For once, the Pirates took the high-priced prospect.
With the second overall pick in Thursday's Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, the Pirates selected Vanderbilt third baseman Pedro Alvarez.
Alvarez, 21, is a power-hitting third baseman and has a major-league ready bat according to scouts. The 6-2, 225-pound Alvarez broke the hamate bone in his right hand in the first game this season. He came back and batted .317 with nine home runs, 15 doubles and 30 RBI in 40 games.
"Our scouts have been following Pedro's career at Vanderbilt and on the USA National Team for several years," said Greg Smith, Pittsburgh's director od scouting. "We're extremely pleased to have the oportunity to select Pedro and add him to our organization."
He was Baseball America's Freshman of the Year two years ago after slugging 22 home runs. He followed that up with 18 home runs his sophomore season but was slowed this year by the hand injury, which is completely healed.
Alvarez is represented by super-agent Scott Boras, who will likely demand a signing bonus in excess of $7 million and a major-league contract, meaning the club would have to burn minor-league options if it send Alvarez down.
The Pirates have until Aug. 15 to sign Alvarez or they lose his rights.
Tampa Bay took Tim Beckham, a high school shortstop from Griffin (Ga.), with the first pick. Beckham was also very high on the Pirates' draft board.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Is this the end for Smoltz?
Though it wasn’t technically a retirement press conference, it sure sounded like one for Atlanta’s John Smoltz on Wednesday.
A press conference was called to announce that the 41-year-old Smoltz would have season-ending shoulder surgery. But reading some of the quotes, all taken from the Associated Press story, it sounded more like Smoltz and the Braves are preparing for the end of a brilliant career.
“This is a sad day for us in many ways,” Braves general manager Frank Wren said. “We don’t know the outcome of the surgery, whether it will allow him to come back and pitch, or just allow him to go on with his life.”
“I’ve pulled off a lot of miracles,” Smoltz said. “I probably shouldn’t have played this long. I’m looking forward to seeing if I can extend it.”
Smoltz is the only pitcher in baseball history with at least 200 wins and 150 saves. He was a dominant starting pitcher during the Braves reign over the National League in the 1990’s until surgery turned him into a closer in 2000. All Smoltz did was set a National League record for saves with 55 in 2002 and compile 154 total.
Eventually, Smoltz came back as a starter and reached another milestone earlier this season when he surpassed 3,000 strikeouts.
This surgery isn’t necessarily about baseball so much as it is about the rest of Smoltz’s life. Smoltz said everyday activities such as playing with his children or doing things around the house have been difficult since his shoulder pain intensified.
“We’re talking about enjoying life a little bit more than I’ve been able to enjoy it,” he said. “It’s very difficult. A shoulder is like a lower back problem; it puts you in a pretty bad mood. You use your shoulder for everything.”
Regardless of whether you like the Braves or not – and most Pittsburgh fans do not because of the playoff losses in 1991 and 1992, you have to respect Smoltz as a pitcher. The guy is a first ballot Hall of Famer and it would be a shame if he can’t go out on his own terms. Even if he can’t return, he has nothing to be sad about and should be proud of a wonderful career.
A press conference was called to announce that the 41-year-old Smoltz would have season-ending shoulder surgery. But reading some of the quotes, all taken from the Associated Press story, it sounded more like Smoltz and the Braves are preparing for the end of a brilliant career.
“This is a sad day for us in many ways,” Braves general manager Frank Wren said. “We don’t know the outcome of the surgery, whether it will allow him to come back and pitch, or just allow him to go on with his life.”
“I’ve pulled off a lot of miracles,” Smoltz said. “I probably shouldn’t have played this long. I’m looking forward to seeing if I can extend it.”
Smoltz is the only pitcher in baseball history with at least 200 wins and 150 saves. He was a dominant starting pitcher during the Braves reign over the National League in the 1990’s until surgery turned him into a closer in 2000. All Smoltz did was set a National League record for saves with 55 in 2002 and compile 154 total.
Eventually, Smoltz came back as a starter and reached another milestone earlier this season when he surpassed 3,000 strikeouts.
This surgery isn’t necessarily about baseball so much as it is about the rest of Smoltz’s life. Smoltz said everyday activities such as playing with his children or doing things around the house have been difficult since his shoulder pain intensified.
“We’re talking about enjoying life a little bit more than I’ve been able to enjoy it,” he said. “It’s very difficult. A shoulder is like a lower back problem; it puts you in a pretty bad mood. You use your shoulder for everything.”
Regardless of whether you like the Braves or not – and most Pittsburgh fans do not because of the playoff losses in 1991 and 1992, you have to respect Smoltz as a pitcher. The guy is a first ballot Hall of Famer and it would be a shame if he can’t go out on his own terms. Even if he can’t return, he has nothing to be sad about and should be proud of a wonderful career.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Paulino headed to Indy?
Just about everyone around the Pirates has been very impressed with the way veteran catcher Raul Chavez has played since being recalled May 14.
Though Chavez has been mediocre offensively, it's his defense, strength in his throwing arm and the way he is handling the rotation that is turning heads.
"He's doing a nice job," Pirates manager John Russell said of Chavez. "He's handling the staff well. Each game he starts the pitching staff seems really in tune. He's got the arm to shut down a running game."
Chavez threw out two runners trying to steal and has thrown out three of five runners this season.
With Ryan Doumit set to come off the disabled list Friday, somebody has to go back to Class AAA and it might just be Ronny Paulino.
After losing his job to Doumit in spring training, Paulino hasn't impressed a whole lot since. He is batting .218 with two home runs and 18 RBI. Paulino has thrown out 29 percent of the runners attempting to steal on him (7-of-24) but the pitching staff has a team-high 5.51 ERA with Paulino behind the plate.
Russell wouldn't be specific, but said before Tuesday's game that he and general manager Neal Huntington have already discussed several options for when Doumit returns.
There is also speculation that Russell is not happy with Paulino's work ethic.
The only other possible position player who could be sent down is infielder luis rivas, who got off to a bad start but has rebounded of late. However, with shortstop Jack Wilson still not 100 percent from his calf injury, the Pirates might want to keep the extra infielder rather than a third catcher.
Though Chavez has been mediocre offensively, it's his defense, strength in his throwing arm and the way he is handling the rotation that is turning heads.
"He's doing a nice job," Pirates manager John Russell said of Chavez. "He's handling the staff well. Each game he starts the pitching staff seems really in tune. He's got the arm to shut down a running game."
Chavez threw out two runners trying to steal and has thrown out three of five runners this season.
With Ryan Doumit set to come off the disabled list Friday, somebody has to go back to Class AAA and it might just be Ronny Paulino.
After losing his job to Doumit in spring training, Paulino hasn't impressed a whole lot since. He is batting .218 with two home runs and 18 RBI. Paulino has thrown out 29 percent of the runners attempting to steal on him (7-of-24) but the pitching staff has a team-high 5.51 ERA with Paulino behind the plate.
Russell wouldn't be specific, but said before Tuesday's game that he and general manager Neal Huntington have already discussed several options for when Doumit returns.
There is also speculation that Russell is not happy with Paulino's work ethic.
The only other possible position player who could be sent down is infielder luis rivas, who got off to a bad start but has rebounded of late. However, with shortstop Jack Wilson still not 100 percent from his calf injury, the Pirates might want to keep the extra infielder rather than a third catcher.
Michaels makes bench better
Pinch-hitting situations aren’t exact science, and being a pinch-hitter has been deemed by many the toughest job in baseball.
There are times when a manager uses his hitting charts, past history and scouting reports to decide which pinch-hitter he’ll use in a certain situation.
Other times, it’s as simple as a gut feeling.
In the seventh inning Monday night with the Pirates trailing 4-0, manager John Russell saw the bases loaded and needed a pinch-hitter. No scouting reports were necessary.
He had all of the usual members of his bench – Jason Michaels, Doug Mientkiewicz, Chris Gomez, Luis Rivas and Ronny Paulino – available against St. Louis starter Adam Wainwright, who had shut the Pirates down through six innings. Russell called on Michaels.
“(Monday) night we saw some guys on the bench and thought he was the right guy for the spot,” Russell said Tuesday.
Michaels swung at the first pitch he saw from Wainwright and crushed a belt-high fastball over the left field wall for a grand slam to tie the game at 4-4. The Pirates eventually won 5-4.
“He made us look like geniuses,” Russell said of Michaels.
Most of the bench has made Russell look good lately.
Michaels also had a three-run pinch-hit double last Friday and is 5-for-10 with three doubles, a home run and eight RBI in his last five games. Gomez is batting .462 in his last 12 games, Mientkiewicz is batting .313 as a pinch hitter this season and Rivas hit his first career grand slam Saturday.
“We really are pleased with the bench we have right now,” Russell said. “We’ve got some veterans on our bench with Michaels, Gomez, Mientkiewicz and Rivas. They continue to come up with big hits in big games for us.”
Michaels has really been the one who has added a dimension to the Pirates’ bench that it did not have previously – power. Though he struggled this season in Cleveland and was subsequently designated for assignment, the Pirates knew that Michaels could provide some extra pop to the lineup.
“Michaels is a guy that we picked up that we knew had that kind of leadership and power off the bench and he’s shown that,” Russell said.
After a disappointing start in Cleveland this season, Michaels just wanted a fresh start. He hit only .207 with no home runs and nine RBI before being designated.
Pirates general manager Neal Huntington knew of Michaels from his days with Cleveland and took a flyer on the 32-year-old outfielder.
Since joining the Pirates, all Michaels has done is bat .324 with a slugging percentage of .486 to go along with his home run and 11 RBI. He is also batting .250 as a pinch hitter.
Michaels said he understands his role as a bench guy with the Pirates and has taken to pinch hitting, though he said every situation is different.
“It depends on the feel,” Michaels said. “Sometimes you go up and say maybe I’ll take one, maybe I’ll see one, maybe I’ll go up and be aggressive. (Monday) I wanted to go up and be aggressive and it ended up working out.”
Michaels has made only five starts since coming to the Pirates May 8. Of course, it’s difficult to get playing time with Jason Bay, Nate McLouth and Xavier Nady all getting off to the best starts of their careers at exactly the same time.
All three are among the league leaders in just about every major offensive category, with McLouth and Nady tied for the league lead with 18 doubles heading into Tuesday’s games.
McLouth is in the top four in seven offensive categories, Nady in four and Bay in three.
“I think all three of them should have some serious All-Star consideration,” Michaels said. “If they need a day off, I’ll be more than happy to step in.”
There are times when a manager uses his hitting charts, past history and scouting reports to decide which pinch-hitter he’ll use in a certain situation.
Other times, it’s as simple as a gut feeling.
In the seventh inning Monday night with the Pirates trailing 4-0, manager John Russell saw the bases loaded and needed a pinch-hitter. No scouting reports were necessary.
He had all of the usual members of his bench – Jason Michaels, Doug Mientkiewicz, Chris Gomez, Luis Rivas and Ronny Paulino – available against St. Louis starter Adam Wainwright, who had shut the Pirates down through six innings. Russell called on Michaels.
“(Monday) night we saw some guys on the bench and thought he was the right guy for the spot,” Russell said Tuesday.
Michaels swung at the first pitch he saw from Wainwright and crushed a belt-high fastball over the left field wall for a grand slam to tie the game at 4-4. The Pirates eventually won 5-4.
“He made us look like geniuses,” Russell said of Michaels.
Most of the bench has made Russell look good lately.
Michaels also had a three-run pinch-hit double last Friday and is 5-for-10 with three doubles, a home run and eight RBI in his last five games. Gomez is batting .462 in his last 12 games, Mientkiewicz is batting .313 as a pinch hitter this season and Rivas hit his first career grand slam Saturday.
“We really are pleased with the bench we have right now,” Russell said. “We’ve got some veterans on our bench with Michaels, Gomez, Mientkiewicz and Rivas. They continue to come up with big hits in big games for us.”
Michaels has really been the one who has added a dimension to the Pirates’ bench that it did not have previously – power. Though he struggled this season in Cleveland and was subsequently designated for assignment, the Pirates knew that Michaels could provide some extra pop to the lineup.
“Michaels is a guy that we picked up that we knew had that kind of leadership and power off the bench and he’s shown that,” Russell said.
After a disappointing start in Cleveland this season, Michaels just wanted a fresh start. He hit only .207 with no home runs and nine RBI before being designated.
Pirates general manager Neal Huntington knew of Michaels from his days with Cleveland and took a flyer on the 32-year-old outfielder.
Since joining the Pirates, all Michaels has done is bat .324 with a slugging percentage of .486 to go along with his home run and 11 RBI. He is also batting .250 as a pinch hitter.
Michaels said he understands his role as a bench guy with the Pirates and has taken to pinch hitting, though he said every situation is different.
“It depends on the feel,” Michaels said. “Sometimes you go up and say maybe I’ll take one, maybe I’ll see one, maybe I’ll go up and be aggressive. (Monday) I wanted to go up and be aggressive and it ended up working out.”
Michaels has made only five starts since coming to the Pirates May 8. Of course, it’s difficult to get playing time with Jason Bay, Nate McLouth and Xavier Nady all getting off to the best starts of their careers at exactly the same time.
All three are among the league leaders in just about every major offensive category, with McLouth and Nady tied for the league lead with 18 doubles heading into Tuesday’s games.
McLouth is in the top four in seven offensive categories, Nady in four and Bay in three.
“I think all three of them should have some serious All-Star consideration,” Michaels said. “If they need a day off, I’ll be more than happy to step in.”
Character = Pirates?
Jason Bay, who drove in the game-winning run in Pittsburgh's 5-4 come-from-behind win over St. Louis Monday had an interesting quote after the game.
"It’s kind of been the character of this team that I think we lacked in years past,” Bay said of the rally. “Too many times we’ve come close but been unable to close them out.”
Even though they are still in last place with a 27-30 record, there does seem to be more character to this year's Pirates team than in years past. Especially in the Jim Tracy era, those Pirates teams would have folded like a cheap suit.
This year's team has had its share of rallies and seemingly hasn't blown as many games as in the past. We'll see how long that lasts, however, especially with the trade deadline inching closer.
"It’s kind of been the character of this team that I think we lacked in years past,” Bay said of the rally. “Too many times we’ve come close but been unable to close them out.”
Even though they are still in last place with a 27-30 record, there does seem to be more character to this year's Pirates team than in years past. Especially in the Jim Tracy era, those Pirates teams would have folded like a cheap suit.
This year's team has had its share of rallies and seemingly hasn't blown as many games as in the past. We'll see how long that lasts, however, especially with the trade deadline inching closer.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Pirates-Astros: Here's what to look for
Here are some trends to keep an eye on this week during the Pirates series at home against Houston (Hint: Apologies for missing the St. Louis series but hey, you get free tickets for Wednesday's game):
Tuesday: Phil Dumatrait (Pittsburgh) vs. Wandy Rodriguez (Houston)
This will be Dumatrait's first appearance against Houston. … He is coming off a career-high 10 strikeouts vs. Cincinnati. … Jason Bay is 10-for-19 with two home runs and 11 RBI vs. Rodriguez. … Freddy Sanchez is 7-for-17 with a home run and Adam LaRoche is 5-for-9 with four RBI off Rodriguez.
Wednesday: Zach Duke (Pittsburgh) vs. Roy Oswalt (Houston)
Because the Pirates scored more than 24 runs against St. Louis, 2,500 free tickets in the left field and right field box seats for this game will be made available beginning Tuesday at 9 a.m. They will be available only through Pirates.com and there is a limit of eight tickets per customer.… Lance Berkman is 5-for-15 with four RBI off Duke. … Jack Wilson has a .361 average with six RBI off Oswalt and Nate McLouth has a .412 average with a home run. … Xavier Nady, however, is 1-for-17 lifetime against Oswalt.
Thursday: Paul Maholm (Pittsburgh) vs. Brandon Backe (Houston)
Houston's Carlos Lee and Berkman are a combined 4-for-27 against Maholm. … Bay has a .313 average with two home runs and five RBI against Backe while LaRoche has two home runs and four RBI.
Tuesday: Phil Dumatrait (Pittsburgh) vs. Wandy Rodriguez (Houston)
This will be Dumatrait's first appearance against Houston. … He is coming off a career-high 10 strikeouts vs. Cincinnati. … Jason Bay is 10-for-19 with two home runs and 11 RBI vs. Rodriguez. … Freddy Sanchez is 7-for-17 with a home run and Adam LaRoche is 5-for-9 with four RBI off Rodriguez.
Wednesday: Zach Duke (Pittsburgh) vs. Roy Oswalt (Houston)
Because the Pirates scored more than 24 runs against St. Louis, 2,500 free tickets in the left field and right field box seats for this game will be made available beginning Tuesday at 9 a.m. They will be available only through Pirates.com and there is a limit of eight tickets per customer.… Lance Berkman is 5-for-15 with four RBI off Duke. … Jack Wilson has a .361 average with six RBI off Oswalt and Nate McLouth has a .412 average with a home run. … Xavier Nady, however, is 1-for-17 lifetime against Oswalt.
Thursday: Paul Maholm (Pittsburgh) vs. Brandon Backe (Houston)
Houston's Carlos Lee and Berkman are a combined 4-for-27 against Maholm. … Bay has a .313 average with two home runs and five RBI against Backe while LaRoche has two home runs and four RBI.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Snell stinks again
It's time the Pirates seriously consider pulling Ian Snell from the rotation.
They should, but they won't.
Before yet another horrific start by Snell Sunday in St. Louis, Pirates manager John Russell was asked if any of the starting pitchers could be sent down to the minors to get whatever problems they are having worked out. He simply said "no," then went on to say that a lack of starting pitching depth within the organization doesn't allow the Pirates to make such a move at this time.
If the Pirates were playing for this year, I would agree. However, they have to be looking beyond this year, and they must get Snell's problems worked out sooner rather than later before he spins completely out of control.
Snell lets a lot of things get into his head, particularly outside distractions. He has been at times brutally honest about such disclosures but the fact remains he gets rattles too easily. His latest "distraction" is the new contract he signed before the season which he says has put a lot of pressure on him to perform.
Whether he needs to go to the minors or to the team psychologist, if Snell continues to struggle it could get a lot worse before it gets better.
The Pirates should take a page from Cleveland's book when they sent Cliff Lee to the minors for a period last season. He responded this year with his best season yet.
They should, but they won't.
Before yet another horrific start by Snell Sunday in St. Louis, Pirates manager John Russell was asked if any of the starting pitchers could be sent down to the minors to get whatever problems they are having worked out. He simply said "no," then went on to say that a lack of starting pitching depth within the organization doesn't allow the Pirates to make such a move at this time.
If the Pirates were playing for this year, I would agree. However, they have to be looking beyond this year, and they must get Snell's problems worked out sooner rather than later before he spins completely out of control.
Snell lets a lot of things get into his head, particularly outside distractions. He has been at times brutally honest about such disclosures but the fact remains he gets rattles too easily. His latest "distraction" is the new contract he signed before the season which he says has put a lot of pressure on him to perform.
Whether he needs to go to the minors or to the team psychologist, if Snell continues to struggle it could get a lot worse before it gets better.
The Pirates should take a page from Cleveland's book when they sent Cliff Lee to the minors for a period last season. He responded this year with his best season yet.
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