Notes, News & Stuff

 What's been happening today:

• MLBTradeRumors' Ben Nicholson-Smith appeared on The Fan Morning Show to discuss the Pirates' possible trade targets. He believes that Pittsburgh will be active at the deadline, but they won’t part with top prospects, which will keep them out of any high-profile deals. He says to look for an added bat like Josh Willingham, Carlos Quentin or Chase Headley.
• Keith Law of ESPN thinks differently. As he said on yesterday's Baseball Today podcast (thanks to Charlie Wilmoth at Bucs Dugout) "They (the Pirates) are not making the playoffs, and they would be fools to start buying."
• Jayson Starks of ESPN has his mid-season awardees; he likes Cutch as MVP and Clint Hurdle as Manager of the Year.
• Matthew Pouliat of Hardball Talk discusses mid-season Cy Young candidates, and includes J-Mick in the conversation.
• James Santelli of The Pittsburgh Sports Report thinks the Bucs should skip KC and go to a four-man rotation.
• In his last five games before last night, Andrew McCutchen was 14-for-21 with 11 runs, six RBIs and two home runs. The center fielder is the first Pirates player since Honus Wagner in 1904 to have 14 hits and 11 runs in a five-game stretch, according to Elias Sports Bureau. In June of that year, the Hall of Famer had 15 hits and 11 runs. 
• DJ Gallo at ESPN has the Buccos A-to-Z  (Andrew McCutchen to Zoltan) in his post today.
• Pittsburgh has a four game winning streak. They last won five straight September 17th-22nd, 2010.
• Home cookin', yum - The Pirates' 27-13 record at PNC Park is the best home mark in baseball. They've won 16 of the last 19 played in Pittsburgh.
• Pittsburgh's 23 comeback wins this season ranks third most in baseball.
• No big strikeout numbers, but plenty of good pitching in the minors yesterday: Altoona's RHP Tim Alderson tossed 5-2/3 shutout innings, yielding four hits, four walks and notching six K. Bradenton's LHP Colton Cain went seven scoreless frames, giving up five hits, three walks and whiffing a pair. At State College, LHP Joely Rodriguez put up five goose eggs, giving up a hit and K'ing one.
• West Virginia SS Alen Hanson celebrated making BA's Top 50 Prospect list by going 4-for-5 with a homer.
  
• Been a very quiet countdown, especially for a dude repped by Scott Boras, but the Pirates deadline for signing Mark Appel ends next Friday.
• Happy B-Day, Willie Randolph, who turns 58 today. The Bucs gave up on him in 1975, trading him as part of the Doc Medich deal as he was blocked by Rennie Stennett. He went on to have six All-Star seasons with the Yankees.