Some Housekeeping Notes

A little recent Bucco housekeeping:

• We've all been wondering when the Pirates are going to finalize the Franky Liriano deal. Tom Singer of MLB.com tweets that there aren't any problems, but the team hasn't managed to get Liriano to Pittsburgh over the holidays for his physical. 
• Cutch was named the Dapper Dan Sportsman of the Year, the first Buc to take that prestigious local honor since Jason Kendall in 2000. 
• Former Wildcat Bryan Morris had his jersey (#15) retired by his alma mater, Tullahoma High in Tennessee, yesterday.
• RHP Chad Beck was reclaimed by Toronto after Pittsburgh had claimed him in October and then tried to pass him through waivers to Indy this month. We expect the Jays to have the same game plan.
• Troy Renck of the Denver Post reports that the Rox have "some interest" in RHP Jeff Karstens. 
• Gorkys Hernandez, whom  the Pirates considered a great-field, light-hit OF, claimed the Venezuela Winter League batting title by hitting .372, Tom Singer noted. 
• A little late on this, but Singer also had an article linking Tom Walker, Neil's dad, and Roberto Clemente. Some eerie coincidences are noted at the end of the tale...
• Dean Treanor will return for his third season as Class AAA Indy's skipper. Mike Pagliarulo, former MLB 3B notably with the Yankees (Tom Smith of Rumbunter has his tale), replaces Jeff Branson as the hitting coach for the Indians. Branson was promoted to assistant hitting coach in Pittsburgh, helping out newcomer Jay Bell.
  
• Carlos Garcia, who managed at Bradenton the past two years, will take over the helm at Class AA Altoona. He takes the place of PJ Forbes, who resigned last year rather than take a demotion to a lower level.
• Frank Kremblas, who managed Indy from 2009-10 and then spent a year as a roving minor league assistant, is back behind the bench at High Class A Bradenton.
• Michael Ryan will manage Class A West Virginia after a year of grooming as Rick Sofield's assistant. Sofield will join the big club as their first base coach. Old Bucco Orlando Merced is the new Power hitting coach.
• Dave Turgeon will manage the short-season Jamestown Jammers. He was the State College field general last season; the Bucs switched NYPL franchises after the year.
• Milver Reyes will manage the rookie league GCL Pirates. Reyes was a long time catcher in the Pirate system and was prepped as a player/coach last year. He takes over for Tom Prince, who will become a minor league coordinator.