Draft Preview: College Seniors

The Pirates seem to take a college senior or two in the first 15 rounds of almost every draft in recent years such as Matt Hague and Steve Pearce. Players like them usually aren’t destined for greatness but they can provide you with a solid nucleus for your farm system, something that this organization is still lacking. With all that being said, here are a few college seniors that might bear watching this spring leading up to the draft.

Scott Bittle

RHP

6'2"

195

Mississippi

NYY 2nd Round 2008

The consensus best senior coming into 2009, Bittle decided to come back for one more season rather then sign with the Yankees. He doesn’t have overpowering stuff but what he does have is a change up, an 88-90 MPH fastball and a 84-86 MPH cutter which is considered the best in college. He mixes these pitches well and to go with incredible control makes him one of the best pitchers in college. That was until an injury to his shoulder shut him down, making many question what the future holds for this righty.

Preston Guilmet

RHP

6'2"

195

Arizona

OAK 22nd Round 2008

How can one go wrong with this kid? He’s gritty, will have played 4 seasons with a solid winning program and he produces. He may not light up the radar guns, usually sitting between 87-88 MPH with his fastball but he has excellent control and good poise and presence on the mound. Guilmet has a cool, funky delivery that could make him an interesting reliever out of the pen. Given that the Pirates seem to be going for more power arms under the new leadership, Guilmet might seem like an unlikely candidate for them but sometimes these “change of pace” pitchers can pay off for you.

Miers Quigley

LHP

6'5"

220

Alabama

MIN 36th Round 2008

For anyone that follows the college game, this might come as a surprise player but I ask you just go with me on this one. Quigley was considered one of the top high school prospects heading into the spring of 2005 but thanks to some off field incidents and nagging injuries his senior year of HS he fell to the Cardinals in the 19th round thus making it a clear choice to go to college. He has a good delivery to go along with a slurving type curve ball and change up. He is also is a good athlete for a player his size. I’m picturing him being a lefty version of Enrique Garcia who was taken as a senior by Cincinnati in 2008. If his past personal issues and injuries are behind him he could be a real steal.

Brent Milleville

1B

6'4"

240

Stanford

LAA 39th Round 2005

Milleville is a hulking right hand hitter who I’ve seen compared to Michael Restovich. He originally came to Stanford as a catcher but due to his size and the fact that they also had Jason Castro he was moved to 1st. He’s always seemed to have trouble hitting for average in College so that is a bit of a concern but with a huge upper cut swing, he generates tape measure power. If one wonders, can he hit with wooden bats? He hit 6 homeruns last season and batted .276 while playing for Brewster on the Cape. Is most likely going to be relegated to playing 1st as a pro.

Adam Warren

RHP

6'3"

200

North Carolina

CLE 36th Round 2008

When you pitch at North Carolina, sometimes it easy to get over shadowed by some of the great pitchers who have been there before you. Adam Warren seems to be a good example of a guy who has quietly flown under the radar the last few years in part due to some of the pitchers he’s been teamed with. Coming into this season, Warren has quietly posted a 22-2 record and a 3.49 ERA in his first 3 seasons. In a way, he does remind me some of former Tar Heel pitcher Robert Woodard who somehow got lost in the shadow of Andrew Miller and Daniel Bard despite putting up staggering numbers through his college career. Unlike Woodard though, I think Warren has a better chance to stay in the starting rotation. He should be one of the most interesting college seniors to keep an eye on this season.

Others of note:

Luke Anders

1B

Texas AM

NYY 16th Round 2008

Another former Yankee draft pick who opted to play one more year of college ball. Anders is one of the best power bats in college thanks to a huge left handed swing. On the down side is relegated to 1st or DH due to his lack of defense. An interesting note to his game is that for a power guy, he has exceptional plate discipline.

Jason Haniger

C

Georgia Tech

PIT 19th Round 2008

Haniger is an impressive young player who can hit for high average and has a potential power bat. He’s finally out of the shadow of Matt Weiters and showing what he is capable of doing. Should be drafted higher in 2009 then he was in 2008.

Ben Orloff

SS

UC Irvine

COL 19th Round 200

A solid steady producer on a gritty Anteaters team, Orloff does a lot of the little things well but nothing spectacular. Players like him seem to find a way to make it to the majors and stick around, see Craig Counsel.

Luke Murton

OF

Georgia Tech

AZ 33rd Round 2008

Luke, who is the younger brother of former Cub and current Rockies’ outfielder Matt Murton, offers some power potential. Unlike his older brother Matt, he is nowhere near as polished or complete a player at the same age.

Ryan Hinson

LHP

Clemson

PIT 31st Round 2008

A power lefty who has been used mostly as a swing man through out his college career, Hinson offers some good options out of the bullpen for any team that drafts him. He was probably a better prospect as a junior then he is as a senior.

Louis Coleman

RHP

LSU

WAS 14th Round 2008

A power bullpen arm and the closer for LSU, Coleman seems to be the type of pitcher the new front office covets with their draft philosophy. Thanks in part to a low 90’s FB and slider, he is tough on right handed hitters with his ¾ release point. With a solid senior year he could improve on the 14th round from last year.

Nate Freiman

1B

Duke

TEX 28th Round 2008

When it comes to big players, there are few as big as Freiman. Standing 6’8, Freiman has a huge right handed bat and like Anders should be one of the top power hitters available in the draft. Fortunately for him, he’s more then just a big bat as he has a reputation as being a solid 2 strike hitter. With a 3.92 GPA he’s obviously an intelligent player and since he’s a history major, he gets bonus points in my book.

Chris Fetter

RHP

Michigan

Never Drafted

Despite his size (6’8 230 pounds) Fetter is not a power pitcher, relying more of pin point control to get his outs. Possibly one of the most decorated pitchers in Michigan history, Fetter can throw at multiple arm angles making his pitches more effective. Despite never being drafted, he would be real late round steal to add depth to any bullpen.

This Week on The Farm

Team of the Week: Lynchburg Hillcats
Hitter of the Week: Andrew McCutchen, Indianapolis
Pitcher of the Week: Matt McSwain, Lynchburg

Indianapolis: 3-4 for the Week

Andrew McCutchen seems to be getting antsy waiting to get called up to Pittsburgh. This week he had 11 hits, 2 HR, and 6 RBI. Jeff Salazar had 8 hits and 7 RBI, while Garrett Jones had 9 hits and 4 RBI. Neil Walker had 5 hits and Steve Pearce 4 hits.

On the mound, Virgil Vasquez picked up a win by going 6 and allowing only 1 run. He struck out 6. Steven Jackson picked up his first win as a Bucco farmhand this week in relief and Ty Taubenheim picked up the other win of the week. Daniel McCutchen got a no decision after pitching 6.1 innings allowing only one run.

Altoona: 2-5 for the Week

Jim Negrych bounced back this week with 8 hits and Jonel Pacheco had 5 hits and 7 RBI. Brian Friday had 5 hits, one being a home run. Jason Delaney had 5 hits.

Brad Lincoln pitched another gem, but since he did not last the whole game, he got a no decision. he went 6 scoreless, striking out 5 and is really looking like the guy we thought we had drafted. Danny Moskos went 6 and allowed 4 to pick up his fourth loss. Not much else of note this week on the mound, other than Yoslan Herrera picked up his 3rd win, to go 3-0.

Lynchburg: 5-1 for the Week

Ray Chang had 9 hits and 9 RBI, while Miles Durham had 11 hits, 7 runs, and 4 RBI. Jared Keel had 2 home runs, Matt Hague had 8 hits, and Jordy Mercer had 7 hits and 4 RBI. Jose De Los Santos had 9 runs and 8 hits on the week and Pedro Alvarez had 7 hits, including 2 doubles, 1 triple and a home run, to go along with 6 RBI.

Matt McSwain picked up 2 wins this week, to run his record to 5-1. He went 14 innings, allowing just 3 runs and no walks, while striking out 12. Chi-Hung Cheng picked up his 4th win, going 5 scorless and Michael Dubee picked up his 4th save. Dubee threw 4 scoreless innings this week, while striking out 7. RJ Rodriguez picked up 2 more saves this week and Ron Uviedo went 5 innings, alloing 4 in taking a loss.

West Virginia: 4-3 for the Week

Three players had 7 hits this week; Calvin Anderson had two RBI, Robbie Grossman hit a home run to go with 5 RBI and 5 runs, and Austin McClune had 4 RBI. Chase D'Arnaud had 6 hits and Andrew Walker had 5 RBI on 4 hits this week.

Rudy Owens went 5 scoreless, striking out 8 to run his record to 5-1. Kyle McPherson picked up another win by throwing 5 innings, allowing only 1 run. Yoffri Martinez and Ryan Kelly each picke up a win as well. Eduardo Pena picked up 3 saves, giving him 8 on the season.

Head Scratcher

The day game that wrapped up the series against the Cubbies was definitely a head scratcher. For one in the three game set, it was the only day game at Wrigley. I almost cannot remember the last time the Bucs played at night prior to this series at the Friendly Confines.

Second from the get go it was going to be weird, in that John Russell, in what can only be described as a bad call, started Delwyn Young in lieu of Freddy Sanchez. Sanchez of the white hot bat, the 6-6 game in this series, sat on the bench while Young struck out three times.

Zach Duke showed resilience has he had a rough beginning to his start, giving up 2 runs in the first, but kept the Cubs at bay, giving the Bucs a chance. Duke has really started to look different this season, as he has become the bulldog of the staff, never seeming to really back down. It is great to have a guy perform like that on the staff, unfortunately the manager and the offense did not seem to help him out.

The final headscratcher, though it was not too far off from the norm, was the explosion of Carlos Zambrano. We all know that he has a flair for antics, and has a history of doing so against the Bucs, but his toss of the ball into the outfield seemingly took the cake. If anything the Pirates are a part of Cubs history/lore for being the team that Big Z lost it against.

Up next is the Houston Astros in what will be the battle for not being in last place in the NL Central. The 'Stros have not looked all that great so hopefully coming home to play them will do us some good.

Consistency

Doing things well consistently has seemingly alluded the Pirates in the past decade and a half. Instead they have consistently done things the wrong way. They have been consistently bad.

This season the team has not done much of anything consistently other than be inconsistent. Take for instance the offense. It was ice cold for the first 2 plus games against the White Sox, then explode against the Cubs. Then after putting up a 10 spot, they go cold again in a rain shortened game.

The pitching from most of the starters has been somewhat consistent, with an exception being Ian Snell. Snell may be holding the moniker of the most frustrating Pirate. He'll show flashes of the rather dominating Ian Snell, but then other times he looks like he did tonight. Most will expect to see ups and downs with players, but with Snell it seems to be great peaks and valleys.

Two players have seemingly started to become a little more consistent offensively. One is Freddy Sanchez, he of the 6-6 game bringing back memories of Wally Backman. After going through a drought offensively, he has picked it up and has been a man on a mission at the plate.

The other has done it oh so quietly, that I barely even noticed. Andy LaRoche, yes the whipping boy of the early going, has somehow climbed to be around .300 with his batting average. He currently is standing at .303. I highly doubt anyone would have thought that he would climb out of the giant hole that he dug for himself earlier this season. I know I would have never thought that by June he would be where he is.

Hopefully the good Pirates show up tomorrow so that they can get a series win, before returning home for the Astros. Hopefully they can also rack up the wins against the 'stros as well.

2009 Draft Target: Kyle Gibson

Last year the University of Missouri had a star prospect in Aaron Crow, who was selected but not signed by the Nationals. This year the Tigers feature Kyle Gibson, a tall and projectable right hander, that many think will get drafted very highly this year, like Crow.

Gibson was drafted out of high school by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2006 in the 36th round. Gibson was a star in high school in Indiana, as he struck out over 250 hitters in his four seasons. he was named a High School All-American and had decided to attend the University of Missouri.

In his freshman year at Mizzou, Gibson pitched out of the bullpen. He had 7 saves and 8 wins in relief, while striking out 77 in 67.2 innings, earning him Honorable All Big 12 Honors. He flashed great stuff in his freshman, leading to an invite to the Cape Cod League. Pitching for Falmouth, Gibson would go 2-0, as a starter, and would be named by Baseball America has the number 3 prospect in the league.

In his sophomore season Gibson worked as a bit of a swing man, appearing in 19 games, starting 12 of them. He would win 9 games on the season and pick up 2 saves. Gibson upped his strikeout total to 96 in 86.2 innings. He would once again earned All Big 12 Honorable Mention for his performance on the season.

It was last summer, while pitching for Team USA in the FISU World Championships that he seemed to really get notice. Gibson would go 5-0 in the tournament, despite only having 1 start. He also sporting a gaudy 1.02 ERA.

This season, Gibson has become a monster starter for the Tigers. He has gone 10-3 so far and has 123 strikeouts to 18 walks in 98.2 innings pitched. He also leads the team in complete games with 5.

Gibson has the projectable size that everyone likes as he is 6'6". He features a fastball that is not all that special, sitting in the low 90's, but has a plus slider that fools plenty of hitters. He occasionally throws a change as well. Some are not enamored with Gibson's mechanics though, as he is a tall and fall guy, not utilizing his entire body. Others look at the low velocity on his fastball and have plenty of questions there, as he does not light up the radar gun.

This year's draft is very pitching heavy and Gibson is probably assured of being selected within the first 10 picks. My guess is that the Pirates will have the opportunity to select him at number 4 overall, if they wish. Gibson does have a track record and projectable frame, but does not have the velocity that Huntington seems to like in pitchers. In that way, Gibson almost seems to be a guy that Littlefield would have wanted, a safe college guy with a track record. Then again, this year's draft class, maybe shallow enough that taking a guy like Gibson is the right thing to do.

MLB Draft Profile

College Baseball Blog Youtube video

Inside Look at the New Place

First off, I was out of town for the White Sox series, but from what I gathered from written accounts, it was not all that pretty. The pitching seemed to more than hold its own, especially with Zach Duke on the mound, but the offense was far from capable of doing much of anything. It looked like a different kind of futility than the one that was displayed last season against the Chi-Sox, futility nonetheless.

What I was able to catch that was Pirates related, was yet another FSN Pittsburgh look at the Pirates. This time Rob King was at the opening of the new Dominican academy and was helping the Pirates show off the their new digs. I must say it looked every bit as nice, if not better, than many of the other pictures that I have seen of the facility.

While the piece was focused mainly on the talk of the new commitment to the region and the building of the new academy there was some talk of what is going on down there currently. The final portion or so of the program had Rob King following around Rene Gayo as he continued to look for talent. They pointed out the last time they were there, Gayo signed prospect Starling Marte.

While they never said if they indeed signed anyone, it did give a very interesting detail and advantage of having their own academy now. It allows them the opportunity to 'hide' players. Every team has the opportunity to take in a player for a month, to work with him and have private training sessions, to decide if they would like to sign him.

In the program there was a strong armed outfielder, who had a long swing, that was being considered to be taken in for a month to see how well he pitches. This ability to 'hide' players will allow the Bucs to perhaps unearth gems that some teams may not know about, or work with a player to see what all they are capable of. Now with their own dormitory facility, they are able to do just that.

It was really interesting and if you missed it, I believe it will run at 7 on Monday, and sometime in the afternoon on Tuesday of this week.

Fantasy Hot Stove

From time to time others around the web, see whatever it is that I write on here and think I am some sort of Pirates expert or something. Though I consider myself far from expert on really anything, I am more than happy to share my thoughts. I wanted to share a site that has recently asked for my input on the Pirates.
Check it out as Mark at Fantasy Baseball Hot Stove seems to have a pretty good site there. If anything you can read some more of my banter, if you want to.

This Week on the Farm

Team of the Week: Indianapolis
Hitter of the Week: Pedro Alvarez, Lynchburg
Pitcher of the Week: Brad Lincoln, Altoona


Indianapolis (4-2) For the Week

At Indy, Neil Walker broke out of his slump to get 7 hits and 5 RBI. Garrett Jones had a great week, with 6 hits and 6 RBI. Eric Kratz also had a good week, getting 5 hits and 5 RBI. Andrew McCutchen has slowed again this week, as he had only 4 hits and 2 runs. Steve Pearce chipped in 4 hits and 2 RBI.

On the mound for the Indians, Virgil Vasquez had the start of the week as he went 8 innings to get his 3 win of the season. In the pen, Chris Bootcheck had 3 saves, giving him 7 on the season. Also picking up wins this week were Juan Mateo, Jeremy Powell, and Ty Taubenheim.

Altoona (2-5) For the Week

While the Curve did not have a great week, Jonel Pacheco had a great one. He had 14 hits and drove in 3 runs. Brian Friday had 7 hits, including a home run, to go with 2 RBI. James Boone had 6 hits and 6 RBI. Jason Delaney and Jeff Corsaletti each had 5 hits.

On the mound, Brad Lincoln must have got tired of seeing the bullpen lose his starts for him. He had one start of 7 innings, 1 run, 7 K's, wasted by Jeff Sues. But on Thursday he went the distance in throwing a 2 hit shutout to get his first win. Eric Krebs picked up the Curve's other win in relief. Kyle Bloom pitched 4 innings, giving up 4, and Danny Moskos in one start this week, went 5 giving up only 2 runs.

Lynchburg (4-3) For the Week

Pedro Alvarez led the way for the Hillcats this week, getting 10 hits, 2 HR, and 8 RBI. Jared Keel had 9 hits and 6 RBI, while Matt Hague also had 9 hits, driving in 5. Jose De Los Santos, Jordy Mercer, and Alex Presley all had 7 hits.

Michael Dubee threw 4 scoreless innings this week to pick up a win and a save. Ron Uviedo added another win to his total, by throwing 5 innings and striking out 7. Matt McSwain picked up his 3rd win, by going 6 scoreless, and Michael Colla got a win in relief. Justin Wilson lasted only 3 innings in his one start this week, giving up 4 runs.

West Virginia (4-3) For the Week

Calvin Anderson continued his power assault on the Sally League, as he has 2 more home runs and 7 RBI, to with 6 hits. Chase D'Arnaud had 8 hits, two of them triples, and 4 RBI. Quincy Latimore had 6 hits, a home run, and three RBI. Jeremy Farrell had 5 hits and 6 RBI.

Kyle McPherson picked up wins in both of his starts this week. He went 11.2 innings, allowing only 4 runs. Duke Welker picked up his 5th loss, going 6 and allowing 3. Rudy Owens went 4.2 innings, allowing 2, but striking out 9 batters.

If Only We Could Play Them More

Once again the Pirates took on the Nationals and ended up winning one that was not at all that pretty. If Tuesday's night's game was the definition of an ugly win, then Wednesday's game was the definitive lucky win.

The offense left too many men on base, missing out on a bunch of opportunities. If this would have been a loss it would have been on the offense, at least until Matt Capps came into the ballgame. If he had given up a home run on that very, very long out to end the game, it surely would have been on him.

Is it just me or are we all feeling a little uneasy every time Matt Capps comes into the game now? It did not always used to be this way, but he has had a few close calls and a blown save as of late. Then when one looks at the game from Wednesday, when Capps was ruled unavailable by Russell, it looks as though we are up the creek without a paddle, if he can't come in.

There is one more game to play in this four game set, as Ian Snell takes on crappy National's pitcher to be named. I'd say the odds are in our favor for that one. And not to jump the gun, but a win puts us one away from .500.

Since it is Memorial Day weekend coming up it is only fitting for the Bucs to be flirting with .500. Over the past decade and a half, we have had numerous Memorial Day weekends where the team was looking respectable, only to have June come around and things fall apart. Usually it is interleague play that kills us. But something seems to be a little different about this bunch, perhaps July will be the June of seasons past. Or maybe even later. One cannot guess, but as  Pirate fan, I am enjoying the ride while it lasts.

2009 Draft Target: Alex White

After Steven Strasburg, many feel that Alex White may be the best arm available in the 2009 Draft. A native North Carolinian, White is a hard throwing righty who maintains his velocity late into the game. White features a fastball that tops at 97, but sits in the mid 90's, a slider and a splitter.

A third team Baseball America All-American coming out of high school, White was selected by the Dodgers in the 14th round of the 2006 draft. He opted not to sign, as he wanted to attend UNC. As a true freshman, White was the Tar Heel's Saturday starter. He put up excellent strikeout numbers, but had issues with control. His freshman year fell apart when the Heels went to the NCAA tournament. In four starts White gave up 23 of his 54 runs on the season.

After the season, he went up to the Cape where he was named the 14th best prospect in the league by BA. White went 2-1 with a 2.10 ERA in 25 2/3 innings over seven appearances, throwing one complete game. He struck out 31 and walked just eight.

White became the top starter in 2008, as he finished the season with a 13-3 record and a 2.83 ERA in a team-high 101 2/3 innings. He struck out 113 batters and walked just 42 while holding the opposition to .215 average.

If it weren't for Strasburg, there would most likely be talk of White going number one overall. He throws some of the more lively pitches in all of college baseball. He is working on a change but it is not ready yet. He currently throws a heavy fastball that sits in the lower to mid '90's. He features a splitter and a slider as well. The only real concern is if he can hold up, as he has logged plenty of innings, something that scouting directors don't like to see.

White reportedly wanted $1.6 million coming out of high school to sign and with Scott Boras as his advisor he will again be looking to cash in. Boras and the price may not scare the Pirates off, but the thought of drafting a pitcher so high may. There is no real track record of success with pitchers taken this high, but if the Bucs feel that White provides the most value at this spot they may jump at taking him. Many publications and websites have predicted White may go to the Bucs, so for what that is worth, he may be a future Bucco.

MLB Draft Profile

Youtube Interview with Alex White 

Video of Alex White - Courtesy of Brian of the College Baseball Blog

Former Yankees

It seems to be a prevailing theme with the Pirates, that they really seem to like to acquire former Yankees. Earlier in the day the Bucs picked up yet another former Yankee hurler, Steven Jackson. This after acquiring Eric Hacker a few days ago. The thing that is funny about Jackson is that he was sent to the Yankees in the trade that sent Randy Johnson back to Arizona.

I know what you are thinking, does that not fit the description of Ross Ohlendorf? Why yes it does, because Ohlendorf was a part of that very same deal. Neal Huntington must have really, really liked what Brian Cashman got in that trade.

Speaking of Ohlendorf, he did not have all that great of a start in Washington. But lately these Pirates seem to be breaking with the script recently and the offense bailed out the pitching. Usually it is the other way around, but not tonight. Granted the offense looked a little out of synch against uber prospect, Ross Detwiler, but once that rag tag group called a bullpen by the Nationals entered the game, it was all down hill.

Having the big nights were Delwyn Young, Jack Wilson, who almost hit for the cycle, and Craig Monroe. I am willing to bet Monroe's performance will elicit a stream of "we need to play him more" talk, which we probably should have, but not so much that he becomes an everyday thing.

Hopefully the Pirates can keep up this good play, as we probably will have a tough time in Chicago later in the trip. The Cubs always seem to give us fits and our showing last season in Comiskey was perhaps the worst ever. That is down the line, let's keep winning here in Washington.

Dominican Dandy

Perhaps the big news of the weekend was that the Pirates are in on top Dominican prospect Miguel Angel Sano. The kid is described as a potential combination of Albert Pujols and Hanley Ramirez. Those are very strong comparisions for a such a young player.

Since Dejan broke the news about Sano, many have been wondering whether the Pirates' potential signing of the youngster, looking for $4 million in bonus money, would be a wise thing to do. In his Sunday On the Pirates feature, Dejan outlined many good and bad reasons for such a move.

I will add that the economy has affected what teams are looking to do with both the draft and the international signing period. Many teams are looking to cut back on some expenses and see this as a way to do just that. If the Pirates are true to their word and are not going to cut back, then they maybe stand to gain more this year than last. But the question is, can they justify spending that much money on such a young player?

Granted this might be a down draft year but $4 million is a pretty hefty sum to move around a budget. Maybe the team might be better off 'overpaying' players like a Robbie Grossman or a Quinton Miller instead of Sano, but if he is the real deal $4 million is a bargain. I just don't see how they can reallocate $4 million. I would think to sign Sano, it would require more money to the budget, not a reallocation.

No matter what I think it is great that the Pirates are even in contention for a kid as talented as Sano. They would have never been in the conversation a few years ago. This new management and Bob Nutting's ownership are walking the walk, so far. If they were able to sign Sano, it would be a pretty big deal, even if he would not make any sort of impact in Pittsburgh, if ever, for a long time down the line.

Regardless of what some pundits may think, this is something Dave Littlefield would have never, ever, been in position or have any interest in. And to think that signing big time and big money Latin prospects is foolish, as Smizik seems to indicate, then we are doomed to repeat the history of Dave Littlefield.

2009 Draft Target: Dustin Ackley

In a draft that appears to be pitching heavy, there are very few bats that seem to be able to have the impact that the Pirates could be looking for with the fourth pick overall. Perhaps the best of the bunch, especially as far as college hitters go, is North Carolina first baseman/outfielder Dustin Ackley. Undrafted out of high school, perhaps due to the level of competition he faced, Ackley accepted a scholarship at North Carolina to stay in state.

He quickly became an integral part of the Tar Heels offense and quickly learned to play first base. His freshman year Ackley was named the Baseball America Freshman of the Year and was a consensus All American. Ackley hit .402 in his first year, hit 10 home runs, and showed great discipline for a freshman in helping lead the Tar Heels to the College World Series.

Ackley followed his freshman year up with a great sophomore season, hitting .417 and improving even more at the plate, again leading the Tar Heels to the College World Series. After the season, he turned down a chance to play for Team USA as he wanted to go to the Cape to play the outfield, a position North Carolina wants him to move back to. He did not play long in the Cape, hitting .415/.586/.707 in 12 games before he had to get Tommy John surgery on his right arm.

Coming into 2009 many are expecting big things once again from the left handed hitting Ackley. He has a great stroke at the plate and a great eye. So far so good as he has continued to hit for a high average, while also adding more power with his bat. He also has taken well to the outfield as many had expected. He clearly has done nothing but raise his draft stock.

He has above average speed on the bases, but some still question whether power will ever develop with him. It may, as he does have some size, or he may be a guy with average to a little above average pop. Either way he can flat out hit and get on base, something the Pirates would love to have. His move to center has made him a more valuable commodity, something his advisor Scott Boras surely will love.

MLB Draft Profile
Video of Ackley talking about breaking an Aluminum bat.

This Week on The Farm

Team of the Week: Lynchburg Hillcats

Batter of the Week: Andrew McCutchen, Indianapolis

Pitcher of the Week: Rudy Owens, West Virginia

Indianapolis: 3-4 For the Week

At Indy a trio of players each got double digit hit totals this week. Andrew McCutchen awoke with 12 hits and 6 RBI this week. Jeff Salazar had 10 hits and 7 RBI, while Neil Walker has 10 hits, 2 HR, and 4 RBI. Steve Pearce had 9 hits and 6 RBI and Garrett Jones had 5 hits.

Daniel McCutchen and Virgil Vasquez were the workhorses for the Tribe rotation. McCutchen throwing 10.2 innings with 7 K's and Vasquez 11.1 innings with 14 K's. Each pitcher picked up a win this past week. Juan Mateo picked up 2 saves and Denny Bautista got a win in relief. Tom Gorzelanny had a good start, 5.2 IP and 1 ER, in a no decision.

Altoona: 4-3 For the Week

Minor league vet Hector Gimenez had 3 home runs to help lead the power for the Curve. Pedro Lopez had 7 hits, Steve Lerud 6 with a home run, and Brian Friday had 5 hits. Jim Negrych had a quiet week, mainly pinch hitting, in only collecting 2 hits.

Brad Lincoln had an excellent start this week, going 6.2, allowing 2 runs and 1 walk, with 5 K's. Despite the solid work he picked up the loss. Jared Hughes also had a strong start, going 5 scoreless to pick up a win. Mike Crotta and Danny Moskos also had great starts for the Curve, both picking up wins. Crotta went 8.1 innings, allowing 1 run and striking out 7 for a win. Moskos threw a total of 12 innings, allowing 1 ER, but only struck out 3 for a win.


Lynchburg: 4-2 For the Week

Maiko Loyola had 3 home runs and 7 RBI this week to lead the Hillcats. Miles Durham had 8 hits and 6 RBI, while Alex Presley and Matt Hague each chipped in 6 hits. SS Jordy Mercer had 5 hits and 4 RBI, and Pedro Alvarez had 4 hits, one of them was a HR, and 5 RBI.

Ron Uviedo finally got a win this week, but was hit pretty hard in his 11 innings. He allowed 15 hits and 7 ER, while striking out 6. Chi Hung Cheng picked up his first loss, while Matt McSwain, Michael Colla, and RJ Rodriguez (4-0) picked up wins. Michael Dubee pitched 4.1 scoreless to get another save this week.

West Virginia: 3-4 For the Week

Big Calvin Anderson had 9 hits, 7 runs, 2 HR and 8 RBI to lead the Power. Erik Huber, 6 hits, had 7 RBI and Quincy Latimore had 10 hits and 7 RBI. Jeremy Farrell had 5 RBI and Austin McClune had 8 hits.

Rudy Owens continued his hot starting pitching this week, picking up 2 wins. For the week he went 11.1 IP, allowing 2 ER and 1 walk, while striking out 9. Yoffri Martinez picked up the other win for the Power this week.

It is a Crazy Game

Last week it seemed as though the Bucs were just going to continue the long and painful slide to another losing season a little earlier than usual. Now that they have come back to Pittsburgh, things have seemingly changed since they have started playing the first place Cardinals.

For starters, Brandon Moss, now dropped down in the lineup, has looked completely different these past two games. Yes they are indeed just two games, but it has been a complete reversal of what was. He actually looks like he is a major league hitter. I heard during the game on Tuesday, that Don Long has spent extra time with him. Is it this extra attention that may be keying his turnaround or is it being dropped in the order?

It also is no coincidence that these first two games at home against the Cards, have featured good starting pitching from Zach Duke and Ross Ohlendorf. As has been said numerous times, as the pitching goes, so goes this team. By having a little roll of good starts, the team has looked better.

One can only hope that Jeff Karstens is able to continue the good vibrations in his start. This team is going to need as many divisional wins as possible to at least look respectable, and an earlier season sweep of the Cards would go a long way to helping.

Everyone Seems to Be Stuggling

We are all keenly aware of the struggles of the Pirates these past few games. It is no secret, but what may be one is that the Pirates' lack of success id not just at the major league but also minor league level. Every week I do the weekly round ups and it seems as though many of the prospects that we have in the system just are not doing all that well.

At Indy, Andrew McCutchen has been looking average since his hot start. He has, however, displayed great plate discipline, with 12 walks to 10 K's. Neil Walker seems to be doing what he did last year, he is hitting for power and not much else. Steve Pearce has looked like the most complete 'prospect' hitter, but we have seen him do this before at AAA, what will happen if he is given yet another shot at Pittsburgh.

The Curve have lacked hitting everywhere. Brian Friday has been out for awhile so he has had little effect so far. Jim Negrych continues to hit and have problems in the field, Jose Tabata's hurt, Jamie Romak has lost any prospect luster he might have had, and Steve Lerud has had a mixed go so far.

Kris Watts has been a bit of a surprise in Lynchburg, but Jordy Mercer and Matt Hague have under preformed. Pedro Alvarez is mashing, but is having troubles getting back into the swing of things.

In Charleston, Calvin Anderson is showing his power, but has struggles with plate discipline. Chase D'Arnaud has looked great and youngster Robbie Grossman has had an excellent debut at such an advanced level for his age.

While one is able to at least go through a tour of hitters in the system, it is not possible with pitching. It has been bad all around. Indianapolis' Gorzelanny, Vasquez, and McCutchen have looked anywhere of poor to mediocre. Brad Linoln has pitched well but has not been dominating. Jeff Sues seems to have lost a bit from last year. Ron Uviedo has taken well to staring and West Virginia's Rudy Owens may finally be showing a little of what he can do. Other than that the pitching has just been flat out bad.

The records of the teams mean little to me, though they are not great, but the lack of great improvement or players falling back has me alarmed. It is early, but what is going on now is yet another indicator that the organization maybe two or more years away from being healthy. While the guys in Pittsburgh continue to struggle, it is perhaps more important to watch at how guys in Altoona or Lynchburg continue to struggle.

Again and Again

It just does not look as though it will end will? The Pirates on are some kind of skid. Eight in a row. I really don't think there is a way to even begin to put that into words. Eight in a row. This team has just looked hapless the past week plus. Remember the good feelings we all had, then they went to San Diego and everything started to head down hill? Remember those good ol' days?

This past weekend, playing in the new Citi Field, described as PNC on steroids by many, the Pirates looked like a very weak team. Sort of the kind of team that many thought we would perhaps see all season. Nothing really seemed to go right as they were never in much of a postion to win any of the set at New York.

A few things are worth noting, however, from this series. One Brian Bixler is clearly not ready to play big league baseball. I cannot figure out what it is, but he looking more and more like a AAAA player every time he takes the field. He is uncomfortable in the field, and is clearly lost at the plate.

Two, Brandon Moss. I don't think much more needs to be said about it other than just his name, Brandon Moss. It is almost at the point that he is performing as well as Jeromy Burnitz or Derek Bell out there. They say that they are committed to him, but how much is that related to the fact that he is out of options? If he keeps playing like he is, when they call up Andrew McCutchen we just may see an outfield of all M's, just not Moss.

The bullpen continues to be a sore spot. Granted there was little use for the bullpen to save a game this weekend, but they did not do a good job of trying to keep the games under control at all. This seems like it will be a continuing story line as well this season. I just can't wait for the yearly revolving door of the Pirates' bullpen to commence.

A lot of thing went wrong over the weekend, but at least on Monday nothing can really go wrong, as they don't play. Hopefully they can look respectable when the begin play again on Tuesday.

This Week on the Farm

Team of the Week: Lynchburg
Hitter of the Week: Kent Sakamoto, Lynchburg
Pitcher of the Week: Chi-Hung Cheng, Lynchburg

Indianapolis: 2-6 for the Week

In a rough week for the Indians, Shelby Ford led the way for the club as he had 8 hits and 6 RBI. Ford seems to finally be on track after missing a portion of the start of the season. Steve Pearce had 7 hits, 2 Hr, and 5 RBI and Luis Cruz also had 7 hits. Andrew McCutchen, 4 hits, and Neil Walker, 3 hits, have been cold as of late.

The Indians' starters went winless this week as the two wins were picked up by relievers Romulo Sanchez and Corey Hamman. Tom Gorzelanny had 12 k's in 13 IP, getting 2 no decisions. Virgil Vasquez gave up 5 runs in 7 innings and Denny Bautista threw 2 scoreless.

Altoona: 1-4 for the Week

The Curve's leading hitter this week was Brad Corley. Corley had 8 hits, 2 of which were home runs. Pedro Lopez had 7 hits and Steve Lerud had 4. With Tabata out, this lineup lacks many, many things.

The lone win this week went to Mike Crotta, who went 6, allowing only 2 runs to pick up his second win. Brad Lincoln had perhaps his best start of the season, 5 IP, 3 hits, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K, in a no decision. Tony Watson took a loss in his start this week, though he is hurt and will be out for awhile. Danny Moskos gave up 5 in 6 innings, and Jeff Sues gave up 3 runs in 4.2 IP, to take a loss.

Lynchburg: 4-2 For the Week

Kent Sakamoto had a huge week as he had 3 home runs, while driving in 8 runs for the Hillcats. Jose De Los Santos had 8 hits and 4 RBI, as did Miles Durham, though he had a home run as well. Jordy Mercer had 6 hits and 3 RBI. Matt Hague had 4 hits and Pedro Alvarez had 3 hits, one of which was a home run.

Chi-Hung Cheng picked up his 3rd win of the season, by throwing 5 shut out innings this week. Dustin Molleken pitched 7 score less innings, while striking out 10. Mike Colla picked up a win in relief and Michael Dubee threw 4 scoreless, picking up his first save in one of his outings. Ron Uviedo went five and a third, allowing 1 run, striking out 5 in a no decision.

West Virginia: 1-4 for the Week

Quincy Latimore led the way with 6 hits and 4 runs, while Bobby Spain had 5 hits. Jeremy Farrell had 4 RBI and Chase D'arnaud had 3.

Maurice Bankston picked up the lone win, going 5 scoreless to get his first win. Duke Welker went 10 innings in two starts, picking up a loss in one of those starts. He did strike out 7, while walking 5.

Can't Stop the Bleeding

We have moved past the Brew Crew and instead have come across a one man wrecking crew, that man being Albert Pujols. Pujols went 4 for 4 against the Bucs and hit a home run in the first off of Zach Duke. He just seems to always kill us. He does it against everyone else, but it seems as though Pujols just loves to face the Pirates.

It really wouldn't have mattered how Zach Duke performed tonight, as the offense has just been so terrible the past few games, that we really cannot win. It was to be expected that the offense would lose something, a big something, when Ryan Doumit went down, but things have seemingly spiraled out of control.

So what does John Russell do? Thankfully he did not start Brandon Moss tonight, instead he went to Delwynn Young, who I had thought had it in his contract that he was not to start a game. Young drew two walks and got a hit, easily much more productive than what Moss or his usual replacement, Eric Hinske have done so far.

I don't know why it took so long for Young to see a start. It is not like we were in a position to not try something different offensively. On the same note, why have we not seen Craig Monroe? Granted he is not going to be the savior, but he could have at least helped while he was hot. Instead he has sat on the bench, doing absolutely nothing.

The offense needs a jump start and it is not going to get that trotting the same lineup out there, and hoping things click. There has to be a juggling of players, trying to find anything that will work. If we don't try something different soon, this downward spiral we are on is going to get out of hand really fast.

2009 Draft Target: Andrew Oliver

The Pirates must seem to really value the opinion of the scout that gets looks at Oklahoma State. They seem to really like to accumulate players from the Cowboys. Off the top my head they have Jordy Mercer, Matt Hague, Shelby Ford, and Jason Jaramillo. Andrew Oliver is yet another Cowboy that the Pirates will more than likely take a long look at.

Perhaps the top collegiate lefty, Oliver has that great projectable size that scouts just love. He stands at 6'3" and seems to have little to no effort when he is on the mound. He features a low 90's fastball and he is developing a change and a slurve. It is not necessarily his repertoire that is great, but the command he has and how he attacks hitters. He is not afraid to go inside on guys and controls the strike zone really well, leading to great strikeout numbers.

Coming out of Vermillion High School in Ohio, Oliver was drafted in the 17th round of the 2006 draft by the Twins. He fell due to his commitment to OK State and reportedly turned down a $400,000 bonus from the Twins. As a freshman Oliver pitched in 13 games for the Cowboys, starting 11 of those games. He racked up a very impressive 42 strikeouts in 44 innings. After the season he pitched for the Wareham in the Cape Cod League and was 1-1 with a 1.41 ERA and 54 strikeouts in 45 innings of work. Baseball America named him the 10th-best pro prospect in the Cape.

Olvier took off from there and continued to grow as a pitcher. In his second season with the Cowboys he was named earned first-team All-Big 12 honors and an All-American as well. He had a 2.20 ERA, 96 strikeouts, and kept opponents to a .211 average. Unfortunately for the Cowboys, the NCAA ruled Oliver inegligble for the NCAA tourney, as he had inappropriate contact with a scout in high school. Rumors say that it might be Scott Boras, though those are just rumors.

Despite his suspension, Oliver pitched for Team USA during the summer in the FISU World Championships. He made four starts and was 2-0 with a 0.93 ERA and recorded 24 strikeouts in 19.1 innings, helping to lead Team USA to the Gold.

Coming into this season, many were still wondering if Oliver wold be ruled eligible, as he challenged the NCAA ruling. In early February he won the right to continue collegiate play. So far this season he has had mixed results, perhaps from his legal troubles, as he is 5-5 and has a 4.99 ERA. He seems to not have the command that he showed in previous years, though he is still striking out batters.

Oliver has size, tools, and the projectability that make him an excellent pick. He may, depending on how quick he can come along, be somewhat of a fast track guy, so that make him pretty desirable for a team like the Pirates, looking to improve both the farm system and the major league club. As one of the top collegiate arms available, he will surely command money, something I am sure his representation will make sure of. The question though is, will the Pirates take a pitcher, with the possibility of injury, with such a high pick?


Andrew Oliver Scouting Video 

Thank You Sir, May I Have Another

This story is really starting to get old. It seems as though we play the Brewers continually and we continue to go and lose to the Brewers. Why is that? It is not as though they are the '27 Yankees or even the '97 Yankees? There is nothing about the Brewers that would make anyone think that a team could lose 16 straight against them. Yet that is what the Pirates have now done.

The game last night was a bizarre one in that the starting pitching was fine. The offense was more than adequate to win the the ball game. No the problem was the back end of the bullpen, which was once thought to be a strength, has recently looked to be very flimsy.

Lets start with John Grabow. Typically when players are nearing the end of their time in Pittsburgh, they seem to play better, as though they are looking to leave. Grabow on the other hand has been seemingly trying to stay here in Pittsburgh. He has given up 5 runs in his last 2.6 innings. He has been, at least in the small sample this season, been hit more than last year. In 2008 he held opponents to a .219, so far this season .273. That is a pretty big difference, and perhaps a reason for his recent struggles.

As for Matt Capps things are even worse. Players are hitting over .300 against him and he has given up 7 runs in his last 2.6 innings. The problem perhaps with Capps is that he has not been pitching quite enough. He went a week without appearing in a single game from the San Diego trip to a game here against Cincinnati. Sitting that long is going to affect Capps. Though we have seen him get overworked, as evidenced last season. Perhaps Russell does not want a repeat of last year.

The back end of the bullpen needs to get its act together. They have both been through it before and should come back quickly. A team like the Pirates cannot afford to have starts like Maholm's tonight completely wasted, especially on a night that the offense did enough to win. When the game comes to Grabow and Capps, we should expect a win, not what we have seen recently.

Pirates from the Past: Ed Doheny

The turn of the century Pirates seemed to have it all. They had hitting and pitching, and one of those great pitchers was Ed Doheny. A lefty from Vermont, Doheny was brought to the attention of professional scouts bya Massachusetts newspaper writer. Doheny was a bit of a wunderkind, having played minor league baseball as a teenager in Canada. Little did anyone know how much of a change would take place in Doheny's life once he made the big leagues.

Doheny broke into the majors with the New York Giants in 1895 at the age of 21. Doheny would spend the next six and a half seasons in New York, toiling in obscurity. he was never a winning pitcher during his tenure in New York. His early seasons in New York were marked by suspensions for breach of discipline and time spent away from the mound seemed to hurt Doheny.

By 1901 Doheny had lost 50 games the previous three seasons and had gotten off to a slow start again in New York. His luck seemed to change when the Pirates acquired him in mid-season, sensing that Doheny could live up to his potential away from the Giants meddling owner.

Things did change rather quickly, as playing for the best team in baseball instantly made Doheny look better. He would go 6-2 for the Bucs that season as they won the National League pennant. Doheny joined one of the best rotations in Pirates' history as he teamed with Deacon Phillippe, Jack Chesbro, and Jesse Tannehill to form a potent rotation.

In 1902 Doheny finished second in the league in winning percentage as he went 16-4. Things seemed to be looking up for Doheny as the Pirates again were the best team in the National League and he was an integral part of that success.

Then came 1903 and perhaps one of the more bizarre tales in not just Pirate but baseball history. Doheny picked up where he left off and started the year going 12-6, but then he simply seemed to go crazy. Doheny had a drinking problem and some think that may have been a part of it, but he also seemed to feel as though he was constantly being followed. He took a leave off and returned to his offseason home in Massachusetts.

When the Pirates came through Boston, Doheny rejoined the team and he would pick up 4 more victories. After a while things just seemed to fall apart again for Ed as he returned again to Massachusetts and was admitted to a hospital. The team tried to cheer him up by sending him his uniform, but it instead made matters worse as Doheny thought it a sign that he was not wanted back.

His illness caused him to harm his doctor and beat his male nurse with an iron rod after hearing of the Pirates losing the first World Series. That incident also lead to stand off with police in his home. After being over taken by the authorities he was deemed insane and sent to an asylum. His condition never improved and he spent the remaining 13 years of his life in state mental institutions.

The Ed Doheny story is one that is extremely sad. The guy had a world of talent and was on a great team. He was not even 30 years old when he left the game. He could have put up some really good seasons on those Pirate teams. Instead of potential historical glory, he is but a sad footnote of baseball history, one that is almost unimaginable.

Career Stats:

Years	W	L	G	GS	CG	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA
1895-1903	75	83	183	140	137	1392.7	1412	931	580	13	665	567	3.75