted him before this trade. It makes me wonder what exactly the plan is for Young, because it seems as though the plans for him could provide clues to plans for other players on the team.
I could of course be wrong. If anything this trade shows that Dave Littlefield left a huge void of upper level positional talent in the system. A void deep enough that Huntington has to make trades like this just to keep the major league roster respectable, while still aiming for the future. If that is the case, adding a guy like Young is definitely a good thing, and quite possibly a sign of more to come this season.
The deal is a bit of a head scratcher, mainly because I cannot fully see where he fits in just yet. It seems as though we have given up, either cash or two minor leaguers, for a bench/utility player. Quotes from Huntington have him wanting Perry Hill to work with Young on improving defense at second and third, but they view him as an outfielder. I cannot see how he can stay an outfielder as we have three that play in the majors now and McCutchen and Tabata on the very near horizon.
If he is viewed as an outfielder, then why work him in the infield? Are we trying to build up depth in anticipation of casting off our middle infield? That makes more sense to me than making him an outfielder, where we have some depth right now.
Then again maybe he is going to be just a bench player, but that seems unlikely as they have targeted him before this trade. It makes me wonder what exactly the plan is for Young, because it seems as though the plans for him could provide clues to plans for other players on the team.
I could of course be wrong. If anything this trade shows that Dave Littlefield left a huge void of upper level positional talent in the system. A void deep enough that Huntington has to make trades like this just to keep the major league roster respectable, while still aiming for the future. If that is the case, adding a guy like Young is definitely a good thing, and quite possibly a sign of more to come this season.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Pitch Counts
I recently cam across this article from the Lynchburg News Advance that talks in depth about the Pirates and their closely monitored pitch counts for their prospects. When the subject of pitch counts comes up it is usually in the form of preventing injuries. We have all seen the harm that throwing too many pitches can do to a player (see Gorzelanny, Tom). This article seems to take it from a different perspective one that seems to be more in line with what Joe Kerrigan is doing at the big league level.
The pitch counts, while they may protect the arm, are aimed at being more aggressive and efficient with their pitches. A really well pitched game can come in at around the 100 pitch mark or so, just ask Zach Duke about that. A really poor pitched game can have 100 pitches in at the 6th or earlier. To prevent that it seems as though the Bucs want their farm hands to attack the hitter more and in turn throw less.
I have never been able to fully make a decision as to whether pitch counts are good or bad. I always think that the situation should dictate how long the pitcher stays, at least when talking big league ball. I have never thought of it at the minor league level and this one seems to make sense. Regardless of how one feels about pitch counts, we can all agree that pitchers should attack more. After watching the Pirates' staff nibble for the past few years or more, it is nice to think that the organization is training them not to do that.
Will it work? Well the small sample size of this season shows it working somewhat in Lynchburg, and the organization on a whole since the new approach has been relatively injury free, until this past week with Jimmy Barthmaier and Bryan Morris. We will be able to measure how effective it is with two easy metrics, walk totals and injuries. If both stay down, I'd say it might just be working. It is something I'll try to update on as the season goes on to see how things are working out.
The pitch counts, while they may protect the arm, are aimed at being more aggressive and efficient with their pitches. A really well pitched game can come in at around the 100 pitch mark or so, just ask Zach Duke about that. A really poor pitched game can have 100 pitches in at the 6th or earlier. To prevent that it seems as though the Bucs want their farm hands to attack the hitter more and in turn throw less.
I have never been able to fully make a decision as to whether pitch counts are good or bad. I always think that the situation should dictate how long the pitcher stays, at least when talking big league ball. I have never thought of it at the minor league level and this one seems to make sense. Regardless of how one feels about pitch counts, we can all agree that pitchers should attack more. After watching the Pirates' staff nibble for the past few years or more, it is nice to think that the organization is training them not to do that.
Will it work? Well the small sample size of this season shows it working somewhat in Lynchburg, and the organization on a whole since the new approach has been relatively injury free, until this past week with Jimmy Barthmaier and Bryan Morris. We will be able to measure how effective it is with two easy metrics, walk totals and injuries. If both stay down, I'd say it might just be working. It is something I'll try to update on as the season goes on to see how things are working out.
Monday, April 13, 2009
The Curious Andy LaRoche
While the Pirates were having a ball playing in the home opener, one player was sitting quietly on the bench. Andy LaRoche, considered by many to be a key part of the future of the team, has had a very, very slow start. He has not played well defensively and has looked completely lost offensively, not registering a hit yet.
His early slump is not what worries me, it is the fact that he has only played 3 of 7 games. This guy is supposed to be a starter right? Then why are we not playing him all that often during the first week of the season? Does the team not believe all that much in his skills or do they think that he is fragile emotionally?
Look at his track record. He put up some monster numbers, albeit in offensive leagues in the minors, but he did so at a rather young age. It seems as though once he got to the big leagues, he seemed to just not be able to put it together. To me that is rather strange. It is not as though he was some flash in the pan coming up through the system, and to do what he did do at AAA, makes me think it is perhaps mental.
The struggling major league track record of LaRoche could effect many things in the future for club. The success or failure of LaRoche directly impacts the use of Neil Walker and Pedro Alvarez. If LaRoche continues to struggle will the team look to give Walker a shot? Granted Ramon Vasquez is doing fine, but he is not a part of the future, Walker is much more a part of any Pirate future.
LaRoche may have a bearing on where Pedro Alvarez plays in the majors, if he succeeds Alvarez may move to first, if not Alvarez stays at third and we need to find a first baseman. The domino effect is rather staggering when you start to think about it all.
The early going it seems as though the team has little faith in LaRoche right now, making me really worry about the future. Life could be a lot easier if LaRoche would perform at any kind of level. I can only hope that the team is doing him a favor by sitting him and not futurher hurting him psychologically. If the problem is mental, I sure do hope they have a team of guys looking to help him out.
His early slump is not what worries me, it is the fact that he has only played 3 of 7 games. This guy is supposed to be a starter right? Then why are we not playing him all that often during the first week of the season? Does the team not believe all that much in his skills or do they think that he is fragile emotionally?
Look at his track record. He put up some monster numbers, albeit in offensive leagues in the minors, but he did so at a rather young age. It seems as though once he got to the big leagues, he seemed to just not be able to put it together. To me that is rather strange. It is not as though he was some flash in the pan coming up through the system, and to do what he did do at AAA, makes me think it is perhaps mental.
The struggling major league track record of LaRoche could effect many things in the future for club. The success or failure of LaRoche directly impacts the use of Neil Walker and Pedro Alvarez. If LaRoche continues to struggle will the team look to give Walker a shot? Granted Ramon Vasquez is doing fine, but he is not a part of the future, Walker is much more a part of any Pirate future.
LaRoche may have a bearing on where Pedro Alvarez plays in the majors, if he succeeds Alvarez may move to first, if not Alvarez stays at third and we need to find a first baseman. The domino effect is rather staggering when you start to think about it all.
The early going it seems as though the team has little faith in LaRoche right now, making me really worry about the future. Life could be a lot easier if LaRoche would perform at any kind of level. I can only hope that the team is doing him a favor by sitting him and not futurher hurting him psychologically. If the problem is mental, I sure do hope they have a team of guys looking to help him out.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Home Opener
Finally after a few months the Pirates are going to be playing a meaningful game at PNC Park. It is always great to see the season start, but it is extra special to see the club playing here in Pittsburgh. PNC Park always seems to look even more special when I have not seen it so long.
It is with the backdrop of the home opener, that the Pirates come back to Pittsburgh after playing two games over the weekend in Cincinnati. The shortened series in the Queen City, showed the Pirates seem to have a Jekyll and Hyde quality to them.
The offense exploded on Saturday, but was more than dormant on Sunday. It was a total opposite performance from the lineup. Showing patience at the plate and hitting the ball all around on Saturday, the team lost its patience and wass more than ineffective on Sunday. Some players, like Andy LaRoche, had no such offensive explosion this weekend, making the whispers about him grow louder.
The pitching, despite Ian Snell seeming to struggle at times on Sunday, was good. Maholm was more than good as he put in an excellent start for the Bucs, as it looks as though he is going to a rock for the rotation.
While we all look forward to the home opener, one has to wonder what Pirate team will show up as PNC opens for 2009. Will we see another offensive explosion? Will Zach Duke pitch effectively? Will it be something in between?
Whatever team shows up, it will be important they make an impression on the fans in Pittsburgh today. The team cannot afford to have a repeat of last year's home opener, when a gaffe cost them the game. This year the team needs to show that, on its biggest stage in Pittsburgh, that it is going to play better this season. The eyes of Pittsburgh will be watching, at least for this one game, so hopefully they don't squander this opportunity.
It is with the backdrop of the home opener, that the Pirates come back to Pittsburgh after playing two games over the weekend in Cincinnati. The shortened series in the Queen City, showed the Pirates seem to have a Jekyll and Hyde quality to them.
The offense exploded on Saturday, but was more than dormant on Sunday. It was a total opposite performance from the lineup. Showing patience at the plate and hitting the ball all around on Saturday, the team lost its patience and wass more than ineffective on Sunday. Some players, like Andy LaRoche, had no such offensive explosion this weekend, making the whispers about him grow louder.
The pitching, despite Ian Snell seeming to struggle at times on Sunday, was good. Maholm was more than good as he put in an excellent start for the Bucs, as it looks as though he is going to a rock for the rotation.
While we all look forward to the home opener, one has to wonder what Pirate team will show up as PNC opens for 2009. Will we see another offensive explosion? Will Zach Duke pitch effectively? Will it be something in between?
Whatever team shows up, it will be important they make an impression on the fans in Pittsburgh today. The team cannot afford to have a repeat of last year's home opener, when a gaffe cost them the game. This year the team needs to show that, on its biggest stage in Pittsburgh, that it is going to play better this season. The eyes of Pittsburgh will be watching, at least for this one game, so hopefully they don't squander this opportunity.
Friday, April 10, 2009
News and Minors News
Many readers of the blog may be asking yourselves, "Where are all the minor league profiles? I remember these guys doing a few of those things last year." Well if you were asking that, there is a reason for that. The past few months, we both have embarked on a rather laborious process, a process that we sometimes may have wondered what we were getting into. Well today we are announcing the new sister site of just minor league profiles.
We call it Allegheny Armada and it features profiles on many players within the farm system. Not all of them, it took us long enough to do these guys, but it will someday feature all of them, most likely. We have all the typical demographic information, a brief scouting report, stats, and links for the player from around the web. There are guys from AAA all the way down to Latin America, mainly younger, but some older. The new site is a library of information that we have found and gathered around the web. We have then put it in one place and shared it with other Pirate fans.
While it will never be perfect, we feel that it brings together insights and news from around the web into one place, or at least we have attempted to. I think if you like the stuff that you read here, you will probably like what you read in the scouting reports on our other site.
Having the new site won't change anything you see and read here, in fact it may only help improve it. We will from time to time spotlight minor leaguers here on this site, but at the same time have information on them on the other. As I said, think of it as a library, we will always be adding to it.
Take some time to get accustomed to it and look it over. I am sure there will be stuff you disagree with, but hey we aren't experts.
I hope you all enjoy, as it was a lot of fun putting it all together.
By the way, Pedro Alvarez hit a home run in his first game! How cool is that?
We call it Allegheny Armada and it features profiles on many players within the farm system. Not all of them, it took us long enough to do these guys, but it will someday feature all of them, most likely. We have all the typical demographic information, a brief scouting report, stats, and links for the player from around the web. There are guys from AAA all the way down to Latin America, mainly younger, but some older. The new site is a library of information that we have found and gathered around the web. We have then put it in one place and shared it with other Pirate fans.
While it will never be perfect, we feel that it brings together insights and news from around the web into one place, or at least we have attempted to. I think if you like the stuff that you read here, you will probably like what you read in the scouting reports on our other site.
Having the new site won't change anything you see and read here, in fact it may only help improve it. We will from time to time spotlight minor leaguers here on this site, but at the same time have information on them on the other. As I said, think of it as a library, we will always be adding to it.
Take some time to get accustomed to it and look it over. I am sure there will be stuff you disagree with, but hey we aren't experts.
I hope you all enjoy, as it was a lot of fun putting it all together.
By the way, Pedro Alvarez hit a home run in his first game! How cool is that?
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Two For One
This is a young season, but what John Russell is attempting to do with his bench players seems like a novel idea. He has stated that he has wanted his bench players to play more often, so that they are more prepared when called upon.That seems to be a great idea, a stark contrast from Pirate managers past, but it is almost as though he is trying something else.
To me it seems as though they are thinking that two men are better than one, by that I mean that by juggling the bench players and starters, you may get better production and a better chance to win ballgames. It seems like a great idea, at least until we can find guys that can be called starters.
You take a look at the guys on the bench and they are players who are in a nether land of bench/platoon type ability. A guy like Hinske can hit more than a bench guy, but not quite enough for everyday duty. I would say that the same can be said of the rejuvenated Craig Monroe and Ramon Vasquez. Russell tried this last year, perhaps more out of necessity with Mientkiewicz, Gomez, and Michaels. I would say that the bench this year is probably of a slightly higher pedigree and the approach may work better with these players.
While it may be working for the time being, I hope that if at some point this season, if say Andy LaRoche or Brandon Moss proves they can take on a more expanded role, then I would hope the bench's playing time would diminish.
For now, especially early in the season, when a good start can mean a great deal, it is a good idea, so let's roll with it.
To me it seems as though they are thinking that two men are better than one, by that I mean that by juggling the bench players and starters, you may get better production and a better chance to win ballgames. It seems like a great idea, at least until we can find guys that can be called starters.
You take a look at the guys on the bench and they are players who are in a nether land of bench/platoon type ability. A guy like Hinske can hit more than a bench guy, but not quite enough for everyday duty. I would say that the same can be said of the rejuvenated Craig Monroe and Ramon Vasquez. Russell tried this last year, perhaps more out of necessity with Mientkiewicz, Gomez, and Michaels. I would say that the bench this year is probably of a slightly higher pedigree and the approach may work better with these players.
While it may be working for the time being, I hope that if at some point this season, if say Andy LaRoche or Brandon Moss proves they can take on a more expanded role, then I would hope the bench's playing time would diminish.
For now, especially early in the season, when a good start can mean a great deal, it is a good idea, so let's roll with it.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
How Quickly Things Turn
There are positives and negatives in playing in the division with perhaps the best hitter on the planet. For one you sometimes watch in awe at the things that he is able to do, but unfortunately he usually is doing those things against your team. Such is the story of Albert Pujols against the Pirates. As much as I like the Pirates, I really like baseball so much more and am just in awe of what Pujols can do, even if it means Pirate losses.
Since the game was not on in Pittsburgh, very frustrating this early in the season, I did not have the joy of actually seeing Ian Snell fall apart. I guess his arm was really not all that stretched out from the WBC and his brief appearance against the Pirates' minor leaguers.
The game also had a similar theme from the first game, as Andy LaRoche had yet another error. This seems to be a bit of a disturbing trend that is happening. Perhaps he is pushing too hard. I hope he settles down in the field as we don't need to have him going out into the field with bad vibes.
Making Major League debuts in the game were Rule Five pick, Donnie Veal, who was shaky to say the least and uber-prospect Colby Rasmus. Rasmus' debut was pretty good for him, and it looks as though we have yet another cardinal to worry about in the future.
So it is on to the next game, as Zach Duke hopes to get off to a start like Paul Maholm as he faces Todd Wellemeyer. Hopefully, Pujols has his homers out of his system for the series, but one never knows when he may just keep on hitting them.
Since the game was not on in Pittsburgh, very frustrating this early in the season, I did not have the joy of actually seeing Ian Snell fall apart. I guess his arm was really not all that stretched out from the WBC and his brief appearance against the Pirates' minor leaguers.
The game also had a similar theme from the first game, as Andy LaRoche had yet another error. This seems to be a bit of a disturbing trend that is happening. Perhaps he is pushing too hard. I hope he settles down in the field as we don't need to have him going out into the field with bad vibes.
Making Major League debuts in the game were Rule Five pick, Donnie Veal, who was shaky to say the least and uber-prospect Colby Rasmus. Rasmus' debut was pretty good for him, and it looks as though we have yet another cardinal to worry about in the future.
So it is on to the next game, as Zach Duke hopes to get off to a start like Paul Maholm as he faces Todd Wellemeyer. Hopefully, Pujols has his homers out of his system for the series, but one never knows when he may just keep on hitting them.
Monday, April 6, 2009
One Down
Well they sure do know how to make it interesting. Despite the cold and leaving so many runners on base, the Bucs were able to pull it out in St. Louis to win the season opener. The story for most of the game was Paul Maholm pitching so effectively, despite the cold. He would go into the seventh, keeping the ball game in hand for the Pirates.
It is performances like this from Maholm that will let us know, what if anything good may come from this season. Hopefully the rest of the staff is able to follow his lead and be able to keep us in ballgames late into the game.
A surprise, at least offensively, was Nyjer Morgan. He did have few hits that seemed to get the team going, but I am not going to count on him doing that with much frequency during the season. In general the whole lineup seemed to contribute tonight, which is really going to be key in the early going for this club. If they come out and are the same old Buccos in the early going, we might as well mail it in early. Hopefully this is the start of a trend that could carry the club.
Things that did not go so well, were Andy LaRoche fielding balls hit to him. He seems to have difficulty with that. Also Ryan Doumit leaving 5 men on base was also not all that great.
In the end it does not matter, as it is only one game, but seeing contributions from the starters to the bench is definitely a good sign. Let hope this is a trend and not an aberration.
It is performances like this from Maholm that will let us know, what if anything good may come from this season. Hopefully the rest of the staff is able to follow his lead and be able to keep us in ballgames late into the game.
A surprise, at least offensively, was Nyjer Morgan. He did have few hits that seemed to get the team going, but I am not going to count on him doing that with much frequency during the season. In general the whole lineup seemed to contribute tonight, which is really going to be key in the early going for this club. If they come out and are the same old Buccos in the early going, we might as well mail it in early. Hopefully this is the start of a trend that could carry the club.
Things that did not go so well, were Andy LaRoche fielding balls hit to him. He seems to have difficulty with that. Also Ryan Doumit leaving 5 men on base was also not all that great.
In the end it does not matter, as it is only one game, but seeing contributions from the starters to the bench is definitely a good sign. Let hope this is a trend and not an aberration.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Things to Watch 2009
Today the Pirates take the field for yet another season and it is great that real baseball is finally here. Every year no matter how bad it looks like for that season, I simply love Opening Day. Here is hoping that this year's opener goes a lot better than the weird debacle in Atlanta.
Five Players to Be Hopeful For
1. Andy LaRoche - Perhaps no player in the organization can effect the future more than his performance this season. Management is hoping he plays well, in my opinoin and shared by Pat at WHYGAVS, is so they can move Pedro to first. If he fails we may have a huge problem on our hands as we will have to depend on Neil Walker.
2. Brandon Moss - Injuries and getting acclimated to a new place seemed to hamper Moss as he came over last season. Despite those problems he showed signs of being able to be productive. How productive can he be with a bunch of regular at bats? We will find out if he can be the McLouth of 2009.
3. Ross Ohlendorf - The team really seems to like him. He does have good stuff but seemed to be run down for some reason when he got here. He pitched well in the spring, so hopefully he can live up to all the potential that has followed him around all these years. A good year from him would do wonders.
4. Donnie Veal - The guy has lightening bolts in his arm, but sometimes does not seem to know where it is going. Hopefully the experience learned from Evan Meek last year, will chance how they handle Veal. If we can get strikes out of him, the pain of the eventual loss of Grabow may not be so great.
5. Andrew McCutchen - Granted he is not on the opening day roster, but it is really only a matter of time until he is up here. What spot he plays in the outfield is undetermined, but when he is out in the field, Nyjer Morgan won't be.
Five Players to Be Concerned About
1. Nyjer Morgan - I believe we all can figure this one out.
2. Jeff Karstens - After his spectacular debut last year, he gradually pitched worse and worse. He did not look all that great this spring so that is cause for concern.
3. Craig Hansen - He did not have a great start to his Pirates career and just looked real bad. If it continues we will be in a bind, as he is out of options.
4. Zach Duke - He has put up back to back years that I am sure he'd like to forget. Then again I am almost starting to forget what it was like when he rocketed through the farm system.
5. Jason Jaramillo/Robinson Diaz - Last year was Ryan Doumit's most healthy season in the big leagues, but he still didn't play as much as we would like. The preformance of these two rookies may be thrust into the limelight and hopefully they are ready.
Five Stories to Watch For
1. Who will be this year's breakout player? Last year we all watched with delight as Nate McLouth was the breakout player of the team. Who will replace him this season. Candidates include Brandon Moss and Andy LaRoche.
2. Who will be traded this year? While there is no marquee player, like Bay, there are perhaps more in quantity that could easily get dealt this year. Sanchez, Wilson, LaRoche and Grabow head the list with many others joining them. Huntington will more than likely be busy once again.
3. Pedro Alvarez. He will just be a story in himself. What he does and how quickly he does it will be watched not only by Pirate fans but baseball fans everywhere.
4. The Draft. Last year was really exciting for many who have followed the team closely for so long. We have been told that what happened last year was no abberation. Hopefully this year we will again see some great players come into the fold.
5. The Streak. There is no doubt this will be a big story. I personally hope it ends, but at the very least I hope the players don't let it get to them.
Five Predictions
1. Freddy Sanchez, Adam LaRoche, John Grabow, Craig Monroe and Eric Hinske will be traded. Jack Wilson will be riding out the rest of the season here in Pittsburgh.
2. The pitching staff will improve. Not much of a prediction, but after what happened last year they almost have to don't they?
3. Andy LaRoche will improve, but only to a point that makes it difficult to make any decision about him, leaving us in a sort of talent limbo.
4. Andrew McCutchen will do things that make us wonder why he did not start the season here.
5. The team will be playing meaningful baseball after July, but will still be on the course for destiny. Though there is hope on the horizon as another great draft, prospects recieved in trades, and the development of current players make the Pirates look like bets for a winning season in 2010.
Five Players to Be Hopeful For
1. Andy LaRoche - Perhaps no player in the organization can effect the future more than his performance this season. Management is hoping he plays well, in my opinoin and shared by Pat at WHYGAVS, is so they can move Pedro to first. If he fails we may have a huge problem on our hands as we will have to depend on Neil Walker.
2. Brandon Moss - Injuries and getting acclimated to a new place seemed to hamper Moss as he came over last season. Despite those problems he showed signs of being able to be productive. How productive can he be with a bunch of regular at bats? We will find out if he can be the McLouth of 2009.
3. Ross Ohlendorf - The team really seems to like him. He does have good stuff but seemed to be run down for some reason when he got here. He pitched well in the spring, so hopefully he can live up to all the potential that has followed him around all these years. A good year from him would do wonders.
4. Donnie Veal - The guy has lightening bolts in his arm, but sometimes does not seem to know where it is going. Hopefully the experience learned from Evan Meek last year, will chance how they handle Veal. If we can get strikes out of him, the pain of the eventual loss of Grabow may not be so great.
5. Andrew McCutchen - Granted he is not on the opening day roster, but it is really only a matter of time until he is up here. What spot he plays in the outfield is undetermined, but when he is out in the field, Nyjer Morgan won't be.
Five Players to Be Concerned About
1. Nyjer Morgan - I believe we all can figure this one out.
2. Jeff Karstens - After his spectacular debut last year, he gradually pitched worse and worse. He did not look all that great this spring so that is cause for concern.
3. Craig Hansen - He did not have a great start to his Pirates career and just looked real bad. If it continues we will be in a bind, as he is out of options.
4. Zach Duke - He has put up back to back years that I am sure he'd like to forget. Then again I am almost starting to forget what it was like when he rocketed through the farm system.
5. Jason Jaramillo/Robinson Diaz - Last year was Ryan Doumit's most healthy season in the big leagues, but he still didn't play as much as we would like. The preformance of these two rookies may be thrust into the limelight and hopefully they are ready.
Five Stories to Watch For
1. Who will be this year's breakout player? Last year we all watched with delight as Nate McLouth was the breakout player of the team. Who will replace him this season. Candidates include Brandon Moss and Andy LaRoche.
2. Who will be traded this year? While there is no marquee player, like Bay, there are perhaps more in quantity that could easily get dealt this year. Sanchez, Wilson, LaRoche and Grabow head the list with many others joining them. Huntington will more than likely be busy once again.
3. Pedro Alvarez. He will just be a story in himself. What he does and how quickly he does it will be watched not only by Pirate fans but baseball fans everywhere.
4. The Draft. Last year was really exciting for many who have followed the team closely for so long. We have been told that what happened last year was no abberation. Hopefully this year we will again see some great players come into the fold.
5. The Streak. There is no doubt this will be a big story. I personally hope it ends, but at the very least I hope the players don't let it get to them.
Five Predictions
1. Freddy Sanchez, Adam LaRoche, John Grabow, Craig Monroe and Eric Hinske will be traded. Jack Wilson will be riding out the rest of the season here in Pittsburgh.
2. The pitching staff will improve. Not much of a prediction, but after what happened last year they almost have to don't they?
3. Andy LaRoche will improve, but only to a point that makes it difficult to make any decision about him, leaving us in a sort of talent limbo.
4. Andrew McCutchen will do things that make us wonder why he did not start the season here.
5. The team will be playing meaningful baseball after July, but will still be on the course for destiny. Though there is hope on the horizon as another great draft, prospects recieved in trades, and the development of current players make the Pirates look like bets for a winning season in 2010.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Australian Buccaneers
Earlier this year, I had read that the Pirates had hired a scout to work in Australia. I have had a tough time trying to find out who he was, but today I was able to find that out as he has signed a pitcher, the first Aussie signed out of the country by the Pirates. The Bucs have had Aussies before; Paul Weichard, Adrian Burnside, Josh Hill, Paul Mildren, and Brett Roneberg, but never have they signed one.
First the player, Mitchell Fienemann. He is a 6'4" right handed pitcher that throws around 90 mph. Fienemann was originally signed by the Red sox, but shortly after signing he found that he had a tear in his shoulder. The Red Sox pulled their offer and Fienemann was out of a contract and looking to be able to get back to where he was.
Six months later in June of 2008, Fienemann was able to throw a baseball again and continued to build up strength. He was scheduled to throw in front of a group of scouts around Easter, but the Pirates scout Tony Harris saw him throw around 90 in March and quickly signed him. I'd look for the newest international Pirate to go to Bradenton and continue his rehab.
He seems to have some potential, I mean the Red Sox were interested in him until he got hurt. He should be interesting to watch and he is yet another sign that the Pirates are committed to doing things differently.
A little background on the new scout as well. Tony Harris has plenty of international experience. He has been a coach on virtually every Australian National team of note since the late 1990's. A former professional in the Australian pro league, Harris spent 7 years in the Dodgers organization, spending two as a manager. It seems as though he brings a great knowledge of the Australian way of baseball, as well as hands on experience in the States. Hopefully he keeps on bringing in new talent like Fienemann.
First the player, Mitchell Fienemann. He is a 6'4" right handed pitcher that throws around 90 mph. Fienemann was originally signed by the Red sox, but shortly after signing he found that he had a tear in his shoulder. The Red Sox pulled their offer and Fienemann was out of a contract and looking to be able to get back to where he was.
Six months later in June of 2008, Fienemann was able to throw a baseball again and continued to build up strength. He was scheduled to throw in front of a group of scouts around Easter, but the Pirates scout Tony Harris saw him throw around 90 in March and quickly signed him. I'd look for the newest international Pirate to go to Bradenton and continue his rehab.
He seems to have some potential, I mean the Red Sox were interested in him until he got hurt. He should be interesting to watch and he is yet another sign that the Pirates are committed to doing things differently.
A little background on the new scout as well. Tony Harris has plenty of international experience. He has been a coach on virtually every Australian National team of note since the late 1990's. A former professional in the Australian pro league, Harris spent 7 years in the Dodgers organization, spending two as a manager. It seems as though he brings a great knowledge of the Australian way of baseball, as well as hands on experience in the States. Hopefully he keeps on bringing in new talent like Fienemann.
And then there was One
A flurry of cuts and moves happened on Wednesday, as Neal Huntington and his field staff prepare to take the team north. The day started with a big bang as eight were jettisoned off and Jeff Karstens was named the fifth starter. As I had said a week ago, it looks as though the 'competition' for the rotation really was not much of one. I would guess that most fans could have picked out the rotation for this season, last September. Despite that fact Huntington has been hinting that just because you are on the roster to start the season, it does not mean much of anything, as there are plenty of guys looking to take that spot. We all know that is going to happen, just when and who?
Some guys where happy today, Luis Cruz and Craig Monroe, other not so; Virgil Vasquez, Chris Bootcheck, Denny Bautista, Jason Davis, Jeff Salazar, Andy Phillips, Garrett Jones, and Erik Kratz. I am curious how many of those guys have clauses that may allow them to reject minor league assignment. I would venture to guess that perhaps they don't, but you never know exactly what type of contract they signed. If they all go to Indy, it is going to be pretty crowded. An interesting story to watch would be Garrett Jones and Steve Pearce and how they are juggled at AAA.
To make space for Monroe a move had to be made and Romulo Sanchez was removed from the 40 man. Now if only it were so easy to forget that Romulo ever played in Pittsburgh I'd be really happy.
As I alluded to there is only going to be one more cut and it will be a reliever. They guys on the bubble competing for those last four spots are; Sean Burnett, Craig Hansen, Donnie Veal, Evan Meek and Jesse Chavez. In actuality you can look at it as Meek vs. Chavez for the last one. Burnett and Hansen are out of options and we could lose them, so if they were not wanted one would think they would have been gone sooner.
The same goes for Donnie Veal if he was not wanted, one would imagine we would have offered him back up to the Cubs earlier. So that leaves Meek and Chavez going at for that final spot. I would make Meek the favorite as it seems they are giving him every opportunity to pitch more, after his shoulder pain and bouts of illness. If that is the case, then we could be looking at the Opening Day roster of the 2009 Pittsburgh Pirates.
Some guys where happy today, Luis Cruz and Craig Monroe, other not so; Virgil Vasquez, Chris Bootcheck, Denny Bautista, Jason Davis, Jeff Salazar, Andy Phillips, Garrett Jones, and Erik Kratz. I am curious how many of those guys have clauses that may allow them to reject minor league assignment. I would venture to guess that perhaps they don't, but you never know exactly what type of contract they signed. If they all go to Indy, it is going to be pretty crowded. An interesting story to watch would be Garrett Jones and Steve Pearce and how they are juggled at AAA.
To make space for Monroe a move had to be made and Romulo Sanchez was removed from the 40 man. Now if only it were so easy to forget that Romulo ever played in Pittsburgh I'd be really happy.
As I alluded to there is only going to be one more cut and it will be a reliever. They guys on the bubble competing for those last four spots are; Sean Burnett, Craig Hansen, Donnie Veal, Evan Meek and Jesse Chavez. In actuality you can look at it as Meek vs. Chavez for the last one. Burnett and Hansen are out of options and we could lose them, so if they were not wanted one would think they would have been gone sooner.
The same goes for Donnie Veal if he was not wanted, one would imagine we would have offered him back up to the Cubs earlier. So that leaves Meek and Chavez going at for that final spot. I would make Meek the favorite as it seems they are giving him every opportunity to pitch more, after his shoulder pain and bouts of illness. If that is the case, then we could be looking at the Opening Day roster of the 2009 Pittsburgh Pirates.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Pirates from the Past: Rip Sewell
Many fans may be familiar Adam and Andy LaRoche's father throwing the "LaLob" a high looping pitch that fooled a lot of batters. Many may not know that LaRoche did not invent the LaLob, no it was invented by Rip Sewell in the 1940's and he called it the Eephus pitch, because it don't mean nothing.Coming out of Vanderbilt University, Sewell signed on with the Detroit Tigers and got a brief stint with them in 1932. His time with the Tigers was short lived as he got into a fight with Hank Greenberg, which spelled his way out of town. He went to Toledo and bounced around the minor leagues, until the Pirates signed him away from Buffalo in 1937.
In 1938 Sewell would make his debut for the Pirates as a reliever. The next season saw him as a bit of a swing man, but Sewell had done little to really establish himself in the big leagues. In 1940, working primarily as a starter, Sewell broke through with a 16-5 record and an ERA of 2.80. Things started to look up for Sewell that season.
Then in the offseason prior to the 1941 season, Sewell had an injury while hunting that could have derailed his career. He got shot with some buckshot that injured his right toe, the one that he pushed off with. He then had to rework his pitching motion, and a result of that motion was the ability to throw the Eephus pitch.
That season saw Sewell start to become quite the workhorse in the rotation, as he pitched 249 innings that season. He continued being a horse, but putting up excellent numbers the following season. He would win 17 games in 1942 then post back to back 21 win seasons. 1943 in particular was perhaps his best season ever as he went 21-9 and had an ERA of 2.54 that season.
Age slowly seemed to catch up to Sewell in 1945 as he seemed to slow down, but was still a rather effective pitcher being named to the All-Star game in 1945 and 1946. The 1946 All-Star game in particular was intriguing as Sewell told Ted Williams that he was going to see the Eephus pitch. Williams being prepared for it hit one of them for a home run. Sewell told Williams he would have never done had he not been told it was coming.
From 1947 to 1950, Sewell would have one more impressive season at the age 41, where he went 13-3. His later years maybe remembered more for his opposing stance agains the Player's Union, making inroads in the game after WWII. Sewell is quoted as saying he was, "glad the owners had finally told these ungrateful players where to get off. First they wanted the hamburg, then filet mignon, eventually the cow and the entire pasture." After the 1950 season, Sewell hung them and the Eephus pitch up after winning 143 games in his career.
While Sewell may be remembered most for his rather interesting pitch, he did rack up some great numbers. He still ranks in the top ten in all-time wins, innings pitched, complete games, and losses. Essentially he was Tim Wakefield before Wakefield. While he may not be one of the greats, he was pretty good, easily a guy that stands out in Pirate history.
Career Stats:
| Year | W | L | ERA | G | GS | CG | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | WHIP |
| 1935, '38-50 | 143 | 97 | 3.48 | 390 | 243 | 137 | 2119 | 2101 | 983 | 819 | 116 | 748 | 636 | 1.34 |
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