Bucs Trade Winds

ST Pirates vs Yankees Mar 3, 2010

2010-03-03T11:05:00.000-05:00

Live chat of the Pirates Yankees Spring Training Game March 3, 2010.
<p><a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&task=viewaltcast&altcast_code=3b4b2b7b9c" >Pirates vs. Yankees 3/3/10</a></p>

MLB Honorary Bat Girl Contest

2010-02-26T08:36:00.001-05:00

Via MLB:

HONORARY BAT GIRL CONTEST TO RECOGNIZE FANS

RETURNS FOR 2010 MOTHER’S DAY CELEBRATION

Program to Reward Inspirational Stories of Going to Bat Against Breast Cancer

30 Winners to Work with MLB Clubs as Honorary Bat Girls

Major League Baseball® (MLB) and Susan G. Komen for the Cure®, the world’s largest breast cancer organization, today launched the 2010 Honorary Bat Girl Contest, a campaign developed to recognize MLB fans who are Going to Bat Against Breast Cancer in their daily lives. Men and women 18 and older can go online at www.mlb.com/honorarybatgirl to vote and enter to win a chance at becoming an Honorary Bat Girl during scheduled Mother’s Day celebrations. Each Honorary Bat Girl will have an opportunity to take part in pre-game activities, be honored during an on-field ceremony and receive two tickets to the game and pink MLB merchandise. MLB.com, the official web site of MLB, has begun accepting fan submissions for the online contest that ends April 13.

During the six-week online submission period, baseball fans can share their stories of inspiration and hope of how they are supporting the fight against breast cancer and why they want to be an Honorary Bat Girl for their favorite MLB Club. Testimonials can be submitted by breast cancer survivors, advocates and supporters of the cause. A celebrity panel of judges will select the winning submissions, based on the following criteria: originality, quality of writing, demonstration of commitment to breast cancer awareness and public appeal as determined by online fan votes.

“Major League Baseball is very proud of the partnership we have forged with Susan G. Komen for the Cure,” said Tim Brosnan, Executive Vice President, Business, Major League Baseball. “The launch of the Honorary Bat Girl campaign last year was a successful complement to our Mother’s Day Celebration, and helped put a face on the millions of fans affected by breast cancer and further helped raise awareness for the cause.”

The program was introduced in 2009 to raise additional awareness and support for the annual Going to Bat Against Breast Cancer initiative, a joint effort between MLB, its licensed partners and Komen for the Cure. Last year, more than 1,000 testimonials were submitted and nearly 2.2 million fan votes were cast.

“A day at Kauffman Stadium as Honorary Bat Girl was truly a memorable experience,” said Jodi Guess Scruggs, Kansas City Royals 2009 Honorary Bat Girl Contest winner. “How rewarding to spend the day with my list of favorites; Royals, Major League Baseball, family/friends and supporting the fight against breast cancer with Komen for the Cure. Now that’s what I call a day at the ballpark!”

On Mother’s Day (May 9), Major League Baseball and its Clubs, along with Komen for the Cure, will celebrate the Going to Bat Against Breast Cancer initiative, which is designed to raise awareness about the breast cancer cause, while also raising funds to support breast cancer research.

“The stories of these breast cancer survivors and their families are so inspiring and compelling – they provide an opportunity for all of us to truly understand the impact of breast cancer and the urgency we feel

at Komen to end this disease forever,” said Katrina McGhee, Senior Vice President, Global Business Development and Partnerships, Susan G. Komen for the Cure. “Programs like this help Komen provide education, screening and direct help for women and men in our hometowns, while also funding the global research that is leading us to cures for breast cancer.”

In 2009, Komen provided funds for almost 500,000 breast screenings and for treatment and support programs in 1,900 communities nationwide and around the world, along with funding more than $60 million in research.

Hundreds of MLB players will use pink bats by Louisville Slugger, the Official Bat of Major League Baseball, stamped with the MLB breast cancer logo. To further demonstrate their support for the breast cancer cause, players and on-field personnel will wear the symbolic pink ribbon on their uniforms along with pink wrist bands. Commemorative dugout lineup cards also will be pink. In addition to promotional support, Major League Baseball Charities has committed $50,000 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Game-used Louisville Slugger pink bats will be auctioned off at MLB.com at a later date to raise additional funds for Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Fans can purchase their own personalized pink bat at www.mlb.com or www.slugger.com, with $10 from the sale of each pink bat benefitting Komen for the Cure.

Major League Baseball Health Initiatives
The Mother's Day Going to Bat Against Breast Cancer program is one of several cancer-related initiatives supported by Major League Baseball. Other initiatives include Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C), whose mission is to support the groundbreaking scientific research aimed at getting new cancer treatments to patients in an accelerated timeframe; the Prostate Cancer Foundation Home Run Challenge which helps increase awareness of prostate cancer and raise money for the search for a cure as part of Major League Baseball Father’s Day activities; and Play Sun Smart, a league-wide, season-long skin cancer awareness program in conjunction with the Major League Baseball Players Association and the American Academy of Dermatology.

About Susan G. Komen for the Cure®

Nancy G. Brinker promised her dying sister, Susan G. Komen, she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer forever. In 1982, that promise became Susan G. Komen for the Cure and launched the global breast cancer movement. Today, Komen for the Cure is the world’s largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists fighting to save lives, empower people, ensure quality care for all and energize science to find the cures. Thanks to events like the Komen Race for the Cure®, we have invested nearly $1.5 billion to fulfill our promise, becoming the largest source of nonprofit funds dedicated to the fight against breast cancer in the world. For more information about Susan G. Komen for the Cure, breast health or breast cancer, visit komen.org or call 1-877 GO KOMEN.

Garrett Jones

2010-02-25T23:57:00.004-05:00

A couple days ago Chuck Finder answered questions on the PBC Q&A as to whether Garret Jones can maintain his performance. Well, in a rare event on BTW, I am going to try and put some numbers together and let you come up with your own answers…Of course I will give my opinion as well. After reading the Q&A I felt a need to postpone the 40 Man post until tomorrow night.

Garrett Jones has 2 seasons in which he has played in MLB, this includes a cup of coffee with Minnesota in 2007. Below are his vitals from Baseball Reference.

Games	113
AB	391
HR	23
RBI	49
BA	.276
OBP	.351
SLG	.522
OPS	.872

If these numbers are extracted over 162 games, they look like this:

Games	162
AB	561
HR	33
RBI	70
BA	.276
OBP	.351
SLG	.522
OPS	.872

Now, we’ll look at his minor league numbers, taken from Baseball Reference. I took his stats from the point he arrived in AA in 2004 on through his most recent call up to Pittsburgh in 2009. After taking those numbers I averaged them out to also be at 162 games since the Minor League season is much shorter than MLB seasons. His 162 game average from AA on look like this:

Games	162
AB	606
HR	28
RBI	106
BA	.272
OBP	.326
SLG	.485
OPS	.811

The obvious thing to note is his MLB numbers are considerably better with the exclusion of RBI. Some of this improvement can be seen in his maturation as a hitter, his later minor league numbers show an improved eye at the plate by increasing his walk total while reducing his number of strikeouts.

The higher RBI numbers show he can drive in runs, his lack of RBI in 2009 can be associated with the fact no one was on base in front of him. The few times they were, he did not drive them in, but he obviously knows how to hit by his Minor League RBI totals.

His batting average is also quite similar .276 in the Majors while batting .272 in the Minors. He did have 2 seasons where he batted .244 and .238 in his first 2 seasons at AAA which brought his Minor League average down considerably.

Overall, it is reasonable to think he can maintain a .276 batting average at the Major League level, nothing in the minors suggest he is less than that.

His power increase can be viewed as him hitting his prime years, but his Minor League average may be more of the norm than what he had shown in his brief time in the Majors. One added bonus for Jones is the short porch in right that was tailor made to his hitting style.

BTW Take:
I look for Jones to maintain around a .275 average and hit 25-30 home runs in 2010. More than adequate numbers for a 1B/RF. Much better numbers than the Pirates have been used to in either position.

Some people question whether a 28 year old breaking into the Majors can actually maintain or perform at such a high level. Look no further than a 27 year old who broke in with the Pirates for a player who came up at a late age and excelled at an All-Star caliber. Remember a guy named Freddy? If a player is blocked on the depth charts, he can't perform at the MLB level. A couple other guys with similar stories are named Brian and Jason, although they both were a couple years younger.

Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

Walking:
I will be walking Saturday for the MDA Stride and Ride. There is only 1 day left for donations. I am looking for sponsors. If you can find it in you heart to donate a little, it does not have to be much as every dollar helps, it would be greatly appreciated. Please sponsor me in this worthwhile cause.

You can donate online at my MDA page that can be found here:
https://www.joinmda.org/MyStrideRide/MyHomepage/tabid/121966/Participant/dharr18/Default.aspx
Thanks for reading, and thanks for your support.

MLB Network Spring Training Broadcasts

2010-02-25T13:08:00.001-05:00

The Pirates have two live games and two tape delayed games scheduled for broadcast on MLB Network this Spring.

Read below the schedule for some additional information.

From MLB Network Press Release:

MLB NETWORK SPRING TRAINING BROADCAST SCHEDULE
*Indicates live broadcast
All times ET and subject to change, check MLBNetwork.com for updates
Unless otherwise announced, games will be blacked out in each club's home television territory

Date                           Time               Game

March 2                  1:00 p.m.*     Atlanta Braves @ New York Mets

March 3                  1:00 p.m.*     Pittsburgh Pirates @ New York Yankees

March 4                  1:00 p.m.*     St. Louis Cardinals @ New York Mets

                             7:00 p.m.      New York Yankees @ Philadelphia Phillies

                             11:00 p.m.     Chicago White Sox @ Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

March 5                  1:00 p.m.*     Tampa Bay Rays @ New York Yankees

                             7:00 p.m.      Cleveland Indians @ Cincinnati Reds

March 6                  1:00 p.m.*     Toronto Blue Jays @ New York Yankees

                             7:00 p.m.      Chicago White Sox @ Los Angeles Dodgers

March 7                  1:00 p.m.*     Boston Red Sox @ Baltimore Orioles

                             7:00 p.m.      Oakland Athletics @ Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

March 8                  1:00 p.m.*     Philadelphia Phillies @ New York Yankees

                             7:00 p.m.      Seattle Mariners @ Milwaukee Brewers

March 9                  1:00 p.m.*     Houston Astros @ New York Mets

                             7:00 p.m.*     Philadelphia Phillies @ Atlanta Braves

                             11:00 p.m.     Colorado Rockies @ Los Angeles Dodgers

March 10                 3:00 p.m.*     Arizona Diamondbacks @ Los Angeles Dodgers

                             7:00 p.m.*     Baltimore Orioles @ Pittsburgh Pirates

March 11                 1:00 p.m.*     Boston Red Sox @ New York Mets

                             7:00 p.m.*     Atlanta Braves @ New York Yankees

March 12                 1:00 p.m.*     New York Yankees @ Washington Nationals

                             7:00 p.m.      Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim @ Cleveland Indians

March 13                 1:00 p.m.*     Minnesota Twins at Philadelphia Phillies

                             7:00 p.m.      Pittsburgh Pirates @ Boston Red Sox

March 14                 1:00 p.m.*     Boston Red Sox @ Minnesota Twins

                             5:00 p.m.      Cleveland Indians @ San Diego Padres

                             9:00 p.m.      New York Yankees @ Pittsburgh Pirates

March 15                 1:00 p.m.*     Toronto Blue Jays @ Detroit Tigers

                             5:00 p.m.      Cleveland Indians @ Milwaukee Brewers

                             10:00 p.m.*   Kansas City Royals @ Chicago White Sox

March 16                 1:00 p.m.*     Florida Marlins @ Atlanta Braves

                             5:00 p.m.      San Francisco Giants @ Cleveland Indians

                             10:00 p.m.     Detroit Tigers @ Philadelphia Phillies

March 17                 1:00 p.m.*     Atlanta Braves @ Florida Marlins

                             5:00 p.m.      Chicago White Sox @ Los Angeles Dodgers

                             10:00 p.m.*   Texas Rangers @ Seattle Mariners

March 18                 1:00 p.m.*     Houston Astros @ Detroit Tigers

                             7:00 p.m.*     Tampa Bay Rays @ New York Yankees

                             11:00 p.m.     Milwaukee Brewers @ Texas Rangers

March 19                 1:00 p.m.*     St. Louis Cardinals @ Florida Marlins

                             7:00 p.m.*     New York Yankees @ Tampa Bay Rays

                             11:00 p.m.     Chicago Cubs @ Chicago White Sox

March 20                 1:00 p.m.*     Philadelphia Phillies @ Detroit Tigers

                             5:00 p.m.      Cincinnati Reds @ San Francisco Giants

                             10:00 p.m.     Arizona Diamondbacks @ Seattle Mariners

March 21                 1:00 p.m.*     Baltimore Orioles @ Philadelphia Phillies

                             5:00 p.m.      Texas Rangers @ San Diego Padres

                             10:00 p.m.     Colorado Rockies @ Kansas City Royals

March 22                 4:00 p.m.*     Colorado Rockies @ Cincinnati Reds

                             9:00 p.m.      Cleveland Indians @ Chicago Cubs

March 23                 4:00 p.m.*     Chicago Cubs @ Kansas City Royals

                             9:00 p.m.      Boston Red Sox @ Minnesota Twins

March 24                 4:00 p.m.*     Arizona Diamondbacks @ Chicago White Sox

                             10:00 p.m.*   Seattle Mariners @ San Diego Padres

March 25                 4:00 p.m.*     Texas Rangers @ Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

                             10:00 p.m.*   Oakland Athletics @ San Francisco Giants

March 26                 4:00 p.m.*     Oakland Athletics @ Chicago Cubs

                             9:00 p.m.      Kansas City Royals @ Los Angeles Dodgers

March 27                 1:00 p.m.*     Washington Nationals @ New York Mets

                             5:00 p.m.      San Francisco Giants @ Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

                             10:00 p.m.     Texas Rangers @ Milwaukee Brewers

March 28                 1:00 p.m.*     Minnesota Twins @ Boston Red Sox

                             5:00 p.m.      Cleveland Indians @ Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

                             9:00 p.m.      Chicago Cubs @ Seattle Mariners

March 29                 7:00 p.m.*     Tampa Bay Rays @ Boston Red Sox

                             11:00 p.m.     Arizona Diamondbacks @ San Diego Padres

March 30                 4:00 p.m.*     Los Angeles Dodgers @ Colorado Rockies

                             9:00 p.m.      St. Louis Cardinals @ New York Mets

March 31                 4:00 p.m.*     Arizona Diamondbacks @ Colorado Rockies

                             9:00 p.m.      Houston Astros @ Atlanta Braves

April 1                     4:00 p.m.*     Colorado Rockies @ Chicago Cubs

                             10:00 p.m.*   Oakland Athletics @ San Francisco Giants

April 2                     6:00 p.m.*     St. Louis Cardinals @ Minnesota Twins

                             10:00 p.m.*   Oakland Athletics @ San Francisco Giants

April 3                     2:00 p.m.*     Toronto Blue Jays @ Houston Astros

                             6:00 p.m.      Boston Red Sox @ Washington Nationals

                             10:00 p.m.     Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim @ Los Angeles Dodgers

April 4                     3:00 p.m.*     Seattle Mariners @ San Francisco Giants

Healthy Again

BTW is healthy again, for the most part. I should have a normal post up tonight to continue the 40 man roster review.

Also, I will be walking Saturday for the MDA Stride and Ride. There are only two days left for donations. More info follows:

Walking:
Once again, for the 4th year, I am walking in the MDA Stride and Ride event scheduled for February 27th. I am looking for sponsors. If you can find it in you heart to donate a little, it does not have to be much as every dollar helps, it would be greatly appreciated. Please sponsor me in this worthwhile cause.
You can donate online at my MDA page that can be found here:
https://www.joinmda.org/MyStrideRide/MyHomepage/tabid/121966/Participant/dharr18/Default.aspx

Thanks for reading, and thanks for your support.

Quick Thought While Sick

2010-02-22T23:39:00.001-05:00

Sorry for not having the next part of the 40 Man posts up yet. Right now I am trying to recover from a nasty cold/flu. I haven’t had the strength to stay online long enough to get all my stats together for one of those rare posts that are heavy on stats.

Now for the quick thought….

What is Detroit doing? How can you trade Granderson for financial reasons, then turn around and pay out nearly twice the salary to a 36 year old outfielder with poor defense to take his spot? Please, someone, explain the Damon signing to me and why Granderson is a Yankee?

Walker, Hanrahan, ‘n ‘at

2010-02-19T00:37:00.004-05:00

The big news of the day was the injured elbow of Joel Hanrahan. Hanrahan had been tabbed to be a late inning option for the Pirates going into 2010. The injury, as described by the Post-Gazette, is a flexor pronator strain in the elbow, also known as golfers or throwers elbow.
According to Sports Injury Clinic:

Golfer elbow is a similar injury to tennis elbow only it affects the inside of the elbow instead. Golfer elbow is more common in throwers and golfers hence the 'nicknames'. Also known as flexor / pronator tendinopathy this elbow pain is seen in tennis players who use a lot of top spin on their forehand shots.

Treatment is not described as much more than ice and rest followed by rehab. The symptoms usually last a few weeks, in more severe cases and untreated cases it can last much longer.

Generally rehab and anti-inflammatory medicine is used with massage. In some cases steroids may be used in treatment.

BTW Take:
This doesn’t look to be a season ending injury, nor does it require surgery. Likely Hanrahan will be sidelined for a few weeks depending on the findings of Dr. Andrews. Any time his name is brought into an injury discussion surgery is feared. More will be known as to the extend or actual injury late next week.

For now, I am not worrying that a big portion of the bullpen will be lost. Hopefully Joel will use his Dreamie to keep his elbow warm during treatment.

Walker
Neil Walker was identified as catching for Zach Duke on the first day of workouts prompting many to wonder if he was returning to catching. This was quickly silenced.

BTW Take:
Walker is making himself more versatile, exactly what I think the Pirates will do with him this season. Look for the Pirates to play him in as many different positions as possible in Spring Training as well as in AAA after the season starts. He is athletic enough that he could play any of the positions on the diamond. The key for Walker is IF his bat can prove ready to dominate at AAA and translate into the Majors.

The problem here, he really has not dominated at the higher levels of the minors at all. The last dominant period he had was with Lynchburg.

I expect to see him spend some time at both SS and 2B during Spring Training to see how well he would fit into a super utility role. If he can handle the middle infield, the Pirates may actually have a little depth in the system closer than 2 years away. Walkers future looks to be on the bench or as a minor league free agent.

Another Break
Saturday is my Federal League draft, unbelievable I own the team from the wrong side of Pa. Yes, I own the Phillies franchise. This is my second year in the league, and the first draft I have been able to prepare for. Last year I joined the league about two weeks before the draft, I also inherited a 111 loss team. Somehow I built the team through a ton of trades and the draft to the point they won 79 games. If only the Pirates can make such a huge turnaround.

Anyhow, since the draft is Saturday, I will not be posting as I finalize my draft board Friday night and drafting Saturday. Look for my next post sometime on Sunday as I continue with the 40 man series of posts.

Walking:
Once again, for the 4th year, I am walking in the MDA Stride and Ride event scheduled for February 27th. I am looking for sponsors. If you can find it in you heart to donate a little, it does not have to be much as every dollar helps, it would be greatly appreciated. Please sponsor me in this worthwhile cause.

You can donate online at my MDA page that can be found here:
https://www.joinmda.org/MyStrideRide/MyHomepage/tabid/121966/Participant/dharr18/Default.aspx

Thanks for reading, and thanks for your support.

Round 3 of Best Pittsburgh Sports Blog

2010-02-18T10:25:00.001-05:00

Sean's Ramblings has started the 3rd round of The Best Pittsburgh Sports Blog Tournament. Unfortunately, BTW was eliminated in round 2 by Raise The Jolly Roger. I want to thank everyone who helped with the late push yesterday, it was an extremely close vote.

The Elite 8 round of the Best Pittsburgh Sports Blog Tournament is up and running. Voting for this round ends Friday evening with the Final Four and Championship rounds taking place next week.

As curator of BTW, I am throwing my endorsement to Raise The Jolly Roger, my vote has already been cast. Good luck Brian.

Congratulations

2010-02-17T17:00:00.000-05:00

I want to say congratulations to Brian at Raise The Jolly Roger as he is on the verge of reaching the elite 8 in the best Pittsburgh Sports Blog Tournament. At last check, RTJR was up by 11% on BTW in the "Battle of the Skulls" with only 2 hours to go.

If you haven't cast a vote yet, visit http://seanramblings.blogspot.com/2010/02/2010-pittsburgh-sports-blog-tournament.html to cast your votes for the second round and vote BTW, I'd at least like to make it close.

I will post the link for the 3rd round when it is available tomorrow, make sure you vote for all your favorite Pirates blogs. I will be voting for RTJR.

It was a fun Cinderella run. Thanks to all who voted.

You can donate online at my MDA page that can be found here:
https://www.joinmda.org/MyStrideRide/MyHomepage/tabid/121966/Participant/dharr18/Default.aspx
Thanks for reading, and thanks for your support.

40 Man – Around The Corners

2010-02-17T00:00:00.003-05:00

First
The options at 1st base are somewhat limited. Steve Pearce had a chance last season to show he was capable of being an everyday MLB 1B, unfortunately his bat has yet to show above AAA. His career BA is .237 in 378 PA’s with 8 HR’s.

The next option is Jeff Clement, a converting catcher. He has some experience, 28 games, playing 1B in the minors. Hardly enough to consider him a seasoned player. At the MLB level, he is a career .237 hitter with a limited sample size of 243 AB’s with 7 HR’s.

Comparing Pearce and Clement is like comparing two peas from the same pod. Both have limited MLB at bats batting .237. The HR numbers are very similar as well. The only real difference? Pearce has much more experience through the minors as a 1B.

Which leads me to who I am picking to start the season at 1B, not a shocker at all. Garrett Jones and his .276 BA with 23 career home runs. I want to emphasize start the season.

Third
This all leads to my pick for breakout player in 2010. Andy LaRoche. LaRoche closed out 2009 seemingly finding his stroke batting .313 with 5 HR’s and 8 doubles in the last month plus of the season. Add in the fact he played a solid third base in the field, and he is the easy pick for third to start the season.

With Pedro Alvarez only months away from a likely call up, it would be easy to say LaRoche’s time is limited as a starting 3B for the Pirates. I have a feeling that may be a bit premature for most to think.

While Alvarez has owned the minors in his first professional season, his defense has reportedly been better than expected but not quite as good as what LaRoche has done since having a chance to be the everyday 3B in the Majors. Remember, 2009 was the first season LaRoche had the chance to play everyday.
I am also predicting LaRoche will have a strong enough start to the season, Pedro Alvarez will be playing some 1B during his time in AAA Indianapolis.

Back to First
By the time June comes around, expect Pedro Alvarez to make his MLB debut not at third, but on the other side of the diamond. Garrett Jones will be moved back into RF. (More on that in my next post)

Many scouts believe Alvarez’s future is at 1B because of his size. Over the winter he has trimmed down and added more muscle to an already powerful build. Alvarez has been scouted as having good hands and range for his size, a scouting term that always seems to be more of a slap than a compliment.

Backing Out
There are a few ways Alvarez takes the 3B job, but that would involve LaRoche completely tanking to start the season. Not that we have ever seen a LaRoche sleep walk through the first few months of a season. But that was his brother, not Andy.

The other way Alvarez owns 3B is a mid-season trade of Iwamura and Andy LaRoche moving over to 2B. I find this harder to believe, due to LaRoche have very limited time at the position in his baseball career. Second base is not an easy position to learn, Freddy Sanchez made the jump from third a couple seasons ago, but Freddy was also a shortstop most of his Minor League career.

At The End
By the end of the season:

LaRoche will still be at 3B
Alvarez will be manning 1B
Garrett Jones will be playing RF

At least, those are my predictions.

Leave some comments below on your thoughts. Hopefully I didn’t screw up any names this time around…Mike Lincoln, what was I thinking?

Best Pittsburgh Sports Blog Sweet 16
Sean, from Sean’s Ramblings, is running the 2nd Annual Best Pittsburgh Sports Blog Tournament which is now in the Sweet 16. BTW is matched against Raise The Jolly Roger in the “Battle of the Skulls” in the Ironhead division.

I wish Brian the best of luck, hopefully he will come up just short as BTW’s Cinderella runs continues. Either way, a Pirates blog will make the Elite 8.

Please vote BTW, but also vote for the other Pirates blogs. The polls will be closing Wednesday night at 7:00 PM.

Also, thanks to everyone who voted in the first round and those who have voted so far in the second round. Pass the word to vote for BTW.

Walking:
Once again, for the 4th year, I am walking in the MDA Stride and Ride event scheduled for February 27th. I am looking for sponsors. If you can find it in you heart to donate a little, it does not have to be much as every dollar helps, it would be greatly appreciated. Please sponsor me in this worthwhile cause.

You can donate online at my MDA page that can be found here:
https://www.joinmda.org/MyStrideRide/MyHomepage/tabid/121966/Participant/dharr18/Default.aspx
Thanks for reading, and thanks for your support.

2nd Annual Best Pittsburgh Sports Blog Tournament – Sweet 16

2010-02-15T09:18:00.001-05:00

Sean, from Sean’s Ramblings, has just put up the Sweet 16 polls. BTW is matched against Raise The Jolly Roger in the “Battle of the Skulls” in the Ironhead division. I wish Brian the best of luck, hopefully he will come up just short as BTW’s Cinderella runs continues. Either way, a Pirates blog will make the Elite 8.

Please vote BTW, but also vote for the other Pirates blogs.

Walking:

Once again, for the 4th year, I am walking in the MDA Stride and Ride event and I am looking for sponsors. If you can find it in you heart to donate a little, it does not have to be much as every dollar helps, it would be greatly appreciated. Please sponsor me in this worthwhile cause.

You can donate online at my MDA page that can be found here:

https://www.joinmda.org/MyStrideRide/MyHomepage/tabid/121966/Participant/dharr18/Default.aspx

Thanks for reading, and thanks for your support.

Best Pittsburgh Sports Blog Tournament, Round 2

2010-02-15T00:55:00.001-05:00

Sean, from Sean’s Ramblings, announce round 2 of the BPSB Tournament “Sweet 16 round will run from Monday, 2/15 at 9:00 AM to Wednesday, 2/17 at 7:00 PM”. I will have the link up when it is available.

Proof

Since it is another late hour, and I do not want to pull a Matt Clement or Mike Alvarez as I did in my last post, “40 Man – For Starters”, calling Brad Lincoln Mike. I will refrain from doing my “40 Man – The Corners” post until tomorrow. Thanks to Bbelford for being my proof editor. I need it and appreciate it.

Party Time!

2010-02-13T14:03:00.001-05:00

We are celebrating Nick and Alex’s birthday today.

Unfortunately, I most likely will not get a chance to post tonight. Hope yinz understand.

40 Man – For Starters

2010-02-13T01:34:00.001-05:00

The first 4 are pretty much a given, the order is what is not a given. The first 4 will be Maholm, Duke, Ohlendorf and Morton. I’ll dig into what the order will be sometime in the next week.

For this post I am looking at who I see as the 5th starter. The front runners are Hart and McCutchen. Veal has an outside shot at the spot, but he really needs to be stretched out a bit in the minors as a starter after spending 2009 coming out of the pen as a rule 5 pickup. Brad Lincoln also has a shot, but the Pirates seem dead set to keep him in AAA for at least the start of the season. Think arbitration clock and you will know why.

Let me preface my prediction by saying one thing, don’t expect the loser to spend time in Indy.

McCutchen is too much like Duke and Maholm by being a finesse pitcher, although from the other side of the rubber. By being too much like Duke and Maholm, this actually lends more to a rotation spot than spending time in the bullpen. Would you want the same type of pitcher relieving a guy who just got pulled after 3 innings?

I am leaning towards McCutchen, more because he had 179 IP’s last year between AAA and Pittsburgh, that would allow him to go around 210 innings before the Pirates would start pulling back on the reins. In other words, McCutchen could go the entire season as a starter and not reach an inning limit.

Hart had approximately 133 IP’s last season between minors and majors. The Pirates would have to shut him down or limit him when he got around the 165 IP mark.

Hart has the pitches to really fit in the pen. In the last 2 seasons, he has spent more time coming out of the pen than starting. Over the two years, Hart has appeared in 89 games between the minors and majors. Of those 89 only 32 were starts. The Pirates do look at him as a starter, but he will either need to be stretched out this year, possibly in Indy, or be tabbed as a long reliever. My bet is as a reliever and emergency starter.

My call for the 5th starter: Daniel McCutchen

Walking:

You can donate online at my MDA page that can be found here:

https://www.joinmda.org/MyStrideRide/MyHomepage/tabid/121966/Participant/dharr18/Default.aspx

Thanks for reading, and thanks for your support.

BTW Stuns The World

2010-02-12T17:33:00.000-05:00

Thanks to everyone who voted in the 2nd Annual Best Pittsburgh Sports Blog Tournament hosted by Sean's Ramblings. In honor of BTW's stunning victory over PSAMP, I am unveiling the new BTW Banner created by Kipper from Pittsburgh Sport Tavern. Thanks Kip.

BTW went up against the awesome power of Pittsburgh Sports And Mini Ponies, one of the best blogs in the area.

Once again, I want to thank all who voted as we ramp up for the "Battle of the Skulls" against fellow Bucco blogger Raise the Jolly Roger.

I am looking forward to the second round.

Tee Ball and Rookie Ball…

2010-02-12T00:09:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow, actually in just a few hours, my youngest boys turn 5. Their names are Alex and Nick. No, they were not named after the twins in Full House. I didn’t know that was their names until well after the boys were born. This morning we (Me, Momma, Nick and Alex) discussed whether they wanted to play tee ball this year like their older brother (7) T.J. did last year. A resounding yes was heard from both.

Before I go any further and bring this into a Pirates post, I need to say one thing:
Happy Birthday Nicky and Alex.

T.J. is getting ready to start rookie ball this year. This will be his first chance to learn the one thing that baseball is. It is all about learning to cope with failure. We Pirates fans understand that better than most.

If you think about it, where in life do you get a passing grade for 30% success or reaching 50% success. I guess the only places you can really have scores like that and be successful is meteorology and baseball.

We Pirates fans have been clambering for a .500 season for the last 17 years. Pirates fans know how to cope with failure. The thing about failure is success is so much sweeter when it finally happens.

After 17 losing seasons, it should be safe to say the Pirates have the most loyal fans in pro sports history. Some may think we are stupid for following a team that is the joke of the league, I prefer the term loyalty. Most other cities would simply abandon the team or just not show up. Pittsburgh is a great baseball town, we just need a chance to show it.

Will 2010 be the year to end the worst losing streak in professional sports history? It is doubtful, but stranger things have happened.

Starting tomorrow, I will begin looking at the 40 man roster, yes I have said that before, and narrow it down to what I expect the opening day roster to look like. Followed by what I expect as a semi-regular lineup for the year as well as the rotation.

Think of this as a pre-preseason preview.

Takahashi Signs
Takahashi signed with the Mets. Rumors had been circulating the Pirates were interested. Rumors also circulated Takahashi wanted to sign with a team on the west coast. I just hope he has good health insurance being a part of the Mets.

2nd Annual Best Pittsburgh Sports Blog Tournament
Sean's Ramblings is running the annual Pittsburgh Sports Blogger Tournament. Please vote BTW, as well as the other Pirates blogs. Once again I am a low seed, fell down to a 8 seed after being a 7 last year. Once again, I am going against one of the top blogs in the area, Pittsburgh Sports and Mini Ponies. Last year I was demolished by The Confluence in the opening round. This year, with your help, PSAMP is getting their moneys worth.

Why oh why couldn’t I land an easy opponent like Smizik, I could get all the Anti-Bob votes and see the second round.

I need all the help I can get. Vote here, and vote BTW.
http://seanramblings.blogspot.com/2010/02/best-pittsburgh-sports-blog-tournament.html

Show the Burgh small market blogs can win....lol

Walking Again
Once again I am walking in the MDA Stride and Ride event. I am looking for sponsors. If you can find it in you heart to donate a little, it does not have to be much every dollar helps, please sponsor me in this worthwhile cause.

You can donate online at my MDA page that can be found here:
https://www.joinmda.org/MyStrideRide/MyHomepage/tabid/121966/Participant/dharr18/Default.aspx

Thanks for reading, and thanks for your support.

Walking Again

2010-02-10T11:19:00.001-05:00

Once again I am walking in the MDA Stride and Ride event. I am looking for sponsors. If you can find it in you heart to donate a little, it does not have to be much every dollar helps, please sponsor me in this worthwhile cause.

You can donate online at my MDA page that can be found here:

https://www.joinmda.org/MyStrideRide/MyHomepage/tabid/121966/Participant/dharr18/Default.aspx

Thanks for reading, and thanks for your support.

BTW Slide Note:

I should get back to normal posting tonight after I finish updating my link lists.

ALSO...

On a personal note, Sean's Ramblings is running the annual Pittsburgh Sports Blogger Tournament. Please vote BTW. Once again I am an low seed. Once again, I am going against one of the top blogs in the area. I need all the help I can get. Vote here, and vote BTW.

http://seanramblings.blogspot.com/2010/02/best-pittsburgh-sports-blog-tournament.html

Show the Burgh small market blogs can win....lol

Pittsburgh Sports Blogger Tourney Part Duex

2010-02-09T23:16:00.001-05:00

Sean at Sean’s Ramblings is running the second annual Pittsburgh Sports Blogger contest:

The first round of the tournament begins tomorrow (Wednesday) with voting ending on Friday at 5:00. The second round through the Championship will continue over the next few weeks.

The bracket and the voting will be available on my blog starting at 9:00 AM.

Please support BTW in this event. Last year we were embarrassed and run out of the tourney like the winner of a play-in game for the NCAA Tournament. Let’s shock the ‘Burgh and take down the big guys.

Ok, I’ll settle for a competitive showing since my site has the lowest payroll in the tourney…

Finally!!!

2010-02-09T22:43:00.003-05:00

I FINALLY have the Pirates Blogs and Boards up in the right hand column.

There are a couple additions to the list. Kristy, John and Sean now have links to their respective sites.

More After the Jump

I still have quite a few links to add, hopefully I can work on those tonight as well.

And my jump is still working!!!

Site Updates - New Design

2010-02-08T16:33:00.001-05:00

Let me know what you think.

Ok, I just uploaded the new template. It only took me a few weeks to get the template right, then 5 seconds to upload the template. Most of the site updates are done although I need to get my blog roll back together. I should have it up later tonight.

Feedback on the new layout would be appreciated.

I also set up a few new features on the site, now I can say after the jump too. I still have a lot to do, but things should be right in a few days.

If you are looking for the old blog roll and links, they can be found at the bottom of any of the pages.

Like I said, feedback will be greatly appreciated.

More on Takahashi

2010-02-07T23:05:00.001-05:00

From MLB Trade Rumors:

9:01pm: The Pirates have emerged as a destination for Takahashi, according to a report fromSanspo passed along by Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker. The report also notes that the Dodgers are targeting other pitchers and the Mets were "moving towards an MLB contract," but couldn't agree on money.

Meanwhile, Takahashi was set to throw for teams today in Arizona, according to an article from Sponich passed along by Newman.

BTW Notes:

Monday I will be doing the much unanticipated site updates, some have already found there way online like the twitter feed to the right. I have 3 blogs I will be adding to the blogroll as well as a few cosmetic changes and a link to possibly the best Pittsburgh Sports Forum on the internet….

Who ‘Dat? Congrats to the Saints and Drew Brees.

Pirates Among Teams For Takahashi

2010-02-06T15:08:00.001-05:00

LHP Hisanori Takahashi will be making his decision soon as to which team he will sign with. The Pirates, Mets, Dodgers, Red Sox, Giants and Padres are in the running for his services. A scouting report can be found here.

BTW Take:

Takahashi is looking for an opportunity to start, although he is reported to be a better fit for relief duties. I don’t think he would fit into the Pirates rotation, the Pirates are likely looking at him as a long/middle reliever. He is not a hard thrower, so coming out of the pen may make sense as an addition left handed option as well as a change of pace among the flame throwers Huntington has assembled in the bullpen.

More Free Agent Signings?

2010-02-05T00:17:00.001-05:00

Before I get to the meat of the post, here is a quick link for an interview on Mets Paradise of the best blogger I know personally. He really is a great guy.

Free Agents Signings

Frank Coonelly did his monthly chat on the Pirates.com website. The full transcript can be found here. One question and answer caught my attention more than the others:

bucsin09: Hi, Frank! Is it safe to assume we are done with free-agent signings and trades before Spring Training?

Coonelly: With the [Octavio] Dotel, [Brendan] Donnelly, [Ryan] Church, [D.J.] Carrasco and [Javier] Lopez signings and several Minor League free-agent signings, it is likely that we will head into Spring Training with the current group. We are, however, keeping tabs on certain free agents who might be a fit if their financial demands soften.

Coonelly and crew are “keeping tabs on certain free agents who might be a fit if their financial demands soften.”

Who would “fit” if they soften enough?

Let me compile a list from the MLBTradeRumors.com free agent list.

First, let us eliminate some positions.

Outfield

The Pirates are well stocked in the outfield with the following outfielders on the 40 man roster:

19 Ryan Church	L/L	6-2	220	10/14/78
43 Gorkys Hernandez	R/R	6-0	175	09/07/87
16 Brandon Jones	L/R	6-1	210	12/10/83
46 Garrett Jones	L/L	6-4	230	06/21/81
22 Andrew McCutchen	R/R	5-10	175	10/10/86
85 Lastings Milledge	R/R	5-11	200	04/05/85
44 Brandon Moss	L/R	6-0	210	09/16/83
58 John Raynor	R/R	6-1	205	01/04/84
31 Jose Tabata	R/R	5-11	210	08/12/88
24 Delwyn Young	S/R	5-10	190	06/30/82

Shortstop

Shortstop is very thin with remaining free agents, so they also can be ruled out. Here is the list:

Shortstops
Chris Gomez (39)

Third Base

Third base is a no brainer on the depth chart with LaRoche, Walker and Alvarez on the 40 man. They won’t be looking into 3B options.

Second Base

Second base also is fairly well manned right now, I doubt any interest will be made of the following FA’s:

Second basemen
Adam Kennedy (34)
Felipe Lopez (30) - Type B, not offered arb
Pablo Ozuna (35)

I do think it may be worth keeping an eye on all three, depth never hurts considering Iwamura did have injury problems last season.

Catcher

Doumit and Jaramillo will man behind the plate. I would not be surprised to see Tony Sanchez make an appearance if either gets injured. Although it is more likely we would see a call up from AAA or Neil Walker stepping behind the plate as a super utility guy. Here are the free agents available, just for reference sake. I removed Torreabla since he is rumored to be nearing a deal.

Catchers
Paul Bako (38)
Rod Barajas (34) - Type B, offered arb
Michael Barrett (33)
Jose Molina (35)
Javier Valentin (34)

Now, that ends the elimination round. Lets look at who the Pirates may be considering.

First Base

Ideally Jeff Clement or Steve Pearce show they can handle MLB pitching and field the position. If neither steps up to the plate during spring training, Garrett Jones is the fall back option. This makes me wonder if the Pirates may be looking at an outside option. I bolded the players below who may be a “fit” when their salary request “softens”.

First basemen
Rich Aurilia (38)
Hank Blalock (29)
Russell Branyan (34)
Tony Clark (38)
Carlos Delgado (38) - Type B, not offered arb
Nomar Garciaparra (36)
Mike Jacobs (29)
Daryle Ward (35)
Dmitri Young (36)

The three of Blalock, Branyan and Jacobs could all add some decent pop to the middle of the lineup. Protection for Garrett Jones and Ryan Doumit can only help whatmay be an anemic lineup.

Branyan hit 31 home runs in 116 games for Seattle last season.

Blalock hit 25 home runs in 123 games for Texas.

Jacobs hit 19 home runs in 128 games for the Royals.

Starting Pitcher

The list is long, so I am only bolding the ones I think may “fit”.

Starting pitchers
Brandon Backe (32)
Cha Seung Baek (30)
Erik Bedard (31) - Type B, not offered arb
Kris Benson (34)
Paul Byrd (39)
Bartolo Colon (37)
Adam Eaton (32)
Shawn Estes (37)
Tom Glavine (44)
Mike Hampton (37)
Livan Hernandez (35)
Jason Jennings (31)
Jason Johnson (36)
Braden Looper (35) - Type B, not offered arb
Noah Lowry (29)
Pedro Martinez (38)
Eric Milton (34)
Dustin Moseley (28)
Mark Mulder (32)
Odalis Perez (33)
Sidney Ponson (33)
Mark Prior (28)
Jason Schmidt (37)
John Smoltz (43)
Brett Tomko (37)
Chien-Ming Wang (30)
Jarrod Washburn (35)
Todd Wellemeyer (31)
Kip Wells (33)

Lowry, Wang and Prior are coming back from injuries. There should be some scheduled workouts for both in the coming months. Neither Wand nor Prior are likely to be ready for the start of the regular season, though Wang just started doing long toss and Prior is working off of a mound. Lowry recently postponed a workout session to get some extra time on the mound.

I did skip a few other names, mostly due to rumors of them signing in the next couple weeks.

Left Handed Reliever

Considering there is only 1 lefty in the pen, this could be the actual target for a free agent. Like before, look for the bolded names.

Left-handed relievers
John Bale (36)
Joe Beimel (32) - Type B, not offered arb
Alan Embree (40)
Ron Mahay (39)
Will Ohman (31) - Type B, not offered arb
Glendon Rusch (35)
Scott Schoeneweis (36)
Ron Villone (40)
Jamie Walker (38)

Considering the lack of lefties, any one of them could be a target. I selected the ones that have been scouted by the Pirates in recent years and or weeks.

Leave some comments below as to anything I may have overlooked. I’d like to get a good discussion started on this one.

Site Info:

I am going to be updating my blog list and some other parts of the site in the coming week. If any bloggers out there want to be added contact me so I can add you to the list. For those listed, please verify your link is correct, if wrong please drop me a line so I can correct them. Thanks.

Under The Weather

2010-02-02T13:39:00.001-05:00

I have been feeling a bit under the weather, I hope to get back to posting in the next day or so.

I’m Torn

2010-02-01T01:49:00.001-05:00

I was planning a different post, until Dejan Kovacevic broke the story.

I didn’t have a chance to post anything on the Lemieux/Burkle bid to buy the Pirates due to a rather crazy weekend. Regardless, after thinking this over. I am torn.

On one side, I think Lemieux/Burkle would attack the ownership in a way they know is proven to work. Keep the right players at any cost and fill the roster with complimentary players that would keep the team competitive. Spend at an appropriate amount and raise the payroll to bring in the players that would put people in the stands. Players that would have a winning team on the ice, or diamond in this scenario. All this while focusing on the minor leagues so there is a steady flow of talent coming in.

If they purchased the team 4 months ago when the meeting took place, Dotel and Akimura would not be the big acquisitions. Likely the Pirates would have been rumored at the higher end free agents considering the Pirates have at least $10 M under their current self inflicted salary cap, there likely would have been at least another $10M to spend.

That $20M could add a lot of free agent talent to a good solid young foundation that is in place right now. I could see the Pirates adding a top of the rotation starter and a shortstop while still having cash to land a few other players to make the team more than an afterthought and possibly breaking the streak.

They would also put their own stamp on the team, as in replacing Huntington, Coonelly and anyone else in the management levels they saw fit.

Here is where I am torn. I like the direction the Pirates are taking. I like what Huntington has done with a limited budget. I like the way he has rebuilt a barren farm system. I want to see where this team goes.

Mostly, I don’t want to see the management team change just to see where they can take us. I’d like to see where the Pirates are in a couple years. But on the other hand, it would be nice to hear the Pirates mentioned in the same breath as some of the upper echelon free agents from time to time.

Slide thought:

Don’t get me wrong, I really think, for the $10M they have sitting around collecting interest, they could have added a few other players this offseason that could have added another 10 wins to a team that looks to be around 70 wins. If they were closing in on 80 wins, with the youth on this team, anything could happen. Adding 10 wins to a young team could multiply into 20 wins just based on confidence levels rising to the point they don’t believe they can win, they expect to. But that is a whole different post for a different day.

Now for the Truth

Bob Nutting is a smart business man. He isn’t going to come out and say he is looking to sell the team. Especially right now when the Pirates are on the verge of bringing up talent from the minors in Alvarez and Tabata that will cause a stir in Pittsburgh and likely create a growth in ticket sales. Which in turn will also increase the value of the team. Now would be the worst time to sell the team.

Comments along the lines of, “… what I can confirm for you, at that time, today, tomorrow, next week, the Pirates are not for sale. Bob Nutting is committed to making the Pirates a winner again." from Frank Coonelly. Those comments are spot on. Nutting would be a fool to sell now with the Pirates on the verge of causing enough of a stir in Pittsburgh that ticket sales will increase. He knows he can get more for the team when they are winning again and the fans are coming out to the park at levels not seen since PNC opened.

The Nutting family has endured the wrath of the last 17 years, which the rightly deserve. Why would they bail now, when their investment could reach an all time peak in value?

I doubt this story will go away any time soon, especially when the Pirates start struggling in 2010. I fully expect chants of “Mario” at PNC throughout good portions of 2010.

Quick Note:

Something I did hear over the weekend, the offer was believed to have been in excess of $325M. Forbes had the teams value listed at $288M in 2009. Obviously there is no way to confirm this unless I hear directly from Mr. Lemieux or Mr. Burkle themselves. Mr. Nutting was quoted to say there was no formal offer.

Rating the Pirates

2010-01-29T00:41:00.001-05:00

MLB.com Top 50:

Jonathan Mayo, friend to BTW so he gets top billing, has his top 50 prospects up at MLB.com. This list includes segments from the MLB Network Special.

http://mlb.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?content_id=7150959&topic_id=7962336

Summary:

Pedro Alvarez makes the top 50 list in the 8 spot. That’s it for the Pirates.

ESPN Top 100 (or so):

Keith Law has his top 100, plus 10 that just missed up on ESPN Insider. Insider access is required.

Top 100: http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb/insider/columns/story?columnist=law_keith&id=4856310

10 who missed: http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=4865823&name=law_keith

Summary:

Brad Lincoln 105

Tony Sanchez 82

Tabata 57

Alvarez 35

Law also has the Team Rankings.

http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb/insider/columns/story?columnist=law_keith&id=4861174

And top 10 by organization:

http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb/insider/columns/story?columnist=law_keith&id=4865694

Summary:

The Pirates pull in at 18.

More Rankings:

Dejan Kovacevic, spelled without looking, reports the Pirates rank 16th by Baseball America. The BA Prospect Handbook will be on sale today. Or can be ordered online here: https://www.baseballamerica.com/store/store.cgi?browse=cat_books&sid=1264742513454&p=SMEXOB

Tim Williams at Buccofans.com has some additional rankings with links at his site.

The Scouting Book has their rankings, updated almost daily, for the Pirates here. (Note: As of this writing, the list is in the process of an update due to 2 players needing current team updates in their database.) The Scouting Book has 3 Pirates in the top 50 in Alvarez, Tabata and Alderson. Sanchez (103) just misses the top 100 as of this writing. Lincoln sits at 154.

BTW Take:

I was planning on taking a guess at the 25 man roster, but rankings are much more fun to look at.

Law was overly critical of Pirates prospects, going as far as to question Tabata’s age and saying he would not make the list if he is older than listed. I wonder how much higher he would be if he lied the other way just to get his drivers license? Would he be top 10 then?

While the Pirates are rated in the middle third of the league, it is still a great improvement over being in the lower third as they had been in recent memory. Take into account A. McCutchen, G. Jones, Clement, Ohlendorf, Hart and Morton are no longer in the prospect list, due to them no longer being rookie eligible or age, that ranking takes a bit of a hit. (I need to double check that statement regarding Clement.)

I am surprised how high the Padres (11) were listed on Law’s list.