Predictions and Previews: 2011

Every year I cannot believe that the season is finally here and today is the day that I spend all year waiting for. I am sure that many reading also wait in anticipation for this day as well. With out further ado, here are some of my thoughts about the upcoming season.

Five Players to Be Hopeful For

1. Andrew McCutchen - It seems odd to put perhaps the Pirates' biggest star as a player to be hopeful for, I mean we should know what we have right? But McCutchen comes into this season with a good deal of expectations placed on him. Many are stating to pay attention to what he has done and are expecting a large leap forward. What he is able to do with those expectations and eyes on him, will tell us a lot. I fully expect him to excel in this situation.

2. Jose Tabata - After McCutchen he might be the most exciting to watch. As graceful as McCutchen is on the basepaths, Tabata runs with a reckless abandon. We will see him running with more abandon this season, as the new staff wants to run more, which could make Tabata one to really watch.

3. Joel Hanrahan - He was second on the team in strikeouts, only 2 behind Paul Maholm. He struck out more than a batter an inning. That type of stuff coming out of the bullpen at the end of games, could ensure that the times the Pirates are ahead, they stay ahead.

4. Garrett Jones - The platoon may end up working best for Jones. He will be played in a way that suits his very good strengths as a player. Who knows what he might do seeing nothing but righties, as well as knowing exactly where he is going to play everyday.

5. James McDonald - Acquired mid-way through last season, McDonald was a great addition to the staff. He was able to be a shining star on what was a rather dark black hole of a pitching staff. Hopefully what we saw last season was just a taste of what he might be able to do.

Five Players to Be Concerned About

1. Ryan Doumit - It has been said that Doumit may not have the best of attitudes, who knows how that will work out now that he is no longer really in the plans here. Will he be clubhouse cancer or model citizen?

2. Matt Diaz - Call me crazy, but the current front office has not been the best in terms of scouting major league players. The fascination with Diaz came very early in the offseaon, which somewhat scared me.

3. Lyle Overbay - In somewhat of the same vein as Matt Diaz above, you have to wonder if he can still play. Overbay also is getting up there in years and will he be able to be a difference maker or a stabilizing force?

4. Ross Ohlendorf - He has had a bit of a roller coaster career thus far, jumping from reliever to starter, from consistent to inconsistent. After famously only getting 1 win then getting a raise, Ohlendorf has not fared all that well this spring. Could that be a sign of things to come this summer?

5. Any pitcher not named Hanrahan or Meek - There is no way around it the pitching staff was atrocious last season. What will make that any different this season.

Five Stories to Watch

1. Clint Hurdle and his message - The story of the effect of Clint Hurdle and his new voice to the organization, will be followed very closely this season. It will be interesting to see if the different approach and positive rhetoric will add up to wins.

2. The adjustment of the young players - Many will be watching to see if the dreaded sophomore slump hits the Pirates and their trio of players that debuted last season. Walker, Tabata, and Alvarez will do their best to not have that slump.

3. The Platoon - The Bucs went out of their way and over some other teams to get Matt Diaz to platoon with Garrett Jones in right field. Both play to each others strengths, will the combo lead to a productive corner outfielder?

4. The number one pick - Once again the Pirates were able to lock up the top pick in the draft and many will be watching to see who they decide to take. Among the names are  Anthony Rendon and Gerritt Cole, both are good choices. The choice that the Pirates make will be leading the next wave of young talent into Pittsburgh.

5. Huntington's Future - The general manager has only this season left on his contract. Will he be offered an extension? Who knows for certain, but I'd imagine that they are probably leaning towards offering an extension, unless the team comes out and shows no improvement. No matter what, the local media will talk a good bit about it.

Five Predictions

1. Neil Walker will prove that last year was not a fluke and will continue to hit well.

2. Ryan Doumit will finish the season in black and gold. Is this a good or bad thing?

3. Anthony Rendon will be the first overall pick in the 2011 MLB Draft, though he won't sign until the deadline.

4. Andrew McCutchen will be joined by a teammate in Arizona for the All-Star game. I hope Joel Hanrahan does not have any plans for the second week of July.

5. 75 wins. That would be a huge improvement, but one that I see as the best case scenario and one that hopefully happens.

Sh#tburgers

It seems every year at the dawn of the new Pirates season I am reminded of Lou Brown from Major League:

All right people, we got 10 minutes 'till game time, let's all gather 'round. I'm not much for giving inspirational addresses, but I'd just like to point out that every newspaper in the country has picked us to finish last. The local press seems to think that we'd save everyone the time and trouble if we just went out and shot ourselves. Me, I'm for wasting sportswriters' time. So I figured we ought to hang around for a while and see if we can give 'em all a nice big shitburger to eat! 

The local press is definitely saying that there is no point to this season and quite frankly it irritates me more and more with each passing year. Perhaps it is the laziness of some that gets to me. Some are looking for some unintelligent punch line to simply throw out there about the Pirates, one to appeal to the masses of Yinzers. Others come out with an analysis, but start out by saying not to even bother. So why do I even bother reading the article?

I would much rather have them not write anything at all then have to even see the crap that gets churned out as analysis. An example of such stunning analysis is that, Charlie Morton sucked last year, therefore he will suck this year. If human beings were as predictable as gravity, then you could make this argument. But last time I checked, human beings have many variables and change often. To make a blanket statement like that, without mentioning a great spring that Morton has had, is poor analysis/projecting.

I'll tell you one thing that is predictable though, how the media in this city will 'write' an article about the Pirates. It is almost a template. Start with some hyperbole that catches the readers attention, make sure to mention the losing streak. Then bring up something irrelevant to this year's team but still in some people's memory to show how bad the team is, think Matt Lawton or Randall Simon. Then circle back to last season, pick someone who was bad last year, say that Player X is not any better this year, and the team is not better as they could not replace him. Then finish again by mentioning the streak.

I believe I have helped save the local media from having to waste their time. They can simply use the above to churn out more garbage to fill up their sports page or sports flyer, what ever it is now that they 'sell'.

Like Lou Brown, I am not one for inspirational speeches or thoughts, but this season has me excited for many reasons. It is a shame that many do not see that either.

Ohlendorf Struggling

Will Ohlendorf take a step forward or keep falling backward?

The Pirates came north today to Philadelphia to face the Phillies at Citizen's Bank Ballpark in what is a final spring tuneup for the team. In the game tonight Ohlendorf struggled once again in an outing. This time he really labored on the mound and struggled in his four innings.

Spring numbers don't mean much of anything, but Ohlendorf has had a pretty bad spring. He has a spring ERA of nearing 10 and has 23 runs in a little over 20 innings. Those numbers are not all that encouraging for a guy that a good bit of production is expected from him.

The rotation is going to be led by Correia and Maholm, but Ohlendorf was supposed to be able to add some much needed support and strength in the middle of the rotation. He was to prove that last year he was a good pitcher and is ready to take a new step forward.

Thus far in the spring, he is looking more like a guy that is not ready to move forward and instead is the Ross Ohlendorf of old. Hopefully this is just a spring thing and we can forget it, but the signs are not all that positive.

Out of the Gate

It never seems that Pirates ever really come busting out of the gate when the season starts.There could be many many reasons for that, but this season they may have to really try to be competent to start the season or the could get buried.

For one it is no secret that the club did not play well on the road last season. There were long stretches of losses on the road that seemed to pile up like cars on the Parkway East during rush hour. In the first month the club is on the road for 15 games. They start the season on the road against two divisional opponents nonetheless. Adding to the road weariness, is a return trip down to Florida and then a trip out west against Colorado in the first month.

Adding to the need for coming out strong is the fact that the club is going to face entire division, except the weak link in Houston, in the first month. Divisional games are of all importance, obviously, as they play the main role in the standings. If the Pirates ever expect to escape the basement, they will have to play better against the Cardinals, Reds, Cubs, and Brewers.

It will be important for the club to come out strong for a myriad of reasons, but the most of which is that there will be some important games to start the season. If the intend on surprising some teams, it will be best to jump on other teams early, when they may not be as well prepared, and build some sort of foundation for the season.

Roster Getting Clearer?

Colin Dunlap reported today that the Pirates had optioned Pedro Ciriaco to the minors, which would make the notion of Josh Rodriguez sticking around a near certainty. While Ciriaco was having a good spring, it makes sense to send him down, as the team can get a longer look at Rodriguez to see what they have with him. The Pirates don't have the luxury of sending him down to AAA, so giving him a month or so to see what he can do in the majors is no big deal.

In the same report, Dunlap says that it appears likely that Chris Snyder will start the season on the DL, meaning that Ryan Doumit and Jason Jaramillo will be the catchers to start the season. It will be interesting to see which they use as the starter or how they split time between the two of the them.

It is the the news of the catchers that gives me pause, though some are chirping that the adding of Rodriguez over Ciriaco is a disaster, I see what could have been a worse disaster in Dunlap's final paragraph.

Had Snyder been healthy, there was a chance the club would have carried three catchers....

Why would they consider something that stupid? Do they view Ryan Doumit as an outfielder? A first baseman? A big pinch hitter bat? Doumit is none of the first two and is clearly overpaid as a bench player. The only justification I could see for bringing all three catchers north, would be that they view Doumit as their pinch hitter, and as such, you would need Jaramillo to catch for him after pinch hitting.

If that is indeed the case, then Doumit needs to go, as he has no position, except as a hitter. That does not work in the National League, as they don't use the designated hitter. Unfortunately he does not hit all that well to be a professional hitter so we are stuck in this quagmire.

How to Eat an Elephant

Hurdle may talk about eating an elephant, but Pirate fans are like elephants never forgetting.

Jayson Stark stopped by Pirate camp recently and his preview of the team focused solely on the arrival of Clint Hurdle. The tone and story is one that we have heard many a time. Hurdle is an eternal optimist that is doing his best to remind everyone that the last 18 seasons, should not matter to this team. He is focusing a lot of his energy on getting people to look forward instead of backward.

Clearly that is something that the Pirates need to do. They need to forget the past, as hard as that maybe. They need to focus on what is to come and Hurdle, speaking like some miracle cure salesman, keeps on setting that positive tone.

I know that one of the more watched stories this year will be Clint Hurdle. He is probably the biggest offseason acquisition of the team. He is a 'name' coach, someone with some credibility, and someone that can be the public face of the franchise. I don't think that last part can be overlooked. The team desperately needed someone to the be focal point, until the players are able to be.

He provides a great deal of the average fan is looking for in a manager, while perhaps meeting what many other fans want, a guy that can deliver a winner. Granted there are going to be things he does that will drive many of us nuts, but every manager does. If he is able to work some sort of magic and at least start to do things that he is talking about, you know the better days ahead, then I will be happy.

A part of me is happy having a manager that is like this. His style seems to fit. Whether that transfers to any results is another story.

Forbes on the Money

Forbes Magazine released its annual Biz of Baseball series and well anyone paying attention last fall should not be surprise with what they find about the Pirates. According the magazine, the Pirates made $24.6 million in EBITDA. That total places them 9th in the league. Ahead of the them are the Padres, Nationals, Dodgers, Giants, White Sox, Twins, Yankees, and Orioles.

Taking a closer look at the Pirates finances and numbers there are a few interesting nuggets there. For one the team ranks 18th in TV ratings in the league. Funny all of those years losing and people are still tuning in at a pretty good rate. The problem is that they are simply turning in and not showing up, as the team ranked near the bottom in average attendance.

So as Frank Coonelly stated, if people show up, the team will have more money to be able to spend on the roster. Like most others, they don't see the point of putting the cart before the horse, as much as we would want to. Why not it is not our money!

Perhaps most interesting is the team is seemingly getting some real bang for the buck. They have a calculation of Player Costs to Win Ratio of 113. From that number they achieve 13% more victories per dollar of payroll, compared to the average. As a reference, the Yankees were something like 54, showing that despite all that money, they are not spending all that wisely, but then again when you can seemingly print money, does that matter?

If anything these numbers should not be a surprise to anyone with a head on their shoulders and some basic understanding of debt to revenue, especially in light of the leaked documents from last fall. Of course I am sure Yinzer Nation will simply see the $24.6 million earnings number and demand why that is not all spent on payroll on the major league level.

Making Room

It is never good to see players get cut. Sometimes lost in the following of sports teams, we forget that we are watching men in their professions. That is why it is sad to see Garrett Atkins get released, but it is perhaps for the best. He was not really performing all that well to make the team want to keep him around and with his contract being a minor league one, it only made sense to let him go and explore his options.

Atkins was at once a potential star in the making as he thrived in Colorado. This article from Yahoo! seems to paint a good picture of Atkins and his current situation.

Where does that leave the Pirates at now though? It was thought that it was a slam dunk that Atkins would make the team, based on his relationship with Hurdle. This move shows that won't be the case. The remaining candidates include Josh Fields, Andy Marte, Steve Pearce, and perhaps Josh Rodriguez as corner infielder types.

It should be interesting to see which way they go, but right now if I could peg a favorite, it would be Andy Marte. I don't know why, but he seems to be a guy that they may take and see if there is anything left from his very distant top prospect past.

Pitching Continues to Evolve

On Sunday we were greeted with the news that Charlie Morton is continuing to pitch well this spring. Granted it is spring, but seeing Morton not getting lit up like a Christmas tree and not allowing a bunch of walks is a good thing to see. Perhaps there is something to his whole, I could not throw the sinker, theory. Maybe mentally he went to that a good bit and now that he can use it, it is a lot different out there for him.

Whatever Morton is doing he should keep on doing it. If he can pull it together, it will be a big addition to the staff. If he is able to be just average that would be great. Above average, would be a big plus to the rotation.

As for the who may start on Opening Day, Hurdle is torn between Correia and Maholm. It is no surprise that he is going to go with one of those two. Both are vets that figured to be at the top of the rotation any way. I'll put my money down on Maholm though, as the schedule is more to his benefit. There would have to be a more than slight disruption in Correia's schedule to get him to be the guy.

Maholm starts on Monday and then would be expected to go again on Saturday, allowing him to be the guy on the next Friday, Opening Day. Correia, who pitched Saturday, may be pitching early next week, putting him a day or two behind to be the Opening Day starter. Not that it matters anyway. All that will matter to me is that games do matter.

An Interview with Sean Casey

Starting this blog over 3 years ago, I never thought that anyone would want to read what I had to say. Then I saw people reading and visiting the blog and that just blew me away. Never did I think that one day I would have the opportunity to interview any ballplayers, but recently I was given that opportunity.

I had received an email asking if I'd be interested in interviewing Sean Casey about this upcoming season as well as his project with the Miracle League and his foundation, Casey's Clubhouse. I jumped at the opportunity, as Sean is one of the more enjoyable characters in baseball. I have enjoyed his play and enjoy his commentary on the MLB Network now that his playing days are behind him.

Here is our exchange about the upcoming season and his great work with less fortunate kids, wanting to play baseball.

Perhaps the major acquisition of the Pirates' offseason was adding manager Clint Hurdle. How do you think he will fit as the Pirates manager? 


This was the best move the Pirates made this offseason. He really knows the game well and is going to do a great job with the young talent they have. He is going to be tough on them and teach them the right way to play the game.

This offseason MLB Network named Andrew McCutchen as the best centerfielder in the game right now. Do you agree with that statement and do you think that we are in store for a big season from the young center fielder? 


Cutch is a really special player. He has all the tools – the speed, defense, power. With a lot of guys moving from center to corner outfield spots this year he definitely has the opportunity to step up and become the premier centerfielder in the game. The best part for Pirates fans is that this is only his second full year in the Big Leagues and he is going to continue to get better and better.

Being a hometown hero, you know a little bit about what Neil Walker is going through as a player. What are some of your thoughts on playing in Pittsburgh? 


I had the opportunity to have the first hit and home run in PNC Park history and it was one of top moments of my career. I always grew up rooting for the Pirates and to have an experience like that in my hometown was unbelievable. Even though I only played here for a short time it was such a thrill to be able to put on that uniform for the Pirates.

What of Pedro Alvarez? Is he able to be the middle of the lineup guy for the Pirates at such a young age? 


Pedro is another guy like Cutch. He has a tremendous amount of potential and someone Pirate fans can really be excited about, but he is still very young I think you are going to see some real sparks and moments out of Pedro this year. He is going to have to keep working and developing to be a true middle of the line up guy at such a young age. Working with a guy like Clint Hurdle will be great for him.

Sean, you know a little about playing first base, do you feel that adding the veteran Lyle Overbay is a good move and do you think he'll be more of a help on defense or in the field? 


Lyle is a great guy. He will really help this team in the clubhouse. He has always been a valuable guy both at the plate and in the field, but with this team his most important role might be veteran leadership.

James MacDonald sort of burst onto the scene here last season, showing some great stuff. Where we seeing the budding of a new star or are we getting ahead of ourselves? 


James did a great job late last season for the Pirates. Fans should definitely be excited about what he brings to the staff, but also remember that last season was a very short window. Hopefully he can continue to progress and be a key member of the rotation.

If you could name one player that might surprise Pirate fans this season who might that be? 


I think Neil Walker is going to continue to develop and be a really special player this season. He might not be the “surprise” player, but the kid works really hard and I think he is going to have a strong season.

What is your overall take or predication for the Pirates in 2011? 


The Pirates have some really exciting young talent and should be more fun to watch this season. That said they are still lacking starting pitching to really compete. With Stetson Allie and Jameson Taillon coming they are hopefully going to get better. But I really don’t see them being above a .500 team.

Many Pirate fans are familiar with the Miracle League from Freddy Sanchez's involvement. Tell us how you became involved. 


I worked on a couple Miracle League projects in Cincinnati and Detroit when I was playing in those cities. Talking with my wife, Mandi, we always said when we were done playing we should really bring a field like that to our hometown. Freddy and Mike Sherry who runs the field up in Cranberry did such a great job with that place, but we really wanted to put a place where families in the South Hills could easily get to the field.

Can you tell us specifically about the project that you are helping to spearhead in Upper Saint Clair. 


We started Casey’s Clubhouse to bring a Miracle League field to our hometown of Upper St. Clair. The whole Miracle League field program is awesome. It works to give kids an opportunity to be kids and get out on a baseball field just like so many other kids their age are able to do. One of the other really great things about the Miracle League is the buddies. Players have a buddy who helps them in the field and around the bases. My kids will be involved and I think it’s a great way for the entire community to get involved in something really special. When you get out and work with these kids you end up getting more out of the experience then you would ever imagine.

If anyone wants more information on, Casey's Clubhouse, the Miracle League or to help in any way with the project, where would be a good place to start? 


By checking out our website at www.caseysclubhouse.org. You can find out all kinds of information about volunteering, donating, the field, and the whole Miracle League program. We also have a Facebook page that we update everyday with news about our progress: www.facebook.com/caseysclubhouse.


I really want to thank Sean Casey for his time in answering some of my questions about the upcoming season. I'd also like to thank Dan Ayer for helping to get me in touch with Sean. Please do check out the website for Casey's Clubhouse, it is a good cause to help those less fortunate enjoy what many may take for granted.

Adding Another Outfielder?

Can Ciriaco add more versatility?

It looks like according to Colin Dunlap, that the Pirates are close to adding yet another outfielder. No, it will not come via a trade, but instead will come via having Pedro Ciriaco learn the outfield. Ciriaco has played all over the infield, specializing in the middle infield, but adding the outfield to his reptitoire would be something different.

Corey Wimberly was supposed to be the guy to be able to play all over, but now it looks like the Pirates are looking to see if Ciriaco can go and do just that. If he can pick up centerfield, it would be easy for him to be able to add the corners as well, he could really up his value. As it stands now his best attribute is his glove and if he is able to take that glove around the diamond, well that makes him more than just another bench player.

Having Ciriaco make this move makes a ton of sense. For one it is not as though sending him back down to the minors is going to give him more seasoning. At age 25 we are probably looking at what Ciriaco is as a player. I doubt he is going to find some sort of stroke at Indianapolis. Why not max out his value, his glove.

Another question to ask, is having a super utility guy like Ciriaco make the bench better? You take a look at the bench and you have Diaz/Jones, Doumit, Josh Rodriguez, Ciriaco, and a player to be named. The bench has been something that Neal Huntington has seemingly cobbled together in his tenure, this year is no different. This year's bench may be improved with the Diaz/Jones platoon, a defensive specialist in Ciriaco, a youthful upside guy in Rodriguez, and who knows what in that last spot.

It will be that last spot where we will see what kind of bench this is. It may be down to Bowker, Marte, and Atkins for that last spot. Whoever it is will be depended upon in a lot of pinch hitting duty, a luxury that is made possible by the possibilities of Ciriaco.

Pirates From the Past: Mark Merchant

In looking  back in time, I wanted to go back to a high profile draft choice, who never really was a Pirate and is a cautionary tale of the draft. Today many might not know much about Mark Merchant, but in 1987 the Seattle Mariners, owners of the top pick, thought long and hard about choosing Ken Griffey Jr. or Mark Merchant.


Merchant was a big, switch hitting outfielder that had all the tools, when the Pirates took him second overall in 1987. Many projected power, the speed, the defense, the complete package when looking at Merchant. Merchant brought a great deal of potential to the organization, when the Bucs signed the High School Player of the Year out of Florida.


Merchant made his professional debut in 1987 with the Bradenton Pirates. He would play extremely well for a young player. He would hit .265/.370/.351 and lead the league in stolen bases with 33. Baseball America was so impressed that they named him the top prospect in the Gulf Coast League.


In 1988 Merchant would go to Augusta of the South Atlantic League, where he was a part of an outfield that included Wes Chamberlain and Moises Alou. As a 19 year old, Merchant struggled against the more advanced competition. In a shortened season, Merchant separated his shoulder in June of the year, he would only hit .242 with almost no power. 


In an interview that season, Augusta's manager Woody Huyke said this of Merchant, "Truthfully, Mark doesn't like to walk. He goes up there swinging." Merchant, himself, said that he wanted to get the big leagues "as fast a possible", yet he play was showing a guy that was perhaps trying to move too fast. he might have forgotten that you need to get on base to do anything, something that seemed to escape him.


The next season he started again in Augusta and played well for the 15 games he was there, but shortly into the season, Merchant was dealt to Seattle, the team the agonized over taking him, in the deal that brought Rey Quinones and Bill Wilkinson to Pittsburgh for Mike Dunne, Mike Walker and Merchant.


Merchant would play in the Mariners system for 3 seasons, continuing to show the inconsistency that had plagued him in the Pirates' system. It was with the Mariners, while playing for their affiliate in Williamsport, PA, that Merchant had a seizure on the team bus, leading the diagnosis of a possible form of epilepsy. This episode was offered up as a possible reason for the poor play of the former top pick. At the time Seattle farm director Jim Beattie said "It may be that we have found the key to unlock Merchant's door."


Unfortunately for Merchant that door was never unlocked. He bounced around a few other organizations, reaching AAA for a total of 85 games. He never got to the big leagues and never fulfilled the promise he had shown when drafted.

Ryan Doumit Paradox

Ryan Doumit: Catcher, First Baseman, Outfielder, Pinch Hitter, Reason for 3rd catcher?

Watching the game tonight on FSN, Greg Brown and John Wehner were discussing the possible makeup of the Pirates bench. In the game at the time were plenty of players competing for roles on the bench, Fields, Wimberly, Marte and others. One topic that they kept brining up was the idea of the team taking three catchers north with them. The conversation should have ended with one of them simply saying, "Three catchers? That is a dumb idea."

The idea gains steam because of the line of thought that Ryan Doumit can play other positions besides catcher or be a pinch hitter. When he enters the game as a pinch hitter, you then have to make him the catcher, unless you have another catcher backing him up. The fault in this theory is that Doumit can play other positions.

Where would Ryan Doumit play besides catcher? Right field? Well we already have a platoon scheduled there, so how many innings would one think he would get as an outfielder? Probably as many as I will this season. First base? Again Lyle Overbay is pretty much going to be the everyday guy there. He is left handed and Doumit really is a left handed hitter, despite his switch hitting.

Why then the need for a third catcher? It would only be a waste of a roster spot, two actually, as I cannot see them making Jaramillo the third guy, so they would have to add someone to the 40 man, like Dusty Brown. Adding someone to the 40 man would then make them have to make yet another move, costing another player. Why bother with all of that, simply because Doumit may pinch hit a few times.

If that is the case, then build a better bench so that Doumit is not your top pinch hitter option. Keep him as the backup catcher and nothing else. Things would work out better that way.

Forgotten Man?

Last season when injuries and ineffectiveness hindered the Pirates pitching staff, a seemingly yearly occurrence, Neal Huntington went to the minors and called up Brian Burres to help with the pitching woes. Burres was a starter at first and was, well a stop gap. Last season he went 4-5 with a 4.99 ERA for the Bucs. Down the stretch he pitched better, with a 2.89 ERA to help close things out.

Burres is getting some attention as he is currently un-scored upon in his 6 spring innings. Add that to the fact that Burres a left hander and has the ability to work out of the bullpen or start, and it seems like we might have something of value here.

We do have something valuable here, if we were a AAA club. Burres is nice to have around to call up when you need something to weather a storm, like what he did last season. His career numbers seem to indicate that if you really stuck with him, it might be a bad thing. In 101 appearances, over 344 innings, Burres has a BAA of .319 and a FIP of 4.97. Those are not exactly numbers to get real excited about at all.

Last season was his best in the majors, so to expect him to perform as well as last year is perhaps asking a bit much at age 30. He might revert a bit back to the Burres of old, which would not be all that appealing.

Pitchers like Brian Burres have a place in baseball and that is in AAA. He will help round out that staff, while also being available for the big league club to call up if there is an emergency. If we read too much in the small sample size of spring, then we could get hurt.

The Bench

Now that there are some games under the belts of the players, we can sort of get a good feel for who might be making some strides in the precious few spots that are available on the roster. One of those spots is the backup middle infielder, where there is a competition between Corey Wimberly, Josh Rodriguez, and Pedro Ciriaco.

If one were to look solely at the number of at bats, the front runner is Ciriaco, followed by Wimberly and then Rodriguez. Rodriguez has barely made a dent in the lineup in the spring, so I don't see how the staff could really know much about him, other than how he practices.

Each player brings with him something different. Wimberly has the speed, which makes him able to be placed in other positions, though perhaps not able to actually play in those positions. Ciriaco can play both spots up the middle and is no slouch on the basepaths either. Rodriguez might be the best all around, but that is still a bit of a projection, as we have not seen him do much against big league competition.

Of course the competition between these three might not be the deciding factor, instead it might be decisions made on the make up of the rest of the roster that influences who wins here. Say the club does something stupid and carries a third catcher, then all bets are off with who they may take north.

If it were me, I'd take Rodriguez and see if he can hold his own for a while. If by mid May it looks like a lost cause, then we can send him back to Cleveland and call up one of the other two. That may be a cop out of a decision, but it gives more time to evaluate a player, a player that may be the best of the bunch some day.

Short End of the Stick?

I found the following two articles funny to see when doing a search for Pirates news. Since the Bucs were playing against the Blue Jays, quite a few of the articles were about "The One that Got Away", also known as Jose Bautista. I find any discussion about Bautista being another example of Pirate ineptitude to be truly hilarious.

Could an argument be made that perhaps the Pirates gave up on Bautista? Sure.I did not like seeing him be sent off when he was, but then again I would have thought that it was time to give up after a 2009 season of the same Jose Bautista. No one in their right mind would have predicted the season he had last year. In the end I don't think Neal Huntington losses a lot of sleep over the trading of Jose Bautista.

Right after the Bautista article, there was one for the Toronto Sun, stating that the Pirates might have been the lucky ones in the offseason, by signing Lyle Overbay. Perhaps the best quotes come from Overbay, himself, describing the Pirates as "aggressive". He also seems to be realistic in the views of his spot on the Pirates and his spot in general, calling himself Plan C.

I found the articles showing up back to back in the search results to be quite serendipitous. One article talking about the team letting yet another go, and one praising the team for finding value in adding a free agent. This to me seems to sum up a good bit of what this year is about. This year is a crossroads of sorts. Will the plan that has been put in place work and will we continue to look to add players? Or will we continue to see more and more articles about ones that got away or had been let go?

Anthony Rendon & Jordan Cooper 3/6/11

Well today wrapped up the college classic and I for one am relieved. Not that it wasn’t a good time or a fun experience but I think between those games and the other ones I’ve seen on this trip it’s put me into a little bit of baseball overload. With that said, I’m just posting the Rendon videos from today along with a video of former Pirates draft pick Jordan Cooper who started today for the University of Kentucky. I think at this point it’s time to relax a bit and unwind and get ready for the trip back to snowy Pittsburgh. I’ll be leaving Texas and returning home on Tuesday so hopefully once I get back I can really go through all the photos I took and just throw a bunch up for everyone along with a stats breakdown on all of “key” players I saw over the weekend. In the meantime, enjoy the videos and I’ll post again once I get back home and settled in.

Rendon 1st Inning: Answering some questions about his power.



Rendon 4th Inning: Strike Out



Rendon 6th Inning: Double to LF

Rendon 7th & 8th Innings: Intentionally Walked with men on.
Rendon 10th Inning: Pop Up with men on.

Jordan Cooper RHP University of Kentucky

Rendon & Kubitza 3/5/11

The only game at the College Classic that I took in today was the Rice vs. Texas A&M matchup which Rice won 1-0. In an interesting story arc for Pirates fans, the game was won by none other then 2010 Draft Pick Austin Kubitza who pitched a complete game and did so by throwing only 89 pitches. Here are some videos of Rendon’s 4 at bats and 1 of Kubitza. Also included are some photos of Rendon receiving his Baseball America Player of the Year award for 2010.

Rendon 1st Inning:




Rendon 3rd Inning




Rendon 5th Inning


Rendon 8th Inning


Austin Kubitza

Utah vs Texas A&M 3/4/11

In the second game of the day, the University of Utah got their first win of the season by defeating the 9th ranked Texas A&M Aggies and All American pitcher John Stilson. One of the big matchups I was looking forward to was Utah 1st baseman CJ Cron going against Stilson as both project as being possible 1st round picks but the big surprise was Utah pitcher Rick Anton who matched Stilson for much of the game. If you’re the type of baseball fan who loves pitching duels and clutch hitting, this was the game of the day.

CJ Cron 1st/ C Rated as the top player in the state of Utah for the pre-season according to Perfect Game USA, Cron is said to have good raw power to the opposite field. He is raw as a catcher and would need to improve his skills behind the plate but due to his size I think his future is at 1st base. It’s also worth noting that he was intentionally walked in the 7th with the game tied and in the 9th with Utah up 2-1.

Yesterday’s stats:

2-2 (1 RBI, 2BB)

John Stilson RHP Rated as the 4th best player in the state of Texas during the pre-season according to Perfect game USA. He served as the closer for A&M last season and moved into the Friday starter roll for the Aggies this season. He is not considered on the same level as Gerrit Cole but is still a good pitcher and possibly a 1st round talent.

Yesterday’s stats:

6.0 IP (6H, 1R, 1ER, 2BB, 10K)

College Classic- Baylor vs. Houston 3/4/11

In the first game of the College Classic last night Baylor defeated the University of Houston 5-2. Here are some photos along with stats for 2 of the key players in Baylor’s victory.

Brooks Pinckard CF/RHP Rated the 14th best player in the State of Texas during the pre-season according to Perfect Game USA and was also rated the 52nd best Prospect in the Cape Code League. He is a 2 way talent as both a pitcher and an outfielder thanks to having 6.5 speed and an 97 MPH FB though he’s considered more of a thrower then a pitcher at this point. He currently serves as Baylor’s closer and went 1.2 innings yesterday, striking out 3 to earn the save.

Yesterday’s stats:

1-4 (BB, 3B, R, SB)

1.2 IP (1 H, 3K)

Logan Verrett RHP Rated as the 7th best player in the State of Texas during the pre-season according to Perfect Game USA and was also rated the 22nd best prospect in the Cape Code League.

Yesterday’s stats:

6.2 IP (7 H, 2R, 1ER, 2BB, 7K)

College Classic- Rice vs. Kentucky 3/4/11

Tonight Rice took on the University of Kentucky in 3rd game of the Houston College Classic. Since this is the game that seems to be of more importance to Pirates fans, I'll post the Rendon game photos first and follow up with the rest of the games tomorrow. Just a few random thoughts from the game tonight, Rendon did start at DH, as most already know he's probably not going to be playing 3rd for sometime. He did though take infield practice with the rest of the team and seemed to move around very fluidly so hopefully the ankle injury is now behind him. As for his bat, he tallied 3 hits in the game, a hard hit double left in the first, a hard single left and a bloop single to right in the 6th. All in all he went 3-5 with 2 runs scored and an RBI.

Southpaw Issues

Beimel, in better times this spring.

Camp had barely gotten underway, when Scott Olsen had issues with his hamstring. He has barely thrown any pitches thus far as a Pirate. Despite that fact, Olsen seems to want to stay in the news as he is quoted as telling Colin Dunlap the following:

They didn’t bring me in here to be a bullpen guy. They want to do that, we are going to have to have a conversation.

If Olsen did not think that there was a possibility that he could be a bullpen candidate then he must be sorely misguided. Then again perhaps the quote is taken out of context, as it does seem to be that he has a reputation for doing stupid stuff. Maybe he meant to say that he would much rather be a starter and would like to discuss the other options. I don't know, but at first glance the quote does not look good.

Also not looking good is the fact that Joe Beimel, anointed a member of the staff by Clint Hurdle on day one of camp, is going for an MRI on his 'tightness in his elbow'. Usually, though not always, the tightness in the elbow and MRI led to the dreaded Tommy John surgery. According to the ever useful Baseball Injury Tool, Beimel has never had elbow problems before, so this could be a big problem.

We won't know for certain until the MRI is done, what if any time Duquesne's Own might miss, but if he is out, it will leave a pretty big hole in the bullpen. A hole that would be filled by someone perhaps not yet ready for the majors, like Danny Moskos, Aaron Thompson, or a repeat of last season with Brian Burres. I'd rather have Beimel, or maybe there can be a discussion with Scott Olsen.

Tabata Leading Off

Can Tabata provide the spark at the top of the order?

I know that Clint Hurdle is trying his best to say that he is trying different things with the Pirates' lineup here in the spring, but he cannot hide the fact that he'd like Jose Tabata to be the lead off hitter. In every game that Tabata has played thus far, he has been in the leadoff spot. Granted that is only three games, but for an experimental lineup as Hurdle claims, three times is a pattern.

Of course it makes perfect sense to want to have Tabata be the lead off hitter. For one it allows perhaps your best hitter, Andrew McCutchen, to move down in the order to be more of a run producer. Though there is a school of thought that you might want to have your best hitter batting leadoff, but that is a different story.

By moving McCutchen down, you 'improve' the lineup so to speak by having better hitters down in the order. That makes sense, only if the guys in front of them can get on. That is then the big question surrounding Tabata batting leadoff.

Last season, he had an on base of .346, which is pretty good for a rookie, though it was a small sample size. He seems to get good enough contact as well, thus making him a difficult at bat. If Tabata can continue to adjust to major league hitting, he might be a solid top of the lineup guy.

Where we might get a bonus is if Tabata is able to provide more pop, remember the best shape of his life column in mini camp, that would be an added bonus to the top of the order, something McCutchen brought to that spot. Additionally, we might see a slightly more aggressive Tabata on the basepaths, meaning we might see a guy that gets on and causes trouble. He had 19 steals last season, I'd expect to see him run more this season.

Moving McCutchen down in the order makes the middle of the order look a lot better, but it will only make sense if Tabata can continue to grow in the leadoff spot. How Tabata goes, so might the whole offense.