Corsairs Cage Cards

The old Ian Snell showed up tonight and St. Louis became the Keystone Kards in the ninth as the Bucs broke open a 1-0 nailbiter and won 4-1.

Nyjer Morgan's leadoff walk eventually turned into a run on Ryan Doumit's double, the first of his three hits, to take an early lead. Snell went seven innings and made it hold up, giving up 4 hits with one walk and eight strike outs.

Snell (5-10) won for only the second time in 11 starts since June 17. He allowed just two runners to reach scoring position against a team that scored 19 earned runs in 19 innings against him in four previous starts this year.

Quietly, he's now strung together three straight quality starts, and won his first road game since late April.

Sean Burnett and Denny Bautista, saved by a fine running catch on the track by Morgan on an Albert Pujos shot after a nine pitch at bat, got through the eighth. Then the action really picked up.

Doumit and Adam LaRoche started off the ninth with singles, and Jay Michael's bunt was fielded by Yadier Molina, who opted to go to third for the force. Bad choice; everyone was safe.

The next batter, Andy LaRoche, bounced one to second that came home for the force out - but Molina dropped the perfect throw, looking to first and a possible DP.

Steve Pearce walked to plate another run. Then Luis Rivas lifted a fly into medium center. For some reason, Michaels didn't tag, and young LaRoche was hung up between the sacks.

But the throw went through everyone, and another run came in. The pitcher, backing up the play, got to the ball, but Molina capped his performance by leaving the plate uncovered while chasing down the throw to let Michaels in uncontested.

By then, it was 4-0, and it was all over but for the shouting. And there was some noise - John Grabow and TJ Beam gave up a run on three walks and a bloop hit in the bottom of the ninth, but Beam struck out Brian Barton with the bases juiced for his first MLB save. He became the seventh Pirate hurler to earn a save, the most since 1996.

In real life, Jodi Mientkiewicz came home today after a pacemaker was installed in her heart to combat a viral infection, and that's great news. On the other side of the coin, young John Challis lost his public battle with cancer after inspiring so many by taking his fight to the wire.

On the draft front: Jim Callis of Baseball America picked his top ten signing coups of this year's draft, and two Pirate selections were among them:

Robbie Grossman, of (sixth round, $1 million, No. 49 on BA Top 200) Athletic switch-hitter adds to Pittsburgh's burgeoning outfield talent.
Quinton Miller, rhp (20th round, $900,000, No. 158 on BA Top 200) He shows flashes of a low-90s fastball, plus slider and average changeup.

Nice to know that the Pittsburgh draft, for once, drew cheers instead of jeers.

On the minor league front: Indy and RHP Ross Ohlendorf (3-4, 3.86 ERA) lost tonight, 4-3. The Big O went six innings, giving up 6 hits, including a homer (to ex Bucco Big Country Brad Eldred, his 33rd), and four runs. He walked two and struck out seven.

C Candy Maldonado was the unlikely batting leader with a double and home run, his third, adding an RBI and two runs scored. RF Chris Duffy was activated to replace Nyjer Morgan, and went 1-4.

> Altoona gave up three runs in the ninth, but hung on to win 7-6. Veteran RHP Dan Reichert (2-3, 4.81 ERA) went six innings for the win, giving up four hits, 3 runs (two earned), three K's and two walks.

C Steve Lerud (.280) and LF Jonel Pocheco (.275) both had two hits and two runs scored. CF Jose Tabata (.264) had two hits and an RBI. 1B Jamie Romak (.217) homered and had 3 RBI, and RF Jim Boone (.229) also went yard, his eighth.

> Lynchburg surrendered two runs in the ninth, but came back in the tenth to win 6-5. LHP Brian Holliday (5.23 ERA) went eight innings, giving up 8 hits, two runs, and striking out 9. RHP Eric Krebs (4-2, 4.25 ERA) went 1-2/3 innings yielding a hit for the win.

1B Kent Sakamota homered in the extra frame, his tenth, to bring home the bacon. LF Jared Keel (.231) had three hits, including a triple. DH Danny Bomback (.273) had two hits, one being his 2nd HR, a solo shot. CF James Barksdale (.265) also had a pair of knocks, with a triple.

The go-go Curve stole five bases in 7 tries, with Keel swiping his 13th & 14th sacks.

> Hickory pounded out an 8-2 win tonight. RHP Rodolfo Aguirre (2-3, 4.39 ERA) went six shutout innings, giving up 2 hits, walking 3 and striking out 7.

CF Keanon Simon (.237) continued to tear it up with four hits, a run and 2 RBI. CF Austin McClune (.212) went 3-6, with his 4th homer and a double, 3 RBI and a run. C Ronald Pena (.255) had two hits, a double, a run and an RBI. RF Erik Huber (.266) hit his 10th home run.

> State College was off for the NYPL All-Star game, with SS Chase d'Arnaud (.339, 0-12) and 1B/3B Jeremy Farrell (.297, 0-19) representing the Spikes.

Both smacked doubles in the National League’s 4-3 All-Star Game victory in Troy, New York. Farrell entered the game in the sixth inning, doubling to left field. Farrell played the remainder of the game at first base.

d’Arnaud joined the fun in the bottom of the fifth inning. After walking in the seventh, d’Arnaud led off the ninth inning with a double to left field and scored.

> Bradenton was off today.

The Pirate Draft, Part 2

And now for the backside of the draft, from which the organization’s depth and the occasional big leaguer emerge:

• Zachary Wilson (26- Wilson HS, 3B) Rated 140th by Baseball America, with a scholarship to Arizona State in his pocket and Scott Boras as his man, Wilson was no doubt out of Pittsburgh’s price range this year.
• Edwin Roman (27- Puerto Rican Baseball Academy, CF) He’s supposed to be the fastest dude in PR and a great glove with no lumber to speak of. He’s playing LF at Bradenton, hitting .220. He’s got 12 stolen bases, but he’s been caught 7 times.
• Kyle Saukko (28- Sierra JC, OF/P) He was a hybrid in college, just the kind of guy Dave Littlefield loved, and was drafted by the Rockies as a pitcher last year. He went to Bradenton as a CF. He’s hitting .218. It’s tough to build up your average when you’ve K’d 22 times in 55 AB’s.
• Kevin Komstadius (29- East Valley HS, 1B) Has a free ride to Washington, and probably priced himself out of Pittsburgh’s plans this year, asking for $200K.
• Daniel Martin (30- Panola JC, RHP) Drafted by the Mets in 2005, he’s going to McNeese State. He’s another player who told the Pirates he needed to be wowed by the money to sign.
• Ryan Hinson (31- Clemson, LHP) After having two very good years at college, he dropped off badly in 2008 and decided to stay in school for his senior year to try to improve his draft slot.
• TJ Forrest (32- Bossier Parish CC, RHP) He was drafted by the Marlins in 2006 out of LSU, but had TJ surgery. Pitched well after transferring to Bossier. He decided to have a last hurrah at school to raise his draft stock.
• Mark Carver (33- North Carolina Wilmington, C) A senior, he signed early and went to State College. A below average catcher in the field, he tore it up at the plate in college, hitting .347 with 21 HR’s and 82 RBI. He’s hitting .208 for the Spikes.
• Matt Payne (34- North Carolina State, 3B) Good plate discipline, and hit over .320 in his three years as a position player (he pitched his freshman year.) He signed and went to State College. Payne is batting .266 with 3 HR’s.
• Tyler Cox (35- Illinois State, LHP) Average college pitcher, he started his last two years. The Bucs sent him to Bradenton, even though he’s 22. He’s doing nicely there, with a 2-3 record, 1.74 ERA, and 36 K’s in 41-1/3 innings with a WHIP of 1.02.
• Kyle Morgan (36- San Francisco, OF) He played two years of JC ball, sat on the Long Beach pine, and transferred to SF, where he hit .286 without much power. He’s at Bradenton, where he’s hitting .148 in 27 at-bats. He started out at State College, where he hit .164 before being sent down.
• Matthew Curry (37- Howard College, 1B) He transferred to TCU to continue his career.
• Alan Knotts (38- Louisiana Tech, RHP) He’s a senior with fairly pedestrian college numbers. At State College, he’s 2-1 with a 4.01 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, and a great K:BB ratio of 35:6 in 33-2/3 innings of bullpen work.
• AJ Fagan (39- Manhattanville College, RHP) Sat out a year of baseball after an unsuccessful tryout with the Cubs in 2007, which burned his college eligibility. He signed and went to Bradenton. He’s 2-2 there with a 3.72 ERA in 19-1/3 innings, a 14:5 K to BB ratio, and WHIP of 1.02.
• Beau Didier (40- Bellarmine Prep, 3B) Went to LSU.
• Chris Simmons (41- West Point, C) Rode a solid senior year (.318, 8 HR) to a spot in the draft. The Pirates sent him to State College, where he was hitting .257 when the Army called him back to active duty.
• Cole White (42- West Point, OF) Great hitter for Army, batting .403 and .373 his last two season, and pitched, too. He signed as an OF’er and went to State College. He was hitting .338 there before the Army decided to recall him to active duty.
• Johnny Gunter (43- Chattahoochee Valley CC, RHP) No, really, it’s a school in Alabama. He didn’t sign, choosing to return to Chattahoochee for another season.
• Mike Williams (44- Mt. Olive College, LHP) Drafted as a senior, he was the third starter (8-2, 4.01 ERA) for the Division 3 champs, Mt. Olive. He signed and went to State College. He’s 1-1 with a 4.82 ERA for the Spikes. In 18-2/3 innings, William’s struck out 16, walked eight, and has a WHIP of 1.29 out of the pen.
• Allen Ponder (45- Auburn @ Montgomery, RHP) He’s a sidewinder that struck out 68 batters in 48 innings and will be used as a bullpen arm. He’ll be 25 in September, so he better impress in a hurry if he ever plans to pitch at PNC. He’s 0-2 with a 4.55 ERA, but a excellent K:BB ratio of 29:7 in 31-2/3 innings.
• Scott McGough (46- Plum HS, SS/P) He’s going to Oregon. The Ducks plan to use him at SS, though he throws 94 MPH heat and may become a hybrid infielder/closer.
• Jordan Craft (47- Kennesaw Mountain HS, OF) He’s going to play at Kennesaw State.
• Owen Brolsma (48- Texas Tech, RHP) He had TJ surgery in 2005, pitched a year, sat a year, and pitched another year, and not very well. He has a low 90’s fastball and a slider, but with poor command. The Bucs signed him and sent him to State College to see if his arm could be salvaged. Brolsma’s getting beat up there, too, with a record of 0-3, 7.61 ERA, and 1.91 WHIP. He’s given up 4 homers in 23-2/3 innings.
• Zachary Foster (49- Pitt Bradford, RHP) A junior without a lot of success at Division 3, the Bucs signed him and sent him to Bradenton to work in the bullpen. He’s a one trick horse, depending on his fastball, so he has to try to develop a second pitch to succeed. Foster is 1-1 with a 4.45 ERA. In 28 innings, he’s given up 38 hits and 15 walks, K’ing 23.
• Craig Parry (50- South Dakota State, OF) He’s a LH power guy that hit 17 HR’s in the past two years, and has played C, OF, and 3B. He’s hitting .308 at Bradenton with an .852 OPS, but hasn’t gone yard yet, though he’s only batted 52 times. They list him as a LF.

Draft picks 1-25 are posted below. For more detailed reporting on these guys and every Bucco, click over to Wilbur Miller's Pirate Profiles.

Somewhere along the line, we'll check out the new guys the suits brought in this year both at camp and through deals as we look at the retooling of the Bucs from top to bottom.

The Pirate Draft, Part 1

Now that that draft is a thing of the past, here's a list of the top 25 Pirate picks and their current status as of Sunday:

• Pedro Alvarez (1- Vanderbilt, 3B) Widely considered the top talent in the draft, he signed for $6M at the deadline and will report to the Fall Instructional League, where his performance will dictate his 2009 assignment, probably Lynchburg. He’s the LH power bat that the Bucs would love to showcase at PNC Field.
• Tanner Scheppers (2- Fresno State, RHP) Injured, the Pirates took a flyer on him. He wanted 1st round cash, but his arm was still iffy, and no deal was struck.
• Jordy Mercer (3- San Diego State, SS) He was sent to Hickory after signing for a $508K bonus. Has a rep for a good bat, strong arm, so-so range. He’s hitting .231 with 4 homers after a terrible start.
• Chase d’Arnaud (4- Pepperdine, SS) He signed for $293K and was assigned to State College. Good stick with gap power, average SS, good 3B’man. He’s hitting .346 in 104 AB’s with 8 doubles, 4 triples, with 20 runs scored, and stolen 10 bases in 11 tries, earning an All-Star spot of the NY-Penn League. He's got the look of a pretty good top of the order guy.
• Justin Wilson (5- Fresno State, LHP) Signed late for $195K. Wilson picked up his game during the College World Series, but couldn’t turn it into a bonus above slot. He’ll report to the Fall Instructional League, and probably head to Hickory in 2009.
• Robbie Grossman (6- Cyprus/Fairbanks HS, CF) Gave up his scholarship to Texas for a $1M bonus. He’s considered a high energy tweener with some power potential and lots of upside without being overly toolsy, in the Nate McLouth/Brandon Moss mold. Baseball America rated him as a late #1 pick, which explains the bonus. He’ll go to the Fall Instructional League.
• Benji Gonzalez (7- Puerto Rican Baseball Academy, SS) Got $130K to sign on the dotted line and pass up a ride to Oklahoma State. He runs well, has a good glove, and his questions center on his bat. He’s playing at Bradenton, where he’s hitting .225 with 7 stolen bases in eight attempts.
• Jeremy Farrell (8- Virginia, 3B/1B) Son of Bosox coach John Farrell, signed for $103K and was assigned to State College. Has some power and plays both infield corner positions. He’s hitting .300, but hasn’t gone deep yet, somewhat worrisome for a corner infielder, though he has 11 extra base knocks in 140 AB’s. He landed a spot on the NY-Penn All-Star team.
• Matt Hague (9- Oklahoma State, 3B/OF) He inked a deal for $25K. Good power and plate discipline. He was drafted by Cleveland last year. Hague signed early and went to Hickory, where he’s batting .322, with 5 HR’s and 23 RBI in 171 AB’s with an .855 OPS. He’s tough to sneak a ball past – Hague’s only struck out 21 times.
• Drew Gagnon (10- Brentwood HS, RHP) Opted to attend Long Beach State.
• David Rubenstein (11- Appalachian State, CF) Sent to State College. He showed a decent eye and solid stick in college. He’s hitting .197, but has come out a miserable funk in the past week. Maybe the light’s finally gone on for him.
• Calvin Anderson (12- Southern A&M, 1B) The son of former Steeler Fred Anderson, he hit for average and power in the SWAC. He’s a very raw player, and went to State College for some polish. He’s batting .265 with 6 HR’s and 28 RBI in 170 AB’s.
• Robert Gardner (13- Highland Park HS, CF) Went to Arkansas.
• Mike Colla (14- Arizona, RHP) Considered a project, he was assigned to State College in July, appeared briefly in August, and then was shipped to Bradenton, where he has yet to appear. He must need a lot of work: the Spikes were shorthanded arms before his demotion.
• Christopher Aure (15- North Pole HS, LHP) The Alaskan native was signed on potential, and was sent to Bradenton. He's 3-2 with a 4.57 ERA there, with 12 K’s and 12 BB’s in 21-2/3 innings of work.
• Wesley Freeman (16- All Saints Academy, CF) Signed late, but is a potential 5 tool player. His swing needs some work, but he's playing with the GCL Bradenton Bucs for now and then to the Instructional League. He projected as a fifth rounder, and got roughly $225K to sign.
• Jaron Shepherd (17- Navarro College, CF) Still has a year of JC eligibility, and said he was looking for a payday. Pittsburgh didn't give him one.
• Jarek Cunningham (18- Mead HS, SS) He had a scholarship to Arizona State, but turned pro and went to Bradenton. He plays third base for the baby Bucs, hitting .310 with 3 HR’s, 15 RBI, and an OPS of .849.
• Jason Hanniger (19- Georgia Tech, C) He replaced Matt Weiter behind the plate, and is a good defensive catcher with some power and a high strike out rate. He decided to try to pump up his stock by returning for another year at school.
• Quinton Miller (20 – Shawnee HS, RHP) Signed late in the process when Scheppers and Gagnon passed on deals. He got a $900K bonus, as Baseball America considered him a third-rounder this year. He’ll go to the Fall Instructional League.
• Brent Klinger (21- Glendale CC, RHP) Has a 94 MPH heater and good strikeout rate, but was selected on potential rather than performance. He’s tearing up Bradenton, with 11 K’s in 11-2/3 innings and an ERA of 0.77.
• Patrick Palmeiro (22- Colleyville Heritage HS, 3B) Rafael’s son, the Bucs made a late push to sign him, but he followed his dad’s advice and headed to Mississippi State.
• Austin Wright (23- Hoffman Estates HS, LHP) Going to Arkansas.
• Brian Litwin (24- St. Stephens HS, 3B) Committed to Duke.
• Brian Leach (25- Southern Mississippi, RHP) Was drafted by the Royals last year. His college stats are pretty horrible, but apparently his arm is intriguing. The Bucs sent him to State College. He’s doing OK for the Spikes, with a 1-1 record and 3.65 ERA. His control has been fine, with 29 K’s and 11 BB’s in 42 innings and a WHIP of 1.21.

For more detailed reporting on these guys and every Bucco, click over to Wilbur Miller's Pirate Profiles.

When the spirit moves us, we'll check out the back side of the draft in another post, and the new guys the suits brought in this year both at camp and through deals as we look at the retooling of the Bucs from top to bottom.

Skyblast Strike Three

The Pirates have played in front of nearly 110,000 fans and two sellouts in the past three evenings and, keeping with long time tradition, lost all three.

But at least tonight they gave the ticket holders a little jolt of pre-fireworks excitement before going down 7-4 to Pedro Martinez and the Mets.

Pittsburgh rallied for three runs in the ninth and had two runners on with one gone for Ryan Doumit and Adam LaRoche. But they left them aboard, although the game wasn't lost then. Zach Duke (4-11) let it get away long before that.

He gave up a lead off homer and eventually six runs on nine hits over six innings. And with Gorzo and Ross Ohlendorf biting at the bit to get back to the bigs, that's not the road for Duke to take if he wants to keep the competition at bay. The lefty hasn't won a game since June 9 against Arizona, and his ERA is 5.26.

The team is still feeling its way to its new identity. The young guys are getting their first prolonged look at life in the majors, and the vets are getting used to them in the field and trying to overcome the production - and protection - that Jay Bay and Xavier Nady brought to the lineup.

It really shows up in plate discipline. The pups, all touted to have great eyes, are flailing away. And the older guys are trying to do it all. At one point, the Bucs hit into three weak outs in a row on the first pitch offered by Martinez.

John Russell needs to lace the clubhouse cooler with a little Valium, Don Long has to keep preaching patience, and the troops need the calm & confidence to play within themselves.

Let's hope that it doesn't get uglier before the parts start to mesh. All the players know they're on a six-week audition for 2009, and that's a performance they don't want to bomb.

On the minor league front: Gorzo (3-1, 2.06 ERA) must have taken his demotion to heart. He led Indy to a 1-0 victory tonight, giving up one hit in 7 innings, striking out 5 and walking none.

Gorzelanny was flawless through through 5-1/3 innings, retiring the first sixteen Durham batters. The left-hander's bid for perfection ended when he beaned a batter, who was promptly erased on an inning-ending double play.

The leadoff batter in the seventh singled to break up his bid for a no-hitter, and he was pulled after the inning. He faced the minimum 21 batters after picking the runner off first. Pretty good stuff from Gorzo tonight.

LF Nyjer Morgan (.300) tripled and scored in the first (one of his 3 hits), and Joey Bats brought him home. C Ronny Paulino (.385) and CF Andrew McCutchen (.277) added a pair of hits in the win.

We wonder if a trip to Indy is a wake up call for these guys, or if they were just more AAAA players drawing a MLB paycheck? We'll find out in the spring and beyond.

> Altoona banged out 15 hits in a 7-2 win. RHP Jared Hughes (2-1, 3.90 ERA) went 6 innings for the win, giving up 6 hits, 1 earned run, walking 3 and striking out 4. RHP Juan Mateo (2.50 ERA) went three scoreless innings for his third save, yielding 3 hits and striking out 5.

2B Shelby Ford (.287), CF Jose Tabata (.261), and DH Melvin Dorta (.290) had three hits, while 1B Jamie Romak (.213) and SS Angel Gonzalez (.307) added a pair apiece. Ford (4), Tabata (4) and Romak (5) homered.

RHP Yoslan Herrera (5-9, 3.44) is expected to be activated from the DL to make the start for the Curve Sunday afternoon.

> Lynchburg went down, 6-2. 2B Jose De Los Santos (.213) and OF Miles Durham (.230) had two hits each. The Hillcats are on a five-game losing streak.

> Hickory got shellacked 10-0. RHP Bryan Morris (2-6, 3.47 ERA) got beat up, giving up 5 runs on 8 hits with 3 walks in 4-2/3 innings. He struck out 5. 3B Matt Hague (.322) and CF Austin McClune (.206) each had a pair of knocks.

Hague has hit safely in 17 of his last 19 games.

> State College dropped another one run game, 6-5, tonight. SS Chase d'Arnaud (.346) had three hits and a walk, an RBI and run scored. 3B Jeremy Farrell (.300) had two hits, including a double, and 2 RBI. RF David Rubenstein (.197) had a solo homer, his first, and a walk.

The Spikes rallied from a 6-0 deficit, and had runners on second and third with two out in the ninth before the game ended with a K.

> The Bradenton Bucs romped again, winning 7-2. LHP Nelson Pereira (5-2, 1.50 ERA) went five innings, giving up a run on 2 hits with 2 walks and 5 K's. C Jesus Aguilara (.295) led the attack with 3 hits and 3 RBI.

At 31-16, the baby Bucs have the best record in the GCL.

On the draft front: In all the euphoria of the recent draft and Pedromania, here's a stat that may sober up the fans - the Pirates signed fewer of its top ten picks than any team in the Central Division according to Baseball America's list.

The Brewers signed 14 (some teams had supplemental picks), the Cards and Astro's 11, the Cubs 10, and the Reds 9. Pittsburgh inked 8 of its first ten selections.

The Pirates are certainly in a position where quality counts. But as the performance of its Class A clubs shows, some capable kids, especially pitchers, are badly needed at the lower levels of the Bucco realm. And you don't find them on the waiver wire.

Pedro the Pirate

The Pirates and #1 draft pick Pedro Alvarez have agreed to a contract worth $6M (he was slotted at $3.5M), and they'll pay his tuition to finish college. It's a minor league deal, so he's not on the 40 man roster - yet.

He hit .317 with 15 doubles, nine homers and 30 RBIs this year, missing 23 of the first 24 games with a broken hamate bone in his right hand. Alvarez hit .357 with 40 homers and 132 RBIs during his first two seasons at Vanderbilt.

You can catch up on Pedro's bio on this draft post: El Matatan - Pedro Alvarez.

And we can't help but think that if Scott Boras would have floated that offer on draft day that Pedro would have a few weeks of Class A ball under his belt already. Still, bringing in a left-handed batter with some thunder in his stick is just what the doctor ordered for the run-challenged Buccos.


Pedro highlight reel from You Tube. Do ya think he and PNC are a good match?

RHP Tanner Scheppers didn't sign. Apparently he felt he deserved first round money - reportedly $2M, although his slot value was $800K - and the Pirates felt like he was damaged goods. He still couldn't throw a curve ball earlier in the week, but decided to pass up the security of a contract to roll the dice next year.

"Despite the quality efforts of both parties, it became clear that Tanner's financial expectations were not in line with the risks presented by Tanner's current status as a pitcher in the early stages of a rehabilitation program following an injury to his throwing shoulder," Neal Huntington said.

The Bucs will get the third pick of the 2nd round as compensation for him in next year's draft. Maybe he'll be there again.

Not all the first rounders signed on the dotted line. The Nationals failed to sign #9 pick Aaron Crow. The Nats were at $3.3MM and Crow's agents at $4MM, but the most head-banging seemed to be over a major-league contract. Crow signed with an indy minor league team.

The Yankee's pick at #28, Gerrit Cole, decided to go to UCLA. Who woulda thunk the Bucs could pay the ante while the Bronx Bombers couldn't? Actually, it wasn't the money in Cole's case - he's a Yankee fan, but just wanted to experience college.

Seattle's #1, Joshua Fields, drafted 20th, finished his senior season at Georgia and can negotiate with the Mariners up until a week before next year's draft. All three unsigned players are pitchers, which bodes well for next year's draft.

The Pirates signed eight of their top 10 picks, and 32 in toto. Scheppers and 10th-round pick Andrew Gagnon were the two top-tens who didn't sign. Gagnon, just out of high school, decided to pitch for Long Beach State next year instead of turning pro.

And Bob Nutting surely put his wallet where his mouth was this year. The Bucs spent something like $10M in draft bonuses in an effort to restock the minors. Between the draft and the recent deals, next year's Pirates prospect list will look a whole lot different than this year's did. And a whole lot better.

The deadline, tick tock, tick tock...

Well, they signed someone, just not who you hoped for...yet.

The Pirates inked their 20th-round draft pick, RHP Quinton Miller, to a $900,000 bonus, plus college tuition, according to Dejan. That's late first, early second round money.

Miller, 18, was ranked the No. 1 prospect in New Jersey by Baseball America after going 6-3 with a 2.13 ERA in 21 appearances for Shawnee HS. He had 85 strikeouts and 14 walks in 52-2/3 innings.

Among all prospects, he was ranked No. 158, so Pittsburgh broke the slot by a mile. Apparently they project him to be an elite arm down the road.

He throws a fastball from the high 80's to mid 90's, as well as a good slider and average change. Miller appears to be, according to Wilbur Miller's Pirate Profiles, the Plan B behind 10th round pick Drew Gagnon, who opted for college ball. He isn't expected to pitch before fall instructional league.

Miller was ready to take his game to the University of North Carolina. We'll give the Bucs credit - they took a shot at some of the high school talent, and stepped up to sign them, even though it cost them a ton of Nutting's money.

He joins other HS picks OF Robbie Grossman, SS Benjamin Gonzalez, LHP Christopher Aure, CF Wesley Freeman, OF Edwin Roman, and SS Jared Cunningham. Beats having all those 22-year old guys playing A ball.

Now for word on Pedro and Tanner...

Pirate young guns

We sang the blues about the pitching yesterday, so we thought we'd take a look at the 2008 draft haul so far. The guys signed are:

14th - Michael Colla, 21, RHP, Arizona - Colla throws a fastball in the low 90s, but his other stuff is iffy. He's a bona-fide project. Colla was assigned to the State College Spikes on July 1, but hasn't been activated yet.

15th - Christopher Aure, 19, LHP, North Pole HS - He's all about potential. Aure's hit the upper 80s with his fastball and should be able to add a foot to it. Baseball America says that his curve and change have potential. He's 3-2 with a 5.11ERA at Bradenton, and has a save. From the North Pole to Florida...no wonder he signed so quickly!

21st - Brent Klinger, 20, RHP, Glendale (AZ) CC - His fastball reaches 94 and Baseball America referred to him as "projectable." He just signed Sunday.

25th - Brian Leach, 22, RHP, Southern Mississippi - He was drafted by the Royals in the 38th round in 2007, although his stat line has been flat out lousy the past two years. Baseball America likes him, too, so he apparently has a truckload of pure physical ability and down-the-road potential. In 6 games at State College, he's worked 18-2/3 innings with no record and a 5.30 ERA.

35th - Tyler Cox, 22, LHP, Illinois State - He pitched fairly well as a reliever in college, and not very well as a starter. Cox started 13 times in his 33 ISU outings. He's 1-2 with a 3.18 ERA at Bradenton, where he's both started and relieved.

38th - Alan Knotts, 23, RHP, Louisiana Tech - He averaged better than a K per inning, with a 3:1 K to BB ratio. Started as a fifth-year senior. In 7 games at State College, he's 2-0 with a 4.15 ERA.

39th - Albert Fagan, 21, RHP, Manhattanville College (2007) - He gave up his college eligibility last year for an unsuccessful try-out with the Cubs. Fagan's 1-1 with a 10.18 ERA in his 3 appearances for Bradenton.

44th - Mike Williams, 21, LHP, Mt. Olive (NC) College - As the #3 starter on 2008 NCAA Division II champion Mount Olive, he was 8-2 with a 4.10 ERA. He's only been in 3 games at State College, with a 3.18 ERA in 5-2/3 innings.

45th - Allen Ponder, 24, RHP, Auburn @ Montgomery - Ponder played for Alabama for two years, sat out two years, then spent two years at NAIA school Auburn Montgomery as the team's 1B and closer. The Pirates listed him as a pitcher when they drafted him. He's 0-1 at State College, with a 5.74 ERA in 15-2/3 innings.

48th - Owen Brolsma, 23, RHP, Texas Tech - He had TJ surgery in 2006, sat out 2007, and had a poor 2008 season. But some scouts believe Brolsma has a good arm and just needs to get it back in game shape. He has a low-90s fastball and a slider, and projects to be a reliever. Brolsma's worked 8 games for the Spikes, and has 2 saves and a 2.08 ERA.

49th - Zachary Foster, 21, RHP, Pitt Bradford - He's pitched and played first at Division III Bradford, and will work out of the pen. Foster's 1-0 with a 6.18 ERA at Bradenton.

Don't read anything into the stats; they're meaningless. These guys are all just starting out, and none have enough innings to make a read from yet. You can't even tell where they'll end up, in the rotation or pen, because generally the innings are capped at a max of three at their level.

But more importantly than who Pittsburgh has signed so far is who they haven't - Tanner Sheppers (2), Justin Wilson (5), Andrew Gagnon (10), Quinton Miller (20), Austin Wright, (23), Daniel Martin (30), Ryan Hinson (31), Anthony Forrest (32), and Johnny Gunther (43).

They signed one of the 3 HS kids they picked (Aure, Gagnon, Miller) - no surprise there - and none of the top 3 arms they've selected (Sheppers, Wilson, Gagnon). That is a surprise. And so far, no Latino help - the kids they've signed so far have all been position players.

In fairness, this was a bad year for pitchers, and the Bucs did manage to snag one of the top arms in Sheppers, if they sign him. Next year will have some very highly touted hurlers available, and will be a better indicator of Pirate draft strategy, we think.

Of course it's too early to tell if this class is gonna produce any MLB caliber arms, especially with the top guns unsigned to date. And even if it does, we're looking at probably 4 years down the road before any of them are ready for the show.

It just emphasizes that if Pittsburgh wants to close the gap between its pitching and position players within a reasonable time frame, they'll have to deal.

And thanks again to WT Miller's Pirate Player Profiles for the capsule reports on the newest Bucs.

No righties need apply

They said the White Sox feasted on righties, so of course, Pittsburgh fed them Ian Snell, Frankie Osoria and Marino Salas. 16-5 *ouch* At least, no one got hurt except in the ERA.

And we hope the Pirates pay the ransom to whomever kidnapped the real Snell and get that impostor off the mound.

On the Pirate front: Nate McLouth is the only Pirate player receiving All-Star votes, coming in at No. 13 in this week's voting. Xavier Nady, Jay Bay, and Ryan Doumit are getting no love at all. Wonder what their tally would be if they played in New York, Chicago, or LA?

> Xavier Nady's bum wing will have to be evaluated day-to-day. His type of sprain could be OK in a week, or it could last 3 weeks, depending on the severity. The Bucs will have until the end of the Chicago series to see how it's coming along. Once they're out of the DH parks, they can't afford to be a man down at PNC for any appreciable length of time, especially with the Rays, Blue Jays, and Bronx Bombers lined up.

> It looks like PNC - and every other field - will have instant replay come August 1st. MLB isn't spilling any beans, but it appears that it will be limited to HR's and go to a centralized "war room" in NYC, just like the NHL reviews. The exact mechanics - will umps call for it, will there be manager challenges, or will it be up to NY - hasn't been announced, and may still be under discussion.

Replay already has been used once in a game. In 1999, ump Frank Pulli watched a play on a TV monitor, then overturned a home run call. The next day, both leagues outlawed replay review.

On the draft front: The Pirates today signed shortstops Jordy Mercer and Chase D'Arnaud, their 3rd & 4th-round draft picks, and 39th-round pitcher Albert Fagan.

> After Tim and Gordon Beckham, Mercer might be the draft's best bet at SS. Though he's a big guy at 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, his range and hands are fine, and he boasts a plus arm. Mercer was Oklahoma State's closer, and hits 91-94 mph on the radar (his future's in the field, not the hill, even tho he holds the school save record with 17.)

He has room to improve as a hitter, and needs to add some muscle and sharpen his eye. Hit .330 with 12 doubles, 14 home runs and 60 RBI in 62 games this year as a junior with the Cowboys. Mercer's speed is slightly above-average, and he's an instinctive runner if not a base stealer.

> D’Arnaud took over as the everyday SS for Pepperdine this spring after playing the hot corner for two years. He showed good range, soft hands, a solid, accurate arm, and should be able to handle SS at the next level. He runs well and is a heads-up hustler on the base paths.

His bat is of some concern. Scouts believe that most of his faults are correctable; he needs to go with the pitch better and improve his plate discipline. But D'Arnaud handles the bat well and has easy, projectable power with a slight uppercut stroke. He hit .314 with 17 doubles, 11 home runs and 50 RBI as a junior this year.

> RHP Fagan was named the Region 15 Junior College Pitcher-of-the-Year in 2006 at Rockland CC. He gave up his final season of eligibility last year and tried to catch on with the Cubs as an undrafted free agent. We've believe that he's a power pitcher, and he's big enough to be at 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds.

On the ex-Pirate front: Gonzo is finally back. Mike Gonzalez will join the Braves Tuesday and is ready to be activated from the disabled list on Wednesday, manager Bobby Cox said. The LHP is two weeks past his year anniversary of having TJ surgery on his elbow. One setback prevented his return in mid-May, but Gonzalez has rounded into form after 4 minor league rehabilitation appearances in Class AA Mississippi and 5 in AAA Richmond.

> As expected, the Willie Randolph era in New York has come to an end. He and a couple of coaches were let go. Jerry Manuel is the interim manager.

Notes on a day off...

On the Pirate front: Ryan Doumit was named the NL's co-Player of the Week, along with Florida Marlins starter Ricky Nolasco. Doumit batted .400 (10-25) with 4 home runs.

He had a .960 slugging percentage and 24 total bases, tied for the league lead with 8 runs scored, and drove in 7 runs. Nolasco went 2-0 with 15 strikeouts in 2 starts lasting 14-2/3 innings.

> Xavier Nady has a sprained left shoulder, but the team has no plans yet to place him on the DL. The MRI scan showed a Grade 1 acromioclavicular joint sprain in the shoulder, which sounds worse than it is. There is no damage to the cuff or labrum.

The Pirates said they will take the next coupla days to see how Nady's wing heals. He'll rejoin the team tomorrow in Chicago.

On the minor league front: Chris Duffy returned to Altoona, and the 2004 Curve MVP started in CF and led off. He went 0-for-3. We think he may be there for awhile, but he's been so far under the radar this year that we'll just have to wait and see what he has and what the Pirate plans for him are.

> The 2008 South Atlantic League All-Star Game will be held Tuesday night. Hickory's 3B Bobby Spain and SS Jose De Los Santos will start for the Northern Division team, while 1B Miles Durham also made the team as a reserve.

On the draft front: The Pirates signed five more picks from the 2008 draft.

3B Jeremy Farrell, the 8th choice from the U of Virginia, is the son of Boston Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell. He led the Cavaliers with 11 homers and 51 RBIs and was hitting .320 with 47 strikeouts in 200 at-bats during the regular season.

His swing mechanics improved this season, and he hit with more pull power, but there is still some question about his bat speed. 1B is probably his best position because he's a tad slow with an average arm, though he might be athletic enough to play a corner OF position.

> Calvin Anderson, from Southern A&M, the 12th choice, is a 1B, and the son of former Pittsburgh Steeler Fred Anderson. He's a big galoot at 6-7, 240 lbs., and hits from the right side. Like most guys from the SWAC, Anderson is still raw.

He has a long, powerful swing with full extension but has shown good bat control as well. Anderson has been a steady hitter as a three-year starter at Southern, hitting .328-8-34 this spring.

> They also signed SS Jarek Cunningham, their 18th pick from Mt. Spokane HS. Cunningham had a commitment to Arizona State but opted to go pro. The Bucs signed a slew of SS's, so Cunningham may see time at 2B.

There are no recent stats available - Cunningham missed most of his senior season to rehab a knee injury.

> And finally, twin picks from West Point: catcher Christopher Simmons (41st round) and outfielder Cole White (42nd round). Simmons hit .318 with 8 HR's, and is thought to be an organization-type C.

White was an effective two-way player for Army. For much of his career he was the team's best hitter while also pitching. The Pirates plan to try him as an outfielder. He hit .373 with 8 HR's this year.

They'll get a break in their military assignments, much like David Robinson. Athletes can fulfill their commitments by engaging in recruiting and other related activities.

By our count, that's 21 guys they've signed. We hope they're aiming for 30 or so, seeing that so many of the toolsy players they picked have yet to ink a deal. We're a little surprised at how many late picks they've signed. It could portend a major housecleaning in the Pirate minor league organization.

On the high school front: Pittsburgh lost a great coach today, Peabody's Norm Frey. Although he enjoyed plenty of basketball success, it surprises some to discover that baseball was his first love.

He and Ken McDonough had a unique coaching relationship. Frey was Peabody's head baseball coach from 1955-68 and won 6 City League championships. When he resigned, McDonough took over, and Frey became his assistant. With the McDonough-Frey combo, Peabody won 14 City League baseball titles during the days when Peabody was usually as good as any of the WPIAL's best teams.

"He was my mentor," McDonough said. "I knew a little about baseball, but I had no idea how shallow I was until I sat down and talked with him after I got hired."

Both retired from teaching and coaching in 1992. After retiring from Peabody, Frey still was an assistant baseball coach in the Pittsburgh Federation League. When Mike Wilson became Duquesne's coach in the fall of 1993, the first person he called was Frey to offer him an assistant coach's job. He coached seven years at Duquesne.

"When I first got the job, I called Norm before I even called my wife," Wilson told the Post Gazette. "There wasn't anybody better than him who knew and could teach fundamentals." Frey even had two batting cages in the back yard of his North Side home, so he could give hitting lessons to kids.

God speed, Norm Frey.

Be still, my heart

Well, we'll say this - if the last two games of this series were playoff games, they'd be shown on ESPN 'til the cows came home. As is, the Bucs salvaged a win in the three game set filled with high drama, taking a 10 inning, 5-4 victory.

Jason Michaels two-out, two run single. Nate McLouth's catch with two out and two on. Brian Roberts going the opposite way for a two-out, two run ninth inning homer to tie the game. Adam LaRoche stroking the game winner in the tenth. Matt Capps getting a blown save and win in the same game, a day after George Sherrill did the same for the O's.

It's what you'd expect to see from two teams that aren't there yet, but heading down the right road. Big hits, big plays, big hearts. And what more can you ask for?

On the Pirate front: Xavier Nady has a left shoulder contusion after crashing into the wall chasing after a foul fly in the ninth last night. X-rays taken last night were negative, but he will have a MRI test tomorrow in Pittsburgh, and the results will tell the tale as to whether he'll go on the DL or be good to go.

> Who woulda thunk it in April? The Pirates have gone a season-high 65 innings without committing an error. That's 7 games plus. Who sez having Jack Splat back doesn't make a difference? (EDIT - Jose Bautista ended the streak at 73 innings with his ninth inning boot today. Nice timing, Joey Bats.)

On the minor league front: C Ronny Paulino hit his fourth home run at Indy, a two-run shot. He's returning a bit to earth - his average is down to .429.

> LHP Danny Moskos is starting to heat up. He pitched 7 2/3 scoreless innings and allowed 3 hits while striking out 7 and walking 1. His record is 6-3, with a 4.04 ERA at Lynchburg.

For those with a short memory, Clemson's Moskos was the Pirate's top pick in 2007, selected 4th overall, ahead of the now infamous Matt Weiters. He's being converted from a closer to a rotation guy.

> Brad Lincoln is settling in a Hickory. He allowed 3 runs on 9 hits in six innings. He struck out 4 and walked 2 in his shakiest start since coming back from rehab. We're curious to see how his arm holds up as the innings add up. Lincoln is 3-2 with a 2.70 ERA.

> Hickory 1B Miles Durham hit his 11th home run and went 2 for 4 with a triple and 2 RBIs. The 25 year old is hitting .335 with 49 RBIs.

On the hot stove front: Dejan Kovacevic of the Post Gazette wrote today about why Jason Bay may be off the trade market - Hey, Jay Bay May Stay.

> MLB Trade Rumors agrees - "Xavier Nady is more likely to go. The Boras client is not expected to re-sign with the Pirates when he reaches free agency after the 2009 season. Trading him now makes sense - he's hitting well and he's more than a rental."

On the draft front: Scout.com likes the Pirate draft. Their take:
"This is the year that Pittsburgh Pirates' fans have been waiting for. There is perhaps no other team that landed two more impressive talents with their top two picks. If Tanner Scheppers is indeed healthy, he and Alvarez are two of the premier talents in this draft class.

Pittsburgh then took advantage of the depth of college position players, nabbing two quality shortstops in back to back rounds in Mercer and D'Arnaud. Just when it seemed they'd go college heavy throughout the draft, Pittsburgh may have gotten a steal with prep outfielder Robbie Grossman at 174th overall.

Beyond just the elite talent at the front of the class, the depth that Pittsburgh added really is remarkable, and that's where the sleepers come into play for them. In the 8th and 9th rounds they were able to get two quality third baseman still on the board, Jeremy Farrell and Matt Hague.

Their best sleeper pick of all, though, may have been their 14th round pick, Mike Colla. Colla gives them a durable college arm with a good, low-90's fastball."

Hague's the only one they've signed so far, so we'll see how it plays out. Drafting good players is the start, but getting them inked and into the fold is another story.

On the ex-Pirate front: LHP Shane Youman, who was released as part of the Pirate housecleaning over the winter, was cut from Phil's Double-A team, Reading. He was flat-out awful, with an 0-1 record, 11.28 ERA, 21 walks surrendered in 22-1/3 innings and a WHIP of 2.42.

It's the same old song...

Ya know, it'd be nice to see a team in sync, pitching the ball, hitting the ball, catching the ball. Pittsburgh has a knack of doing one or two of the above, but just can't seem to put all three together.

The Pirates have scored 13 times and hit 5 home runs at Camden Yards. They've fielded pretty well. And they've lost both games.

There's talk about getting Matt Kemp, Chase Headley, Pedro Alvarez. That's nice, but what Pittsburgh needs is a couple of arms like the O's Radhames Liz or the Red's Edinson Volquez on the hill.

Buc starters can't carry a game past the sixth, and the pen is overworked and overexposed. Last year Captain Hook, Jim Tracy, went to the bullpen 395 times.

John Russell, who tries to protect his relievers, is on pace to make the call 425 times this season. His guys so far average 2.6 appearances and 3 innings per game. The five amigos will make 70-75 outings apiece at this rate. Matt Capps was the only Pirate reliever to pitch in more than 65 games in 2007.

Now part of that is that Russell doesn't trust his long guys very much, and Tracy had Shawn Chacon and to a lesser degree, Solly Torres, to eat innings. Also, the Bucs are competing more often, and close games require the back of the bullpen arms. But the Pittsburgh rotation has to control their pitch counts and get games to the 8th inning every so often.

It's an old adage, but starting pitching wins. Someone tell the Pirates.

On the Pirate front: The Post Gazette's Paul Meyer and the Trib's Rob Biertempfel reported that Adam LaRoche, benched for a second straight game, had a twenty-to-thirty minute, closed door meeting with John Russell yesterday. No mention of what was discussed was made by either side.

> Holy Moley! Chris Duffy will begin a rehab assignment with Class AA Altoona Sunday. Will wonders never cease?

On the minor league front: JVB continues to dazzle 'em at Indy. He pitched seven scoreless innings and allowed two hits, winning 2-0. He struck out seven and walked two. JVB's record for the Indians is 7-1 with a 3.74 ERA.

> At Altoona, Evan Meek pitched two scoreless innings of relief for his second save. He struck out three and dropped his Curve ERA to 2.81.

> 3B Bobby Spain stayed on fire, going 3 for 4 with a double and two RBIs. He's hitting .311 at Hickory. He was Pittsburgh's 19th round pick in the 2007 draft.

On the draft front: The Pirates reeled in three more draft picks. Signing on the dotted line were 3B Matt Hague (No. 9), RHP Owen Brolsma (No. 48) and OF Craig Parry (No. 50).

Hague hit .360 with 12 homers and 57 RBI in 62 games this season at Oklahoma State. He's shown good power and plate discipline, and hit well in the wood bat Cape Cod League. The Indians drafted him 11th in 2007, so the suits were well aware of him.

Hague's strong suit is his offense, and he profiles much better defensively in RF than either corner infield spot. Some scouts are intrigued by his pitching because he has flashed a 94 mph fastball in brief relief stints, but he was drafted as a hitter.

Brolsma had TJ surgery in 2005 and hasn't pitched much or successfully for Texas Tech, but he has a low-90s fastball and a slider as his second pitch. The Pirates apparently felt the long layoff (he also lost a year when he transferred to TT) hurt him and his arm was worth a look. He figures to be a reliever.

Parry, the Buc's Mr. Irrelevant, is a left handed power hitter from South Dakota State. He played catcher, outfield, and third, although in 2007 he was primarily a DH. He spent two years in JC ball before going to SD State, where he was an academic All-American. Parry hit .338 with 10 HRs.

That gives Pittsburgh 16 guys signed from the draft - but none of the top six yet.

(The draftee bios were taken in the main from WTM's Pirate Player Profiles, a most excellent site.)

Payback

Pirates, let us count the ways. Second and third, no one out. No one scores. Bases loaded, one out. No one scores. They load the bases with one out again. Again, no one scores.

Matt Capps comes on, for the fourth consecutive game and fresh from blowing his first game of the year. He walked the first batter after being ahead 0-2. Sounds like a recipe for another dismal night in Pittsburgh.

But the Bucs weren't to be denied tonight and ground out a 3-1 win over the Nats. Ian Snell looked like the ace of old, going 6 innings and K'ing 6. He was finally efficient with his pitches, throwing 93 - and 61 were strikes. It was Snell's first W since April 12th, and he's now 3-6.

Capps got back on the bike again, getting a fly out and DP to end the game and notch his 16th save, a day late, maybe, but a rose by any other name...

Can there be a better breakout story than Ryan Doumit? He pumped out three more hits and another dinger, this one right handed. What a difference he makes in the middle of the order, especially with the continued Adam LaRoche funk.

LaRoche is hitting .213, 30 points lower than any other starter. And worse, his slugging percentage is higher than only Jack Splat's and Freddie Sanchez', our middle infielders. John Russell has dropped him to 6th in the order, and he may go lower.

He's batting .194 against lefties, and if they could platoon Joey Bats, they have every reason to do it for LaRoche, too. Our guess is the only reason they haven't is the hope that he snaps out of it so Pittsburgh can move him off its' books.

But hey, if the Pirate pitching keeps it up, Pittsburgh can afford to carry a glove at first base.

On the Pirate front: For all of the incessant yada yada yada, the Bucs haven't been at .500 since they were 7-7 on April 15. They've crept up to within one game of .500 five different times, and rolled back down the hill.

We'd like to see the media fixate on something else, like what the record will be on September 28th.

On the minor league front: Ronny Paulino is now 9-for-13 (.692) with 2 homers, 5 runs scored and 4 RBIs since being optioned to Indy on Friday.

>Class A Lynchburg's SS Brian Friday and 3B Jim Negrych have been chosen to represent the Hillcats in the California-Carolina League All-Star Game. Friday, the club's 3rd selection in last season's draft, is hitting .301 with 41 runs scored. Negrych's .353 batting average and 82 hits lead the Carolina League. The third baseman's 39 RBIs rank third. He's from Pitt.

>Hickory's 3B Bobby Spain was selected as a South Atlantic ("Sally") League All Star. He's hitting .312 with 4 HR's and had a 21 game hitting streak earlier in the season.

Neil Walker and Joey Bats better keep their heads on a swivel - Pedro gets drafted #1, and both Class A third basemen make the All-Star team. A veritable embarrassment of riches for Pittsburgh at the hot corner!

>Brian Rogers, who was released by the Pirates last week, signed on with the Tigers and has been assigned to AAA Toledo. That was his organization before he came to Pittsburgh.

On the draft front: The Bucs signed a gaggle of late round picks today.

They inked C Mark Carver (33) from North Carolina-Wilmington, 3B Matthew Payne (34) of North Carolina State, RHP Allan Knotts (38) of Louisiana Tech, LHP Michael Williams (44) of Mount Olive College, 1B/P Allen Ponder (45) of Auburn at Montgomery, and finally RHP Zachary Foster (49) of Pitt-Bradford.

Carver was a fifth-year senior, setting a school record for RBIs with 82 and hitting .347 with 16 HRs. According to Baseball America, he has an average arm and below-average receiving skills, but is pretty athletic and could move to another spot. The Bucs are gonna try him behind the dish for now.

Payne, a senior, went to school as a pitcher, was converted to the infield, and didn't earn a starting job until this year. He hit .320 with 9 HR's and drew about as many walks as K's at the plate, so he's got a decent eye.

Knotts is another 5th year senior, and he both started and worked out the pen, compiling a 3-3 record with a save and an ERA of 4.74. Williams is a senior and was 8-2 for the D-2 champs, Mt. Olive, with a 4.10 ERA.

Ponder is one of the hybrids that Littlefield loved so much. He went to Alabama as a pitcher, played 2 years, sat out 2, and finished at AUM as a 1B/closer. He was 8-1 with 6 saves and a 2.01 as a reliever, and hit .349 with 18 HR's for his NAIA team. He'll be 25 in September, so he better be a quick read in the minors.

Foster, a junior who attended Bradford HS, was 3-1 with a 5.40 ERA in 10 outings, 8 as a starter.

(We got most of their rundowns thanks to WTM's Pirate Player Profiles.

It ain't over 'til the fat lady sings...

Ya could see this one coming. All the papers and TV talking heads were yapping about a Pirate sweep of the Nats and the surge into interleague play. Most ballplayers say they don't read the papers; the Bucs sure shouldn't have today.

Well, forget the sweep. In one of the more crushing defeat suffered at PNC, the Pirates lost 7-6 to Washington. The Nats had the middle of its' order out and the fewest home runs in the league, but banged out five blasts, one with two away in the ninth, to stun Pittsburgh, which had one of the best finishing records in baseball.

The Pirates blew a 4-1 lead in the seventh and a 6-5 lead in the ninth.

There were a couple of bright spots. Ryan Doumit was a monster, crushing two homers and adding a pair of doubles. He also slid headfirst into second and escaped with his thumb in one piece, so that's a plus too.

The chatter about Freddie Sanchez' shoulder should also be laid to rest after watching the great relay he made from right to easily gun out Lastings Milledge at the plate.

We're not exactly sure what problem child Elijah Dukes did to set off Manny Acta, but the Nat's manager lit into him during the dugout celebration of Milledge's game winner.

When the team lined up for the customary high fives after the game, Dukes pulled the old junior high snub and ignored Acta. But as the game ended, Acta was walking Dukes back to the locker room with his arm around his shoulder, chatting into his ear. Tough love in DC, we guess.

As for the Pirates, well, they've been resilient all season, and we hope this doesn't launch them into their traditional June swoon. Maybe a little lesson on hubris will do the boys some good.

On the Pirate front: Looks as if nobody outside Pittsburgh appreciates the work that Nate McLouth, Xavier Nady and Jay Bay have done so far this year.

McLouth is the only one getting any All-Star ballot-box love, and he's just 11th among OFs, while Bay and Nady haven't cracked the top 15. As Rodney Dangerfield sez, "I don't get no respect..."

On the minor league front: Altoona RHP Yoslan Herrera was named the Bank of America Eastern League Pitcher of the Week for the week ending Sunday. In his lone start during the week, the 27-year-old Cuban tossed a career-high eight scoreless innings.

On the draft front: A word of caution to those Bucco fans that are goo-goo over the Pirate draft haul. It's true that in the back end rounds they picked some toolsy, upside kids that projected to go much earlier in the draft.

What's also true is that Pittsburgh has little chance to lure them away from college unless they bury them in big bucks. They're not "steals" - their price will be dear.

And they won't hop aboard unless one or two of the kahunas at the head of the list don't ink a deal, freeing up some extra loot. The Buc's pot of gold isn't unlimited (don't we know that!), but the later picks are just a solid Plan B to keep the system bubblin' away if the big boys decide to wait it out another year.

We see it as a nice, professional draft with an acceptable amount of risk, given the state of the Pirate organization. But it doesn't mean a thing if you can't get the right names signed on the dotted line. August 15th, the contract deadline, is draft D-Day. Then we can start rating and debating the newest class of Pirates.

And don't hold your breath waiting. Pedro Alvarez not only has Scott Boras working for him, but intends to finish school (which is a big thumbs-up in our book.) We don't expect a quick deal being cut for him, and the rest of the draft won't fall into place until he puts his "X" on the paper.

On the high school front: Canon-McMillan cruised past Central Mountain, 14-0, to reach the AAAA-PIAA championship game. AA Burrell whipped unbeaten Sharon 8-1 to advance to the state finals. Carmichaels stopped the Serra try for state A titles in football, basketball and baseball when they jumped on the Eagles early and took a 6-0 victory. AAA Trinity lost a 1-0 heartbreaker to Somerset.

>On the girl's side of the ledger, Latrobe's Alexa Bryson shut out Central York, 1-0, in 13 innings, giving up 5 hits and striking out 25. Bryson hasn't allowed a run in the postseason, covering 6 games and 51 innings. Pretty good stuff from the senior, who has one more hill to climb, the AAAA championship.

WPIAL A Champ Vincentian beat Bishop Guilfoyle 7-2 to earn a title shot.

AAA Belle Vernon fell 2-0 to Susquehannock. The WPIAL teams in AA got knocked out early, and Bald Eagle will represent the west.

Hot fun in the summertime...

Ah, a little payback. No, not during the early mashup between the teams, but when the Bucs finally turned the tables on a wild pitcher, in this case none other than the Big Unit.

Doug Mientkiewicz walked to lead off the third. He scored - on Luis Rivas' bases loaded walk. Jason Michaels walked with one out in the fourth. He scored. Jack Splat walked to begin the fifth. He scored. Mientkiewicz walked again to start the sixth. He scored again. Spot a trend?

Randy Johnson walked 5 in his 5-2/3 innings. Four scored, and the other drove in a run. How often has this happened against Pittsburgh? Sweet to be on the fat end of that stick for once, hey?

Zach Duke quietly put together another nice game, evening his record at 4-4 and dropping his ERA to 4.10. He went six, giving up a pair of runs on five hits, and striking out 5.

Damaso Marte and Tyler Yates came on to provide a little drama before Matt Capps got the call, and nine pitches later, he had netted his 15th save in 15 tries. The Bucs finished on top 5-3 to salvage a draw of the four game set with the D-Backs.

Yates wildness hasn't hurt the Pirates yet, but it's beginning to become a little worrisome. We hope he can find his eye if he's gonna keep pitching in the seventh. After all, his rep as a wild thing is what got him dealt to Pittsburgh.

The boys got a little feisty in the heat. Arizona manager Bob Melvin was ejected by home plate umpire Jeff Kellogg after arguing that a double was a homer in the second. Boo hoo, hehe. Then the clubs threatened to have a third inning smack down when Mientkiewicz and Johnson exchanged looks and then words.

The benches and bullpens emptied, but a tennis match broke out and calm was restored. Who woulda thunk the Zachster would outdo the Big Unit - and have more K's, to boot?

All in all, a fine way to spend a summer afternoon.

On the Pirate front: How good has the bullpen fivesome of Tyler Yates, Frankie Osoria, Damaso Marte, John Grabow and Matt Capps been? Today, the Pirates ran their record to 21-0 when leading after six innings. The outings haven't all been gems, but plenty good enough to close the deal.

>Jason Michaels was ejected for arguing a strike call yesterday. He was playing for the gimpy Xavier Nady, and as a result, Doug Mientkiewicz had to sub in right field for only the 6th time in his 11 year career. We hope John Russell explained the difference between passionate and stupid to Mr. Michaels.

On the minor league front: Indy scored 5 times in the ninth to pull out a 9-7 win. TJ Beam ran his record to 2-0 with a 1.72 ERA and Jesse Chavez, who's coming out of a recent pitching funk, got the save, his fourth. His ERA is 3.44.

Neil Walker hit his 8th and 9th long balls of the year, picking up 4 RBI's and his average, now at .237. The thought of Pedro coming aboard seems to have brought out the best in Walker.

Ronny Paulino is batting clean-up for the Indians, and went 2-5 tonight with a double.

>The Pirates made an interesting move when they signed Franklyn German to a AAA contract a few days ago. The 6'7", 260 lb. Dominican RHP has pitched for Detroit, Florida and Texas, and boasts a high-90's heater and a split finger fastball. German, 28, is considered to have closer potential.

His only drawback? In 158-2/3 big league innings, he's struck out 114 - and walked 119! So far in Indy, it's been 2 innings, 2 K's, 2 walks.

>Brian Rogers, the pitcher the Bucs bagged from the Tigers for Sean Casey, was released to open a spot. The suits didn't see him as having a major league arm. The transition from soft throwers to flame throwers continues.

>Altoona had a big night too, winning 13-5. Shelby Ford became just the tenth player in Curve history to record five hits in a single game. 5-for-6 on the evening, the 2B was a homer shy of the cycle and finished the night with a triple, double and three singles along with a pair of runs scored and an RBI. He's hitting .365.

C Miguel Perez (.304) and OF Jonel Pacheco (.298) also had big nights. Perez finished the night 2-for-5 with 5 RBI. He hit a home run, a three-run double, and a sac fly. Pacheco added three doubles en route to going 3-for-6.

>Mike Crotta led Lynchburg to an 8-2 win. The 23 year old RHP threw 6-2/3 innings, allowing two runs on two hits and striking out four in his longest start of the season. Crotta is now 5-4 with a 4.84 ERA.

>Brad Lincoln and Hickory lost 2-1. He went 5, giving up both runs, as his record dropped to 3-2. The Crawdads have lost four in a row, and 7 straight on the road.

On the draft front: Pittsburgh picked off some of the low hanging fruit and inked three selections this morning. 11th-rounder OF Dave Rubinstein of Appalachian State, 35th round pick LHP Tyler Cox of Illinois State, and 36th round draftee OF Kyle Morgan from the U of San Francisco all agreed to deals.

Rubinstein, a junior, hit .332 with 9 home runs and 48 RBIs as a junior and was an All-America. Senior Cox was 4-4 with a 4.55 ERA in nine starts, and Morgan, another senior, batted .298 with 6 home runs and 50 RBIs.

The heat is on...

The Bucs rode a huge fourth inning and 5-2/3 pretty strong innings from Phil Dumatrait to take one from the D-Backs this afternoon, 6-4.

Pittsburgh put up a five spot in the fourth, turning five hits (3 were doubles) and a walk into runs, the key blow being Jay Bay's two-out, two run, two sacker. The Pirates could have really iced it the fifth, but a botched bunt turned into a DP, killing a potentially game breaking inning.

Dumatrait gave up a pair, and the bullpen sweated it out through the heat to stagger to the win. Five relievers gave up 3 hits and 3 walks in the final 3-1/3 innings, but had enough of a cushion to hang on at the finish line.

Matt Capps picked up the save, his 14th in 14th chances. The Mad Capper threw a couple of change-ups today, a pitch he's been working on to augment his heat. Look for a little more off speed stuff from him in the future, just enough to keep the hitters guessing and give the lefties a little something to worry about.

Dumatrait is now 3-3 with a 3.44 ERA, and the Bucs have won 6 of his 8 starts. Amazing what a change of scenery and a little confidence will do for a pitcher.

He said "I really didn't feel that good. I didn't have good off-speed stuff today and I had to rely on the fastball. I kind of relied on my defense and they picked me up today."

And that's how a thrower learns to become a pitcher.

On the Pirate front: Xavier Nady missed another game for the Pirates because of what the team described as inflammation in his lower left leg. So much for the groin tweak. This may bear watching - maybe what Jack Splat had is contagious. (EDIT - Wilson's in the clear; it's Nady's ankle that's bothering him.)

As reported by the Post Gazette, he lobbied to play, but it only makes sense, given his injury history, to let him rest his wheel.

>Jose Bautista has hit .436 since John Russell let him out of the doghouse 13 games ago, and he's only booted one ball in the past 36 games. If Joey Bats can give Pittsburgh a little production at third, the whole lineup looks different. And he needs to. He tends to carry his at bats in the field with him.

>After a couple of days, Ian Snell was still feeling a little stiff but should be fine after taking a line drive to his lower left back and left elbow in the third inning of Friday's game.

He's scheduled to go Wednesday against the Nats.

>Ronny Paulino's visit to Indy may have as much to do with his pitch selection as his bat. With Paulino behind the dish, batters hit .304/.471 slugging, compared to Ryan Doumit's .264/.384 and Raul Chavez' .278/.395.

Runs per inning doesn't favor him either - he gave up .68, Doumit .52, and Chavez .43. Over nine innings, the runs per game break down to Paulino - 6.12, Doumit - 4.68, and Chavez - 3.87. Quite a difference, no?

And while fielding percentage is fairly even - Doumit and Chavez have more passed balls than Paulino, who actually has the best % - Paulino had a 23% throw out rate for steals, Doumit 38%, and Chavez 44%. Both Doumit and Chavez have picked runners off; Paulino hasn't. To us, that says more about keeping your head in the game than it does about arm strength.

Now Chavez' stats are skewed because he missed the Matty Mo era, but in this case, the numbers don't lie. Paulino was sent down as much to learn game management as to rediscover his lost stroke. Physically, he catches an OK game and showed improvement over last season. But his game prep still needs a lot of polishing.

>On June 1, 2007, Matt Capps stepped into the closer's role for Pittsburgh and has been nearly perfect since.

He's converted 93.9 percent (31 of 33) of his save chances, which is tops in the NL and second only to the Yankees' Mariano Rivera (41 of 43, 95.3 percent) during that span. This season, Capps is a perfect 13-for-13.

>Bryan Bullington has languished in the pen since his call-up on May 29th. He hasn't worked since starting at Indy on May 25th. But the Bucs aren't too worried - they told the Tribune Review's Rob Biertempfel that BB's future is in the bullpen, not as a starter.

"Van Benschoten is our sixth starter," GM Neal Huntington said. "We don't feel as strongly about keeping Bullington stretched out as we do with Van Benschoten."

>Sean Burnett hasn't worked since June 1st, as the Pirate starters have finally been going deeper into games. After a rough start, he's been unscored on in 3 of his last 4 outings, going 5-1/3 innings with 5 hits, 1 earned run, 4 Ks and 1 walk. Burnett's ERA has dropped to 6.75. It was 9.39 before that stretch.

On the minor league front: C Ronny Paulino's Indy debut was smashing. He hit 2 home runs and went 5 for 5 with a double and 3 RBIs. The down side is the Indy pitchers gave up 13 runs and lost. 3B Neil Walker hit his 7th home run and went 3 for 5 with a double, raising his average to .233.

>Brad Lincoln takes the hill for Hickory again today. He's 3-1 with a 2.01 ERA, and his heater has been timed in the 90-94 MPH range. His rapid recovery from TJ surgery is one of the bright spots for Pittsburgh this season.

On the draft front:WTM's Player Profile Page has the dope on most of the Buc's 2008 selections. Check it out.

>Three of the high school players the Bucs selected, according to Dejan Kovacevic of the Post Gazette, fell to them because of potential contract demands: OF Robbie Grossman, expected to go in the top two rounds but taken in the 6th; RHP Andrew Gagnon, taken in the 10th round but wanting 5th round money; and 3B Zach Wilson, taken in the 26th round.

All have the advantage over the Bucs because if they don't sign, it's off to college and a chance to improve their leverage in future drafts.

>He also adds that 2nd round pick Tanner Scheppers has minor labrum damage, and the Pirates will monitor his condition before deciding if he's worth the big bucks he's seeking.

He wants paid according to his pre-injury ranking as a top ten player. The Pirates may just throw him back in the pond if an acceptable deal can't be reached and take a compensatory pick, even though the 2009 draft is considered to be fairly weak at this point.

First inning funk...

This one hurt. Tom Gorzelanny walked two of the first three batters he faced, and a couple of hits and a sac fly later, it was 3-0 D-Backs before the Bucs came to the plate.

But Gorzo put up 6 goose eggs after that, giving up only three more hits, and the Pirates used Jay Bay and Nate McLouth muscle to tie it up, 3-3. John Grabow, usually money in the bank, was nicked for a lead-off homer in the ninth to give 'Zona the lead. Did the Bucs have any ninth inning mojo left in them?

Ryan Doumit led off with a single, and Luis Rivas ran for him. After Jason Michaels squared up twice without getting a good bunt down, the Bucs took the sign off and he popped out. After that, John Russell, to his credit, gave Rivas the green light against a battery that had pretty poor luck at stopping the steal.

But this time, the baseball gods smiled on them. Rivas got a good jump and looked like he got his hand in under the tag, but the ump rang him up on a bang-bang play, and that was all she wrote.

But make no mistake - it wasn't the failed steal that cost Pittsburgh its final shot at the game. It was the failed bunt. Fundamentals, my dear Watson.

That and another miserable start. Who knows - if Pittsburgh games started in the second inning, they may be in first place.

And the first isn't the Pirate's worst inning. It's the sixth, when high pitch counts finally catch up to them. A slow start isn't just Pittsburgh's problem - the first is the highest scoring inning in the NL. We guess it takes a few pitches for the arm speed to match up to the bat speed of the Senior Circuit.

On the Pirate front: With Jack Wilson and Ryan Doumit back at the same time, the Pirates had their Opening Day lineup intact for the first time since April 3 last night. Long time coming, it seems.

On the minor league front: Rich Donnelly, player devo aide, on the Pirate farm system, as told to Dejan Kovacevic of the Post Gazette:

"When I first got here, I thought the system was pretty much bare and had no talent, from what I'd heard," Donnelly said. "But, in spring training and as I went around to all the clubs, I was really impressed. We do have talent here.

"We don't have a lot of top-tier position players, but we have players," Donnelly said. "Overall? Yes, we need an upgrading depth-wise. I think we have players at every level, but we need more depth."

Donnelly was a Pirates coach in the late 1980s and into the mid-1990s. He later plied his trade with Florida, Colorado, Los Angeles and Milwaukee.

>Andrew McCutchen was named Class AAA Indianapolis' player of the month for May. The center fielder hit .304 and stole 12 bases that month. McCutch is 18-27 in that department so far this year.

He's hitting .294 with 15 doubles, 8 HRs, 25 RBIs and a .381 OBP.

>RHP Ty Taubenheim (4-8, 4.71) pitched eight scoreless innings, giving up 4 hits. He struck out 4 and walked 1 in one of his better outings as an Indian.

>Altoona won 1-0. RHP Yoslan Herrera (3-6, 3.61) put up 8 goose eggs and allowed 4 hits. He struck out six without a walk. RHP Evan Meek (2.77) pitched two scoreless innings of relief. 2B Shelby Ford (.302) had the game winning hit.

On the draft front: What does the Pirate selection of Pedro Alvarez say about Neil Walker?

With Walker playing third for Triple-A Indianapolis, the assumed progression was that he would transition into being the team's everyday third baseman within the next year.

But if the Pirates are able to sign the Vandy junior this summer, it's not an unrealistic expectation that Alvarez could be ready for MLB by 2010 or even toward the end of the '09 season.

"Walker is still a quality prospect in our system," GM Neal Huntington said. "We're excited about his development and excited about his role in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization moving forward. The bottom line is we can never have enough talent."

One thing that's certain is that play time is over for the former number one pick - it's put up or shut up time for him.

>The Bucs picked up local son Scott McGough, from Plum High school, in the 46th round. The slim 18 year old RH plays SS.

>Dave Mackall of the Tribune Review has all the area kids, both high school and college, that went in the 2008 draft: Local Picks.

>The Pirates also selected several players who are sons of former pro athletes.

In the eighth round, the Bucs took Jeremy Farrell, the son of Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell, who is a former big league starter. The Pirates selected former first baseman Rafael Palmeiro's son, Jeremy, in the 22nd round. Both Farrell and Palmeiro were drafted as third basemen.

The Bucs' 17th-round pick, outfielder Jaron Shepherd, is son of former big leaguer, Ron Shepherd. Plum shortstop Scott McGough, son of former Cleveland Indians pitcher Tom McGough, was taken in the 46th round.

And for Pittsburgh Steelers fans, the Bucs' 12th-round selection, first baseman Calvin Anderson, is son of former Steeler Fred Anderson.

> A couple of ex-Bucs had their kids picked, too. Rod Scurry, RHP from the University of Nevada-Reno, was the 31st round selection of the Rockies. He's Hot Rod's kid, a Bucco number one pick in 1974 and lefty bullpen arm from 1980 - 1985.

James Tunnell, OF, was chosen in the 43rd round by the Padres. He's Lee's son, a RHP who was in Pittsburgh from 1982 - 1985.

Draft link

The Pirate draft choices for 2008: Pittsburgh Picks.

So far, about half the selections have been high school players. They're notoriously hard to sign this early in their careers, but it tells us that the suits are trying to put together a team that'll come of age in 2011-12 and still have some kids stockpiled to keep the ball rolling beyond that group.

And it sure seems to us that they intend to remain at least competitive until they hit that window of opportunity.

Also, the lower levels of the Buc's system are a little gray (the old bosses liked college kids a lot), and it seems like they're addressing that in this draft.

Throw in the anticipated pipeline of Latino players expected when the Dominican Academy gets fully on line, and the new brass are making good on their promise to retool the organization and try to get it on a self-sustaining footing so far.

The only surprise to us is that they only took three pitchers in the first 13 rounds. Either they're more impressed with the organization's arms than we are, or it was a lousy year for young guns on the hill.

We'll see in another five weeks, when the signing deadline hits on August 15th. (Teams usually get about half their picks to sign on the dotted line. And remember - every kid that signs means one that's already in the system goes.)

But we like the plan as it takes shape so far. Some risk, a lot of bucks to be shelled out, and upside through the roof. Now to see what the long awaited fire sale will bring to the Pirate lineup...

On the past draft front: Here's where & when the current Bucco 25 man roster was drafted - Jose Bautista (20-2000), Jay Bay (22-2000), Bryan Bullington (1-2002), Sean Burnett (1-2000), Matt Capps (7-2002), Ryan Doumit (2-1999), Zach Duke (20-2001), Phil Dumatrait (1-2000), Chris Gomez (3-1992), Tom Gorzelanny (2-2003), John Grabow (3-1997), Adam LaRoche (29-2000), Paul Maholm (1-2003), Nate McLouth (25-2000), Jason Michaels (4-1998), Doug Mientkiewicz (5-1995), Xavier Nady (2-2000), Freddy Sanchez (11-2000), Ian Snell (26-2000), Jack Wilson (9-1998), and Tyler Yates (23-1998).

Raul Chavez, Damaso Marte, Franquelis Osoria, and Luis Rivas are all Latino players and weren't draft eligible, so they were signed as free agents to begin their careers.

The Pirates have four #1's, 9 more picked in the top 10, and their longest shot was Adam LaRoche, who was taken in the 29th round. 9 of the 21 draftees were picked in 2000; 6 more were selected prior to that. So 15 of 21, over 70% of the team, have over 8 years as pro ballplayers. That doesn't sound like a young team to us.

(The stats were taken from the Baseball Reference, a great site for MLB geeks.)

Houston, we have ignition...

Paul Maholm rode out a rough start, and backed by the bats of the Jay boys, Michaels and Bay, knocked off the Astros 4-3 tonight.

In the first couple of innings, Maholm couldn't get the ball down, and the Buc fielders couldn't get it out of their mitts. It was 3-3 after two, thanks to Jason Michael's three-run shot, and settled into a pretty nice ballgame after that.

Maholm gave the Pirates' rotation their third quality start in a row. He gave up five hits in his first two innings, then retired 20 out of the next 23 batters to earn his 4th win of the year against 5 losses.

Maholm surrendered two earned runs and got 14 ground-outs, while throwing just 86 pitches - 64 for strikes. His start marks the first time the Pirates have had starters go into the eighth inning in back-to-back games since Aug. 12-13 of last season.

Pittsburgh notched the winner in the fifth when Jay Bay tripled off the glove of Jose Cruz Jr. in center, who was focused more on the wall than the ball. Hey, Jose, if you're gonna crash into the fence anyway, you might as well catch the ball.

Matt Capps came in to close it. He looked more like Mike Williams than the Mad Capper, but he got the job done. For Capps, it was save #13.

Pittsburgh finished its 22 game stretch against the Central division with an 11-11 slate. They're 9 games behind the pace setting Cubbies and 29-31 overall.

On the draft front: Pittsburgh took HS CF Robert Grossman from Cypress-Fairbanks High of Texas in the 6th round. He's 18, 6' and 200 lbs, throws lefty and is a switch hitter. His main selling point seems to be a motor that never quits.

According to MLB.com, "Grossman is the kind of player that can be fun to watch because he knows only one speed: full. A real grinder, he plays the game hard and makes the most of his tools, which include decent speed and some strength at the plate.

He doesn't really profile well at any outfield position, but it's also evident he won't be outworked and is the type to exceed expectations."

They see him as a Lenny Dykstra clone, and that's not a bad style of player to have in the organization.

Draft day

The Rays took all the pressure off of Pittsburgh by selecting high school wunderkind Tim Beckham, letting Pedro Alvarez fall into the Pirate's lap. Pedro said he's happy to be a Buc. The Buc's are happy to get Pedro. Now what does Boras think...?

>Keith Law of ESPN on the choice: "The pick makes sense for the Pirates, who have had a hard time developing power hitters and don't have a lot in their system. If Alvarez moved to first base, he'd have a clear path to the majors there. Same thing at third base.

My only concern is that they didn't pick the best player on the board at this point. Justin Smoak would have made just as much if not more sense. But if everything clicks with Alvarez, the Pirates have a cleanup hitter for the next several years with 40-homer potential in the majors."

>"Pedro is a player we've done a lot of work on," Neal Huntington said shortly after the selection. "He has the potential of being a middle-of-the-lineup-type bat with the added potential of being a left-handed hitter at PNC Park. It's our belief that he will be a quality Major League third baseman."

>The selection of Alvarez marks just the third time in the last 11 seasons that the Pirates have taken a position player with their first-round pick. The last time the Bucs used their first pick to select a third baseman was in 1986, when they made Jeff King the No. 1 overall pick.

We'd like to tell you more, but for some reason they put the draft on hold after the comp picks. Tough to drum up interest when the suits take recess during prime time.

>Finally! And well worth the wait. The Bucs take Tanner Scheppers, a 6'4" RHP from Fresno State. Originally recruited as a shortstop, Scheppers is a tall and athletic right-hander.

He has good arm strength with an above average fastball (92-95 MPH and it's said it touches 99. His two seamer cuts & sinks), he has a good slider (87 MPH with a late break), and decent fastball command. He's new to pitching, so his delivery is a little mechanical and he's behind on things like holding runners.

His 2008 pitching line was 8-2 in 70-2/3 innings with a whopping 105 strike outs and a 3.19 ERA.

Schepper's an intriguing right-hander with a ton of upside. He may be a little raw because of his lack of experience - he showed just two pitches early in the season - but the above-average fastball and strong early results will be enough to keep scouts coming and keep him moving up draft charts. (MLB.com)

Scheppers suffered a stress fracture of his shoulder in the past week, according to MLB Trade Rumors. This injury likely dropped him out of the early first round, and rumors abound that it may be something more serious. The risk is increased, but now Scheppers will drop and could become a steal.

The Bucs are taking a chance here, but the upside, as they see it, overrides the risk. They're taking a shot at landing two top ten picks instead of playing it safe.

We like the thinking, assuming they've done their due diligence. But a word of warning - he's been ranked anywhere from 20-70 in the draft ratings since his injury became public, so caveat emptor.

Kinda interesting - usually pitchers that Pittsburgh draft wait until they're signed before their arm falls off. Scheppers is already ahead of the curve.

>This pick was kinda out there. The Bucs chose Oklahoma State SS Jordy Mercer, a 6'3" RH. He hit .330 with 14 HRs and 60 RBIs for the Cowboys, and was on the US National team last year.

Mercer booted 12 balls in 62 games at short. He's pitched some, too, although his 5.28 ERA doesn't bode well for a spot in the pen. The Dodgers originally drafted him in 2005, in the 26th round. He's recovered without a hitch from knee surgery in 2007.

>The fourth round pick is Pepperdine junior SS Chase D'Arnaud. He's 6'3", 210 lbs, and hit .314 with 11 HR's and 50 RBIs, along with 10 stolen sacks. D'Arnaud is another leather challenged infielder, committing 20 errors in 59 games. He projects as a 2B in the pros.

Looks like the suits are hoping for a little pop out of their infielders this year. Are you paying attention, Brian Bixler?

>Justin Wilson, LHP from Fresno State, was the fifth pick. The 6'2" junior didn't have a great 2008, going 7-4 with a 4.17 ERA and 83 Ks in 99-1/3 innings, but was probably selected on last year's performance.

He was 8-5 with a 3.19 ERA and 105 Ks in 101-1/3 innings. He mostly worked as a starter, though he saw a bit of time out of the pen, too. Wilson is a converted 1B, and has two years under his belt as a full-time pitcher. He throws average heat, 88-90 MPH, and has control issues.

>The grade so far? Well, Califonia is supposed to be the alpha hotbed of US baseball talent, and Pittsburgh rarely visited it during the Littlefield era. Huntington seems like he wants to make up for that slight all in one year.

And all the picks have some question marks, mainly regarding health. But it's a shallow draft, and the Pirates are rolling the dice that the guys will all end up OK. Their eye has been focused more on potential than production, so they have a group with a lot of upside but that could crash in flames, too.

But it's worth the risk - safe picks have gotten the club no where in the past decade.

OK guys, look up the other draftees yourself. We're going out to play with the tomatoes in the backyard and catch the end of the Pirate game. See ya tomorrow.

On the draft front: Who dey gonna pick? The gurus say:

>Baseball America - Pedro Alvarez appears to be the first, second and third choice of the Pirates in the No. 2 hole. At the very least, taking Alvarez would signal to skeptical Bucs fans that the new bosses, team president Frank Coonelly and GM Neal Huntington, aren’t the same as the old bosses. The Alvarez-to-Pittsburgh talk is so strong, most sources don’t really know what Pittsburgh’s backup plan could be, other than Cliff Stoudt.

>MLB.com - Pittsburgh Pirates: Pedro Alvarez, 3B, Vanderbilt. No change here, with the Pirates still in line to make some waves by taking Alvarez. They'll still consider Posey and perhaps even Matusz if they feel they need to go with the top college pitcher.

>Baseball Prospectus - The Pirates are in a bit of a pickle with this selection. The Rays are good because they’ve done great things with their picks; the Pirates are faltering because they have failed with theirs.

In 2006, they selected Brad Lincoln in front of Clayton Kershaw and Tim Lincecum. In 2005, they nabbed Andrew McCutcheon — a fine prospect in his own right — but one pick later the Reds selected Jay Bruce. In 2002, with the first overall pick, they decided on Bryan Bullington over B.J. Upton.

Many of those decisions were based on money, and while new team president Frank Coonelly was previously charged with enforcing MLB’s silly slotting system for the draft, the Pirates insist that they are playing it cheap no longer. That seemingly would make Alvarez the obvious pick here, but his price might be too high, even for the Pirates, who are concerned with some holes in his swing and his ability to stay at third base long-term.

Tim Beckham is more risky, but should come at a more reasonable price, and many believe he’s a superior prospect to Alvarez by any measurement.

Selection: Tim Beckham, SS, Griffin HS (GA)

>CBS Sports - The Pirates are supposedly thinking about picking Pedro Alvarez, to prove that they are willing to spend cash on a player. Alvarez is a great prospect, but broke a bone his hamate bone before the season started and hasn't been himself this season.
I think this injury, plus the fact that Alvarez will eventually be a 1st baseman (in my opinion due to his below average speed and average arm). I think there's enough risk here that the Pirates will back off.

So, enough about who they won't take. I expect they'll go for one of three players (along w/ Alvarez being an outside possibility): Posey (if he's available), Tim Beckham, a high school SS, or Brian Matusz, a lefty out of Univ of San Diego. The Pirates are the worst in the majors in pitching.

Update: The same information is out there regarding Alvarez and the Pirates willingness to take him. I can't say I'm any more convinced now than I was then.

Pick: Brian Matusz, LHP, Junior, San Diego
Stats: 2.05 ERA (16th), 10 wins (7th), 12.48 k/9 (5th), 7.67 H/9 (75th), 1.58 BB/9 (113th) Alternate Pick: Pedro Alvarez, 3B, Vanderbilt.

>Dejan Kovacevic of the Post-Gazette - There are strong indications, internally and externally, that the Pirates favor Vanderbilt University third baseman Pedro Alvarez. According to multiple sources, they already have placed feelers with Boras to set the stage for drafting him.

Lotta opinions out there, but only one counts. We'll find out soon enough who the Bucs like.

>Pirate first rounders: 2007: Daniel Moskos, LHP, Clemson; 2006: Brad Lincoln, RHP, Houston; 2005: Andrew McCutcheon, CF, Fort Meade HS; 2004: Neil Walker, C, Pine-Richland HS; 2003: Paul Maholm, LHP, Mississippi State; 2002: Bryan Bullington, RHP, Ball State; 2001: John VanBenschoten, 1B-OF, Kent State; 2000: Sean Burnett, LHP, Weelington HS.

>Local high schoolers waiting for the phone to ring: Zak Sinclair, pitcher, West Allegheny; Plum pitcher Scott McGough; Seneca Valley pitcher Cory Mazzoni and Peters Township catcher Jordan Jankowski. They all have D1 scholarships sitting in their pockets if the round they're selected in isn't to their liking.

El Matatan....

Pedro Manuel Alvarez, 21 was born in New York City and played his scholastic ball at Horace Mann HS. His nicknames are "El Toro" and "El Matatan," (the Boss) and his favorite players are Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz.

The 6'2", 195 pound Vandy junior third baseman is batting .315 with 9 home runs and 29 RBIs in 39 games this year. He broke a hamate bone in his hand, which is an injury most guys recover from without any long term hitches. Alvarez had a terrible SEC tournament, but has recovered his stroke during the NCAA's.

In 2007, he was a selected as a first-team All-American by Baseball America, Rivals.com and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and second-team All-American by Collegiate Baseball and the American Baseball Coaches Association. He finished the year batting .386 with 18 homers and 68 RBI. Alvarez posted 29 multi-hit and 20 multi-RBI games, along with a 24-game hit streak.

He was named the National Freshman of the Year by Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball and Rivals.com in 2006. Alvarez hit for a .361 average with 7 homers and 27 RBIs. He had 22 multi-hit and 13 multi-RBI games, and stole 7 bases in 10 tries. He showed good patience at the plate, walking 57 times with an OBP of .456.

He also has two years under his belt playing for Team USA. Last summer, he hit .315 in international play with 30 RBIs and 7 long balls. Alvarez hit .382 to lead the team, with 40 RBIs and 5 HR's, in 2006.

Not only does he boast a muscle bat, but he's supposed to be a good head in the locker room, too. It's tough to top the package he's touted to be, especially in a draft that's supposed to be top-loaded but not very deep.

According to Saber Scouting, Alvarez has an impact bat with a great track record against elite pitching and with wood bats, an average or better defensive package at the hot corner, and great makeup.

MLB.com adds that Alvarez is as about as safe a bet as there is. He's is a polished and poised hitter and should hit for average in the big leagues and for at least average power. He should be OK to stay at third (his arm and range are considered average), but he'd probably make a pretty good first baseman.

Alvarez entered the season as the top player talent-wise in the draft, and even though he missed a chunk of the season after suffering a broken hamate bone, his status hasn't suffered. The only thing that could affect his draft slot are perceived bonus demands, but it's unlikely that'll force any huge slide.