FFTS Podcast-Episode Three

Photo Credit:  AP/Gene J. Puskar

It’s another episode of the Fans From The Stands Podcast!  We are on the even of Opening Day 2011 For the Pirates, and we have all the info and discussions you need to start the regular season with the Buccos!

Zane and Chad wrap up Spring Training, look ahead to the Pirates’ first road trip of the season against the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals, and discuss the Buccos’ roster, from top to bottom.

There’s also another segment of Ask Zane Anything, as well as the announcement of our first ticket giveaway, and much more!

Be sure to check back weekly for the latest episode of the podcast! 

FFTS Podcast-Episode 3

Questions?  Comments?  Shoot us an email at comments@fansfromthestands.com or fansfromthestands@yahoo.com

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Meet Your Bucs: Part Five-Infielders

By Zane Heiple

Lyle Overbay's Leadership Will Be Key For Bucs In 2011

The final part of our five-part series will focus on the men patrolling the diamond for your Pittsburgh Pirates in 2011.

Ryan Doumit:  It looks like Ryan will once again be behind the plate on Opening Day for the Pirates, due to a back injury to Chris Snyder.  This will be his 7^th season with the Pittsburgh Pirates.  He was drafted by the Buccos in the second round of the 1999 draft.  Plagued by injuries for most of his career, Doumit could play a variety of roles for the Buccos such as catcher, first baseman, right fielder, pinch hitter, or designated hitter.  His days could be numbered in a Pittsburgh uniform due to the depth at the catcher position, though his high salary may cause teams to pass on him.  For his career, he is a .269 hitter with 55 homeruns and 226 RBI.  This spring he has gone .209 with seven RBI.  As  Pirates’ fans, we hope Doumit can perform well until Snyder can come back, not only to help in the win column, but to increase his trade stock.

Jason Jaramillo:  This will be his third season in a Pirates’ uniform since coming over from the Philadelphia Phillies in a trade for Ronny Paulino in December of 2008.  The Phillies drafted him in the second round of 2004.  His time in Pittsburgh has been spent mainly as a backup catcher and filling in for Ryan Doumit when injured.  Jaramillo will once again serve as a backup this year to Doumit as well as Chris Snyder once he comes off the DL.  He’s a career .235 hitter with four homeruns and 32 RBI.  This spring he’s batted .439 with a homerun and seven RBI in 17 games.

Lyle Overbay:  A free agent signing in the offseason, Overbay was brought in to provide leadership, be a big bat in the lineup, and increase the defensive credibility of the infield.  This being his 11^th year in the big leagues, Overbay played the previous five seasons for the Toronto Blue Jays where he averaged a .266 batting average, 17 homeruns, and 67 RBI.  While his offensive numbers aren’t All-Star worthy, his defense over the past five years has yielded a .996 fielding percentage.  To some of us, this may sound like another Adam LaRoche, but hopefully Overbay’s bat will show up in the months of April and may and stay consistent throughout the year.  This spring he has batted .364 with four home runs and 13 RBI.  If he is able to maintain numbers close to these over the course of the season, it will provide the Pirates with the power the lineup has been missing for years.

Steve Pearce:  The Pirates plan to stick Pearce in the corners this season.  Over the course of Spring Training, he has seen time in left and right field, along with first and third base.  A former eighth round pick of the Pirates in the 2005 draft, Steve has spent the past few years going between Indianapolis and Pittsburgh.  2011 will be his first season on the Opening Day roster.  For his career he has a .240 average with eight homeruns and 42 RBI.  This spring he batted .286 and brought about four RBI.  His ability to learn both third base and left field this spring has allowed him to make this roster and will play a key role coming off the bench this year.

Neil Walker:  2011 will mark the first full season for the Pittsburgh Kid to be in the big leagues.  Walker was drafted by the Pirates in the first round of the 2004 draft.  After he was drafted, the Pirates had Neil switching back from playing third base and catching.  It wasn’t until 2010 that Walker was given a chance at second base by former manager John Russell.  Second base is where Pirates’ fans will see him this year and after an impressive season in 2010, it looks like he will only be better in 2011, since he has had the benefit of working all spring with Buccos’ great Bill Mazeroski.  For his career, he has hit .288 with 12 homeruns and 66 RBI.  This spring, he has increased his average to .309.  With Neil slated to hit in the second slot, he will be a major factor in the Buccos’ run scoring ability.

Ronny Cedeno:  2011 will be his third season in a Pirates’ uniform after coming over from the Seattle Mariners along with Jeff Clement, Aaron Pribanic, Brett Lorin, and Nathan Adcock for Jack Wilson and Ian Snell during the 2009 season.  Without much depth in the Minor Leagues at the shortstop position, Cedeno could be here for some time to come.  With an ability to make the spectacular play, Cedeno needs to be able to lower his errors on the routine defensive plays in 2011.  As of now it looks like he will be batting eighth in the lineup, with a .245 career batting average and only batting .200 this spring, he will need to vastly improve this number in order for the Pirates to increase their run output this season.

Pedro Alvarez:  The highest touted Pittsburgh draft pick in over two decades will begin his first full season in the Major Leagues at the hot corner for the Buccos.  The former overall number two pick by the Pirates in 2008 made his debut in a Pittsburgh uniform on June 19, 2010.  After a slow first month, Pedro finished the year strong with a .256 batting average, 16 homeruns and 64 RBI.  This spring he has hit .250 with two homeruns and 11 RBI.  Fans hope to see that with a steady place in the lineup, he will increase his batting average, as well as his homerun and RBI totals.

Josh Rodriguez:  The former second round draft pick of the Cleveland Indians in 2006, Rodriguez will make his Major League debut when he takes the field for the Pirates in 2011.  He has spent parts of three seasons at the AA level and the second part of the 2010 season at AAA.  At the AAA level, he hit .293 in 86 games.  This spring he has hit .289 with one homerun and six RBI.  Labeled as a utility player, he will most likely see most of his playing time at either shortstop or second base.

That concludes our series on the Pirates’ 25-man roster to start the 2011 season.  Please stay tuned to Fans From The Stands throughout the year for any roster moves that the Pirates make.

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Morton, Alvarez Lead Pirates Over Phillies In Final Game Of Spring

By Zane Heiple

Photo Credit: Matt Slocum/AP

The Pittsburgh Pirates wrapped up a short exhibition series with their cross state rivals, the Philadelphia Phillies, with a 4-1 win. 

Charlie Morton had a great final tuneup before he sees regular season action on Sunday.  His final line was five innings pitched, one hit, zero earned runs, with two walks and two strikeouts.  If his March stats carry over to the regular season, this could be a break out year for Charlie.

Pedro Alvarez struck first for the Buccos to give them a 2-0 lead in the second inning.  He hit a two-run blast that scored Lyle Overbay off of Phillies’ pitcher Cole Hamels. 

Philadelphia cut the lead in half in the bottom part of the inning when Ben Francisco scored on a Wilson Valdez ground out.  Francisco reached base on an Alvarez throwing error.

Mike Crotta, Chris Resop, Joel Hanrahan, and Jared Hughes pitched scoreless innings over the final four frames.  Crotta struck out one, Hanrahan gave up one hit, and Hughes walked one batter.

In the sixth inning, Steve Pearce doubled off pitcher Joe Blanton and then scored two batters later on a Jordy Mercer single to centerfield. 

The Pirates’ fourth and final run of the night came on a John Bowker sacrifice fly to leftfielder Raul Ibanez that scored Josh Rodriguez.  The run was charged to Phillies’ pitcher Juan Perez.

Tonight’s final meant that the next time the Pirates take the field, it will be the season opener against the Chicago Cubs on Friday at 2:20pm.  Kevin Correia will start for the Pirates and the Cubs will send Ryan Dempster to the hill.  Be sure to check back to Fans From The Stands after the game for a complete recap.

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Meet Your Bucs: Part Four-Outfielders

By Zane Heiple

McCutchen and Tabata Will Anchor The Bucs' Outfield In 2011

Part Four of this five part series will focus on the outfielders.

Jose Tabata:  2011 will be his first full season with the Pittsburgh Pirates after being called up to the Major Leagues in June of 2010.  A former international signee by the New York Yankees, Tabata came to the Pirates in a trade that included current Pirates’ teammates Ross Ohlendorf, Jeff Karstens, and current AAA pitcher Daniel McCutcheon in exchange for Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte.  Once rated as the Yankees’ number two prospect in 2008, Jose will be a key figure to the Pirates’ success this year.  He will be featured in the leadoff spot in left field for most of the season.  After batting .299 in 2010, it will be important for him to continued hitting around the .300 mark to help with run production.  Hopefully his Spring Training numbers will be left in Florida as he batted .234 with one homerun and five RBI’s with an OBP of .306.  Clint Hurdle would also like to utilize Tabata’s speed on the base paths so that he can be in scoring position for Neil Walker and Andrew McCutchen.

Andrew McCutchen:  The face of the franchise will begin his third season at the Major League level in 2011.  Cutch was the 11^th overall pick of the 2005 draft by the Pirates and will be patrolling centerfield and batting third for the Buccos.  He made his debut with the Pirates on June 3, 2009 after Nate McClouth was dealt to the Atlanta Braves.  This spring, McCutchen has hit .362 with three homeruns and 11 RBI’s.  MLB Network named Andrew the best centerfielder in baseball prior to the 2011 season.  With such high praise a lot is expected of McCutchen, which is something he is not shying away from as he shows leadership on and off the field.  A career .286 hitter, Cutch will be a key part of the lineup as he hopes to bring in the first two guys in the lineup and get himself into scoring position with his speed, so that Lyle Overbay and Pedro Alvarez can collect RBI’s. 

Garrett Jones:  Drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 14^th round of the 1999 draft, Garrett has become a fan favorite during his short stint with the Pirates.  Garrett signed with the Buccos prior to the 2009 season after being in the Minnesota Twins’ Minor League system for four seasons.  After being called up, he hit ten homeruns in his first month and was named N.L. Rookie of the Month for July.  On Opening Day 2010 in front of the home crowd, GI Jones hit two homeruns in his first two at-bats.  This spring GFJ has hit .214 with zero homeruns and seven RBI’s.  It was production like this throughout the 2010 season that caused the Pirates to sign Lyle Overbay in the offseason.  Because of this, Jones will be platooning the right field position with Matt Diaz in 2011, but don’t be surprised to see Garrett back at first for a few starts this season as well.

Matt Diaz:  He is new to the Pirates’ roster in 2011 as a free agent signee during the offseason.  His main role will be platooning right field with Garrett Jones.  He was originally drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays in 1999 in the 17^th round of the draft.  The Rays released him after the 2004 season after not being able to keep his stats at the plate to a high level.  The Kansas City Royals signed him for the 2005 season where he hit .281.  His next seasons were with the Atlanta Braves.  In 2007 he had his best season at the plate, hitting .338 in 124 games.  For his career he has hit .302 with 41 homeruns and 186 RBI’s.  Diaz batted .248 this spring with one homerun and six RBI’s.  Matt Diaz will mostly be used against left-handed pitching this season or in the occasion that Jones is playing first base.

John Bowker:  2011 will be his first full season in Pittsburgh after coming over in a trade from the San Francisco Giants with Joe Martinez for Javier Lopez in July of 2010.  Bowker will be playing the corner outfield positions and first base, but plans seem for him to mostly be used as a pinch hitter.  Originally drafted by the Giants in the third round in 2004, he made his Major League debut on April 12, 2008.  For his career, he has hit .237 with 17 homeruns and 71 RBI’s.  This spring he has hit .308 with three homeruns and seven RBI’s.

Up next in the final part of our series, we will showcase the infield position players.

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Ohlendorf Hit Hard Again, Pirates Lose To Phillies

By Chad Carlson

Neil Walker And Lyle Overbay Had Big At-Bats Tonight

The Pirates returned to Pennsylvania after another Spring Training in sunny Bradenton to take on the Philadelphia Phillies tonight.  The Buccos had games tonight and tomorrow against their cross-state rivals, serving as their final tune-up before they open up the 2011 regular season against the Chicago Cubs on Friday.

Ross Ohlendorf started tonight for the Buccos.  Unfortunately, his final start of the spring was just as disappointing as the rest of his outings in the past month and a half.  He lasted only four innings tonight, giving up six runs (four earned) on seven hits.  His ERA at the conclusion of Spring Training sits at a putrid 9.82.

Other than Ohlendorf, the rest of the pitching staff performed fairly well tonight.  Other than Chris Leroux giving up a run, the staff kept the game close throughout.  Jose Veras and Michael Dubee each threw an inning of shutout baseball. 

For the most part, the Pirates’ offense looked good tonight, jumping out on top of the Phillies’ Roy Oswalt early in the first inning.  Lyle Overbay doubled in Jose Tabata and Neil Walker to give the Buccos a 2-0 lead. 

The Phillies took control of the game, tallying runs on the Pirates from a complete team attack.  Luis Castillo had two hits for Philadelphia, and Jimmy Rollins knocked in two RBI’s. 

After the Phillies had stormed ahead 6-2, Pittsburgh battled back in the fifth inning.  Walker singled home Josh Rodriguez and Tabata.  Neil would then score on Andrew McCutchen’s line drive single to center field.  Walker and McCutchen had three and two hits on the night respectively.

The Buccos dropped the game to the Phillies, 8-5.  With the loss, the Pirates have fallen to 11-21 this spring.   They will play the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park tomorrow at 4:05pm as their final Spring Training contest.  The Buccos will then take Thursday off before taking on the Cubs in Wrigley Field to kick off the 2011 regular season.

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Meet Your Bucs: Part Three-Relief Pitchers

By Zane Heiple

Pirates' 2010 All Star Evan Meek

Part Three of this five-part series will focus on the men charged with the task of coming out of the bullpen and finishing the game for the Buccos, the relief pitchers.

Joel Hanrahan:  Hanrahan is a former second round draft pick of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2000.  His time with the Dodgers was all in the Minor Leagues.  After the 2006 season, he signed with the Washington Nationals as a Minor League free agent.  He made his Major League debut on July 28, 2007 against the New York Mets and he would become Washington’s closer in the latter part of the 2008 season.  Joel came to Pittsburgh in a trade along with Lastings Milledge for Nyjer Morgan and Sean Burnett in June of 2009.  2010 was his first full season with the Pirates and he struck out 100 batters in 69.2 innings of work.  This spring, Hanrahan has given up eight runs on eleven hits while walking five and striking out 13 batters.  Pirates’ fans will see Joel coming out of the bullpen in the ninth inning with the game on the line, as Clint Hurdle named him the team’s closer earlier this spring.

Jeff Karstens:  This will be Jeff’s fourth season with the Pirates since coming over from the New York Yankees in a trade that also included Jose Tabata, Ross Ohlendorf, and Daniel McCutcheon for Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte in July of 2008.  Karstens was a 19^th round draft pick of the Yankees in 2003.  He made his Major League debut with New York in August of 2006.  While with the Buccos, Karstens has been used mostly as a spot starter or as a long relief pitcher out of the bullpen, which is the role he will be responsible for in 2011.  For his career, he has gone 11-26 and posted a 4.95 ERA.  He hopes that his Spring Training numbers will carry over to this regular season, since he has gone 2-0 with a 1.54 ERA in five games.

Evan Meek:  The only Pittsburgh Pirates’ all star in 2010, Meek will come out of the bullpen to set up Joel Hanrahan for the save in 2011.  Evan is a former draft pick of the Minnesota Twins in 2002.  He spent the first three years of his professional career in the Twins’ Minor Leagues, before playing for the San Diego Padres and Tampa Bay Rays Minor League teams the following two years.  The Pirates selected Meek in the Rule 5 Draft from the Rays in 2007.  He made his Major League debut on April 2, 2008 against the Chicago Cubs.  He had his best season in 2010 as first being the set up man for Octavio Dotel, and then splitting the closer role with Joel Hanrahan after Dotel was traded.  For his career, he is 6-6 with a 3.02 ERA, 119 strikeouts and four saves.  Spring Training has seen him post a 4.26 ERA with five strikeouts and three walks.

Chris Resop:  This will be the first full season with the Pirates for Resop.  He was drafted by the Florida Marlins in the fourth round of the 2001 draft.  His Major League debut was in 2005 and he continued to play for the Marlins until he was traded to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in 2006.  At the end of the 2007 season, he was signed off waivers by the Atlanta Braves.  In May of 2008 the Braves sold his contract to the Hanshin Tigers of the Japanese Central League.  The Braves resigned Resop before the 2010 season.  The Pirates claimed him off waivers in August of 2010.  For his career, he has gone 3-3 with a 5.63 ERA and had 52 strikeouts.  Spring Training has seen him post an ERA of 2.92 with 14 strikeouts and three walks in 10 games.

Jose Veras:  Signed by the Tampa Bay Rays as an undrafted free agent in 1998, this will be his first season in a Pirates’ uniform.  Released by the Rays in 2004, he was signed by the Texas Rangers in 2005 and spent that year in Triple-A.  The New York Yankees signed him in 2006 and made his Major League debut in August of that year.  In 2008, he was a strong part of the Yankees’ bullpen and earned the set up roll that year.  In 2009 the Cleveland Indians acquired Jose for cash.  2010 saw him return to Florida, this time with the Marlins.  He arrived in Pittsburgh in January and signed a Minor League contract with the Pirates.  His strong spring of two runs allowed on 11 hits with 10 strikeouts, and six walks with a 1.50 ERA in 10 games helped earn him a spot on the Opening Day roster.

Mike Crotta:  This will be his first season in a Pirates’ uniform and will make his Major League debut when he is first summoned from the bullpen in 2011.  Crotta was a 17^th round pick out of Florida Atlantic University in 2006 by the Pittsburgh Pirates.  During his time as a professional baseball player, Mike has spent time in all five levels of the Pirates’ Minor League system.  Scouts say that he is a groundball type pitcher that does not have overpowering stuff, but has shown improvement under the new coaching staff.  This spring, he has a 1.46 ERA in 10 games with two strikeouts and four walks.

Garrett Olson:  With Joe Beimel starting the season on the DL, Olson earned a bullpen spot by being the only left-handed option Pittsburgh had left.  After the Pirates claimed him off waivers from the Seattle Mariners on March 18, Garrett saw limited action in a Buccos’ uniform this spring.  He posted an ERA of 8.10 in three games of work with one strikeout and two walks.  Olson was the 48^th overall draft pick of the 2005 draft by the Baltimore Orioles and made his Major League debut on July 4, 2007.  Traded to the Chicago Cubs during the offseason in 2009, he was there for only ten days before being traded with Ronny Cedeno to the Mariners.  With a career record of 13-21, an ERA of 6.20, and 189 strikeouts, Olson will need to show vast improvement early in the season if he hopes to stay on the big league roster once Beimel returns from the DL.

Up next in our series, we will take a look at the Pittsburgh Pirates’ outfield.

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Bucco Blast From The Past: Jack Wilson

By Chad Carlson

For this week’s edition of Bucco Blast From The Past, we look back at the career of Jack Wilson.

Also known as Jumpin’ Jack Flash, as he as annoyingly and consistently referred to by Greg Brown, Wilson was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1998 amateur draft.  He was later dealt to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Jason Christiansen in 2000, making his Major League debut with the Buccos a year later.

In his nearly eight years with the Pirates, Jack certainly was one of the more memorable and fan-friendly shortstops in recent memory.  After enduring moderately successful seasons in 2002 and 2003, Wilson had the best year of his career in 2004, setting personal career highs in almost every category.  He ended the year with a .308 batting average, collecting 201 hits in 157 games.  He became just the ninth shortstop in National League history to collect 200 hits in a season, the franchise’s first player since Dave Parker in 1977, and the team’s first shortstop since Honus Wagner in 1908. 

He tallied 12 triples (sharing the league lead), 41 doubles, 11 homeruns, and accumulated 49 RBI.  After hitting eighth in the batting order for most of his career, he became a fixture in the second slot. 

Wilson also won a lot of notoriety for his defensive accomplishments.  He led the National League shortstops in assists and total chances in 2004, and his 129 double players led all Major League shortstop and broke the club record of 128.  Jack was named to the 2004 All-Star Game and won the Silver Slugger at shortstop.  He was also the Pirates’ representative in the Roberto Clemente Award balloting.

After an injury-plagued 2005 season as the result of an appendectomy, Wilson attempted to regain his offensive swagger in the next few seasons, but to no avail.  While his defensive numbers were still impressive, his batting average and offensive production continued to steadily decline.  From the 2006-2009 seasons, Wilson was periodically mentioned in trade rumors, but nothing serious ever came of them…that is, until 2009.

After months of rumors and his open comments regarding his dissatisfaction with the organization’s penchant for trading their most notable players, Wilson was traded to the Seattle Mariners along with Ian Snell for Ronny Cedeno and Minor League players Jeff Clement, Aaron Pribanic, Brett Lorin, and Nathan Adcock.  The trade, taking place on July 29, 2009, was a shock to everyone, including Wilson himself:

“A shock.  I really don’t know what to feel.  I’m definitely going to miss it.  I definitely loved it there-aside from the record.  The city of Pittsburgh is a perfect place to raise my family.”

Wilson signed a two-year, $10 million contract with the Mariners in November 2009.  He was sidelined with a fractured right hand for the final two months of the 2010 season, playing in just 61 games total after battling a hamstring issue early on.  He has struggled at the plate over two years in Seattle, batting a combined .240 in 92 games.  He has spent the 2011 Spring Training season battling Brendan Ryan for the starting spot at second base.

Regardless of how his tenure ended here in Pittsburgh and what he goes on to do in Seattle or elsewhere, we Pirates’ fans will always remember Jumpin’ Jack Flash as one of the “good guys,” and one of the best defensive shortstops the city has seen in a long time.

Be sure to check back next Tuesday to see who’s featured in the latest edition of Bucco Blast From The Past!

And...

As Always...

Let's Go Bucs!

Karstens Pitches Well, Twins Score Two In The Ninth To Beat Buccos

By Zane Heiple

Photo Credit:  Associated Press

Jeff Karstens took the mound for the final Spring Training game of the season and produced a strong outing.  Karstens started so that he would be ready in case he needs to make a spot start in the event James McDonald is unable to go against the St. Louis Cardinals next Tuesday.  He went 4.2 innings without allowing an earned run and only five hits with one walk and one strikeout.

Pittsburgh struck in the first inning when Andrew McCutchen hit a sacrifice fly to left field, scoring Jose Tabata.  In the fourth inning, the Bucs would add two runs.  The first run came off the bat of Steve Pearce’s double, allowing Neil Walker to score.  Pearce would then cross the plate on Matt Diaz’s single. 

The Twins finally struck in the fifth frame when Denard Span scored on a Tsuyoshi Nishioka pop fly to shortstop Ronny Cedeno.

Garrett Olson pitched 1.1 innings in relief without allowing a run and only one hit.  In the bottom of the seventh frame, Minnesota scored again to make it 3-2 when Brandon Roberts doubled off Michael Crotta, scoring Brian Dozier.  Chris Resop came in for the eighth inning and gave up just one hit while striking out one and issuing one walk.  The Twins scored two runs in the ninth to give them a 4-3 victory over the Pirates.

The Pittsburgh Pirates ended the 2011 Spring Training season with an 11-20 record.  Up next for the Buccos will be a two-game exhibition series against the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday and Wednesday.  Ross Ohlendorf will start for the Pirates and will be opposed by Roy Oswalt.

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Meet Your Bucs: Part Two-Starting Pitching Rotation

By Zane Heiple

Kevin Correia Was Named Opening Day Starter

Part Two of our five-part series looks at the five men who will be taking the mound to start the game for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Kevin Correia:  This will be Kevin’s first season in Pittsburgh after signing with the team as a free agent in December.  He began his career with the San Francisco Giants in 2002 as a fourth round pick out of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.  Correia made his debut with the Giants during the 2003 season where he went 3-1 with a 3.66 ERA.  During his time in San Francisco, he was used as both a starting and relief pitcher.  After a rough 2007 season, Kevin signed with his hometown team the San Diego Padres, where he stayed for three years.  His best year with the Padres was 2009 where he started 33 games and posted a 12-11 record with a 3.91 ERA.  Through 2010 he has a 36-43 record with a 4.57 ERA.  Correia was named the Opening Day starter for the Buccos on March 24 by manager Clint Hurdle.  This spring, he has posted a 1-3 record with a 5.93 ERA.  Correia has given up 16 runs on 32 hits while striking out 20 and walking 8.  As a team, the Pirates hope Kevin can bring leadership to the young pitching staff.

Paul Maholm:  Out of the five players who make up the Pirates’ rotation, Maholm has the most experience with the team as this will be his seventh season in a Pittsburgh uniform.  Paul was a first round draft choice of the Buccos in 2003 out of Mississippi State and made his debut with the club in August of 2005.  His best full season with the Pirates was in 2008 when he went 9-9 with a 3.71 ERA.  For his career, Paul is 47-59 with a 4.48 ERA.  Fans will be looking for him to rebound from a tough 2010 season that saw him go 9-15 with a 5.10 ERA.  Maholm will start the Pirates’ home opener on April 7 against the Colorado Rockies and is the only left-handed pitcher currently in the rotation.  His Spring Training statistics include a 0-3 record with a 4.68 ERA.  While on the mound, he has given up 13 runs on 31 hits and has 18 strikeouts to 5 walks.

Ross Ohlendorf:  Ross will begin his fourth season with the Pirates as the third starter in the rotation.  Ohlendorf was a fourth round draft pick out of Princeton by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2004.  While in the Minor Leagues in 2006, Ohlendorf was traded to the New York Yankees as part of the Randy Johnson deal.  He made his Major League debut in 2007 as a relief pitcher in six games with the Yankees.  In July 2008 Ross was once again traded, this time to the Pirates in a deal that also brought Jose Tabata, Jeff Karstens, and Daniel McCutcheon for Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte.  Ohlendorf was called up in September and go 0-3 with a 6.35 ERA in five starts.  His best season so far with Pittsburgh was 2009 when he went 11-10 with a 3.92 ERA.  He definitely needs a good showing in the 2011 regular season after coming off a 2010 season that saw him go 1-11 with a 4.07 ERA and a Spring Training that includes an 0-4 record and a 10.05 ERA.

Charlie Morton:  Morton was the final starter named to the rotation coming out of Spring Training.  He will be fourth in the rotation due to an injury suffered by James McDonald.  Charlie is a former 2002 third round draft pick of the Atlanta Braves out of Joel Barlow High School in Redding, Connecticut.  Charlie made his debut with the Braves in June of 2008 against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.  In June of 2009 he came to the Pirates in a trade along with Gorkys Hernandez and Jeff Locke for Nate McClouth.  A week after the trade, Morton would earn a no-decision in his first start with the Buccos.  Charlie has yet to reach the potential that scouts have placed upon him.  Pirates’ fans are growing tired of hearing about how good his stuff is.  With a career record of 11-29 with a 5.98 ERA, 2011 might be his last chance to nail down a starting job as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates.  It would be nice for him to carry over his Spring Training statistics of 1-0 and a 3.32 ERA with seven runs on 14 hits, 20 strikeouts and eight walks into the regular season.

James McDonald:  The youngest member of the Pirates’ staff at 26 years of age, McDonald may also have the brightest future of the Pittsburgh’s rotation.  Before coming to the Buccos in a trade that also involved Andrew Lambo for Octavio Dotel in July of 2010, James was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the eleventh round of 2002 draft out of Long Beach Poly High School in California.  He made his Dodgers debut in 2008 and started his first game in 2009.  McDonald went 4-5 with a 4.02 ERA in twelve starts with the Pirates after the trade.  Had it not been for a Spring Training injury, James could have been the number three starter in the rotation.  In limited action this spring, he has gone 0-1 with a 4.05 ERA while giving up three earned runs on ten hits, two strikeouts and three walks.

These five players will have a lot to say in whether or not the Pirates remain competitive throughout the 2011 season.  Please check back tomorrow as we look at the men responsible for finishing games off as Part Three of the series will focus on the relief pitchers.

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Meet Your Bucs: Part One-Managers & Coaches

By Zane Heiple

Clint Hurdle Leads The 2011 Pirates Staff

Well Pirates’ fans, the 2011 baseball season is just days away and there are many new faces on the Pittsburgh roster this year.  Over the next five days we will look at the people who will be bearing the white, black, gray and pinstripe uniforms this season.

Our first look of the series will deal with the men in charge of leading the Buccos this year, manager & coaches.

Manager-Clint Hurdle:  This will be Clint’s first season as the manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates.  He was named manager on November 15 and this is the 39^th manager in the 124 year history of the club.  Last season, Hurdle was the hitting coach of the American League champion Texas Rangers, who led the MLB with a .276 team batting average.  Before joining the Rangers, he was the manager of the Colorado Rockies from 2002-2009.  While in Colorado, Clint compiled a 543-625 record and led the Rockies to the 2007 World Series.  Prior to his success with the Rockies, Clint served as a Minor League hitting coordinator and was Colorado’s hitting coach.  From 1988-1993 he was a Minor League manager for the New York Mets.  He was drafted in the first round of the 1975 baseball draft by the Kansas City Royals and made his Major League debut in 1977.  His career was spent with the Royals, Cincinnati Reds, Mets, and St. Louis Cardinals over ten seasons.  Clint hit the final of his 32 home runs off of Pirates’ pitcher Rick Reuschel at Three Rivers Stadium.

Batting Coach-Gregg Ritchie:  Gregg Ritchie became the Pirates’ hitting coach on November 24, 2010.  This will be his sixth season in the Pittsburgh organization, the previous five as a Minor League hitting coordinator.  Before Pittsburgh, he spent ten years as a hitting coach with the Chicago White Sox Minor League system.  Ritchie was the San Francisco Giants’ organization as an outfielder for seven seasons.

Pitching Coach-Ray Searage:  This will be Ray’s first full season as Pirates’ pitching coach and his ninth with the organization in general.  He became interim pitching coach in August of 2010.  Searage spent the 2000 and 2001 seasons as the Florida Marlins’ Minor League pitching coordinator.  He also spent time in the Tampa Bay Rays’ and Cardinals’ Minor League systems prior to his time with Florida.  Searage was drafted by the Cardinals in 1976 and made his Major League debut with the Mets in 1981.  He earned his first career save in September 1981 against the Pirates at Three Rivers Stadium.  His time in MLB spanned seven seasons as a member of the Mets, Milwaukee Brewers, White Sox, and  Los Angeles Dodgers.

First Base Coach-Luis Silverio:  Silverio comes to the Pirates after spending the past 35 seasons in the Royals’ organization.  Along with being the first base coach, he will serve as the outfield and base-running coach.  Throughout the 2003-2008 seasons, he was either the Royals’ first base or third base coach.  He also coached in their Minor League system from 1990-2002.  From 1973-1982 he spent time playing the Royals’ system.  His playing days included being a teammate of Clint Hurdle in Kansas City in 1978.

Third Base Coach-Nick Leyva:  Leyva was hired to Hurdle’s staff in November of 2010.  In addition to being the third base coach, he will serve as the club’s infield coach as well.  2011 will be his 35^th year in professional baseball and his 17^th at the major League level.  He spent the past three seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays as third base coach and bench coach.  Leyva was taken in the 24^th round of the 1975 draft as an infielder by the St. Louis Cardinals.  After three years of professional baseball, he began his coach careers in the Cardinals’ Minor League system.  From 1984-1988, he was a base coach for the Cardinals.  In October 1988, he became the Phillies’ manager, a title he would hold for two-plus seasons.

Bench Coach-Jeff Banister:  Banister remains as the Pirates’ bench coach after being named to that position in August of the 2010 season.  This is his 26^th season in the Pirates’ organization.  From 1999-2002, he was the team’s field coordinator.  A former Pittsburgh draft pick, Banister made his only appearance in the Major Leagues on July 23, 1991 and had a single.  He managed a total of five seasons as a manger in the Pirates’ Minor League system.

Bullpen Coach-Euclides Rojas:  This will be Rojas’ first season as the Pirates’ bullpen coach, a position he held with the Boston Red Sox during the 2003-2004 seasons.  He has spent the past six seasons as Pittsburgh’ Latin American field coordinator.  Prior to working with the Red Sox, he worked with the Marlins’ Minor League team at the Gulf Coast League level.  A right-handed pitcher, Rojas pitched the 1995 season with Florida’s Minor League teams.

Bullpen Catcher-Herberto Andrade:  2011 will be the eighth season for Andrade as the bullpen catcher for the Buccos.  His job duties include working with the catchers, warming up pitchers during games, observing pitchers’ mechanics, and throwing batting practice to hitters.  He spent three seasons from 1986-1988 in the Chicago Cubs’ Minor League system.

Coach-Mark Strittmatter:  Brought to the Pirates’ staff in November of 2010, Strittmatter will work with pitchers’ hitting along with assisting the catchers and hitting program.  A member of the Colorado Rockies’ first draft class in 2002, he served as their bullpen catcher for the past eight seasons.  He spent the majority of his career in the Rockies’ Minor League system as a catcher from 1992 through the 2002 season when he spent the last half of the year with the Padres’ Triple-A team.

Please check back to Fans From The Stands tomorrow as we look at the Pirates’ rotation in Part Two of this five-part series of Meet Your Bucs.

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Doumit Has Two RBI's, Pirates Score In Ninth To Edge Rays

By Chad Carlson

The Pirates and Rays matched up again today at McKechnie Field.  This was the seventh time the two clubs played of the spring, basically playing to a stalemate through the first six contests.

Paul Maholm took the hill for the Pirates today.  After being named the team’s starter for the home opener on April 7, as well as being plugged into the number two spot in the rotation, the left hander, manager Clint Hurdle, and Pirates’ fans were hoping he could have a solid performance today against Tampa Bay.

As Pirates’ fans entering a season following one of the worst years in recent memory, it is realistic for us to hope that our starting pitchers can keep us in ballgames on a consistent basis.  That’s exactly what Paul Maholm did today.  While he certainly didn’t shut the Rays down, his kept his team in the game, giving up three runs on five hits through five innings.  Two of the five hits against Paul were homeruns, coming off the bats of Kelly Soppach and Ben Zobrist in the second and fifth innings respectively.

Joel Hanrahan had probably his best performance of the spring, pitching two innings of shutout ball, without even surrendering a hit, while striking out three batters.  It was nice to see our closer shut down an offense like he did today.  

Chris Leroux, on the other hand, who is in the running for the final bullpen spot, certainly didn’t help his cause this afternoon.  After pitching well in the eighth inning, he gave up a game-tying solo homerun to the Rays’ John Jaso in the ninth.

After drawing a one-out walk against rays reliever Jeremy Hall and moving to second on Jose Tabata’s fielder’s choice groundout, Josh Rodriguez scored an unearned run on Daniel Mayora’s throwing error as the Pirates edged the Rays, 5-4.

Ryan Doumit was the hitting star of the day for the Buccos, with two hits and two RBI’s.  This is especially good news due to the fact that Chris Snyder’s nagging injury has been more persistent than what was initially expected. 

Tabata and Neil Walker also chipped in two hits, while Andrew McCutchen had an RBI for the Pirates. 

With the win, the Pirates improved their Spring Training record to 11-19, while the Rays fell to an even 14-14. 

The Buccos will travel to Fort Myers, Florida to take on the Minnesota Twins tomorrow at 1:05pm ET.  This will be the final spring game in Florida for the Pirates.  Jeff Karstens will make the start tomorrow afternoon.  Following the game, the team will travel to Philadelphia for their first of two final exhibition games this week before the start of the regular season.

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

FFTS Podcast-Episode Two

Photo Credit: AP/Gene J. Puskar

Happy Saturday Bucco fans!  With the start of the 2011 regular season less than a week away, it’s time for Episode Two of the Fans From The Stands Podcast!

Zane and Chad break down the pitching woes of Spring Training, and discuss what we, as fans, should be taking away from performances in February and March.

The FFTS duo also share their feelings on Clint Hurdle’s influence on the club, the announcement of the team’s starting pitching rotation, MLB Network’s 30 Clubs In 30 Days special on the Pirates, and much more!

Also, be sure to listen for your chance to win FREE tickets to the Pirates’ Home Opener against the Rockies coming up in less than two weeks!  Chad and Zane tell you how YOU can win, and how the winner will be announced!

Send your comments on the podcast, good or bad, to comments@fansfromthestands.com or fansfromthestands@yahoo.com  Enjoy!

FFTS Podcast-Episode Two

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Pirates' Bullpen Continues To Take Shape As Team Cuts Burres

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Pirates’ bullpen situation, which a week ago looked to be completely wide open, is really beginning to take shape with the team’s management cutting and demoting players in the past few days. 

The most notable move occurred just this morning when Brian Burres was informed that he had been optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis.  Burres didn’t allow a run in four of his five outings this spring, seemed to have a legitimate shot to make the team, but one day after three other relievers were cut from the big club, it was manager Clint Hurdle’s duty to once again make another difficult decision.

While Burres certainly wasn’t one of the best arms in the clubhouse, he provided two elements that Pirates’ pitchers need when it comes to the regular season.  First of all, he’s a lefty, which the team is in lack of, especially considering the injury to Joe Beimel.  But he’s also consistently mediocre, meaning the team knows what they’re going to get from him, day in and day out.  He’s capable of putting together whatever is asked of him, whether it be an emergency start in replace of an injured starter, and he’s also able to provide up to three to four innings of middle relief.  It all depends on the situation, but Burres seemed to give the pitching staff a lot more flexibility.

Of course, Burres will start for Indianapolis in the even the Buccos need a spot starter.  It appears as though Jeff Karstens will be the one to step in for James McDonald if he’s not ready for the start of the regular season. 

With the demotion of Burres, the Pirates’ bullpen situation is looking clearer, with a few decisions still left to be made.  There are two open spots available, with three relievers remaining to fill them.  Garrett Olson is more than likely going to occupy one of those vacancies, leaving the last bullpen seat to be filled by either Chris Leroux or Mike Crotta.  Leroux has done nothing that has impressed me thus far in the spring, so hopefully Crotta is chosen to start the regular season in Pittsburgh.

Stay tuned to Fans From The Stands for all of the breaking news surrounding our battlin’ Buccos.

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Correia Pitches Well, Yankees Edge Pirates 4-2

By Zane Heiple

Photo Credit: Kathy Willens/AP

Kevin Correia gave Pirates’ fans a glimmer of hope that Clint Hurdle was right in naming him the Opening Day starter.  Even though the Buccos would drop the game today 4-2 to the New York Yankees, Correia pitched six innings, allowing three runs on five hits while striking out five and walking two. 

The Yankees got two of their runs in the first inning off of a Alex Rodriguez homerun.  Pittsburgh gained a run back in the second on a Jason Jaramillo double that scored Pedro Alvarez.  New York made it a 3-1 game on a Chris Dickerson single that scored Nick Swisher.

The Pirates cut into the lead again in the fifth on Neil Walker’s sacrifice fly, which scored Jose Tabata from third.  In the sixth inning, Ronny Cedeno made an excellent play in deep short to throw A-Rod out at first base.  The Yankees put the final nail in the coffin in the eighth frame when Austin Krum singled in Ramiro Pena.

Jose Veras continued his excellent spring as he pitched the seventh inning, allowing one hit and striking out one to drop his ERA to 1.50.  Michael Crotta gave up the run in the eighth which would be his first of the spring.

On the offensive side of the ball, Andrew McCutchen went 3 for 3 today and Tabata reached base three times.  Chris Snyder was supposed to make his return today from a back injury, but was scratched from the starting lineup just before the first pitch.  This injury may force the Pirates to carry three catchers on the Opening Day roster, with the final roster moves to be made early this week.  On a positive note, James McDonald threw three innings in a Triple-A game today with no pain.  He will throw a side session on Thursday and, if that goes well, he will join the Buccos in Chicago.

Pittsburgh will make their final appearance at McKechnie Field on Sunday when the Tampa Bay Rays come to Bradenton.  This will be the seventh time these two teams have faced this spring, splitting the first six.  Check back to Fans From The Stands for a complete recap of the game.

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Starting Pitching Woes Continue, Pirates Lose To Rays

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit: Dave Arrigo/Pirates

The Pirates took on the Rays this afternoon, hoping to end their current streak of woeful pitching and poor defense.  Unfortunately, the trend would only continue today, as Tampa Bay beat up on the Buccos, 9-5.

Charlie Morton made the start today for Pittsburgh.  The right-hander with “great stuff” has been the most consistent starting pitcher this spring for the Pirates.  The Rays got to him this afternoon, however. 

After a decent start to the ballgame, Morton gave up three runs in the second inning.  Sam Fuld hit a two-run double to left and Ben Zobrist hit a sacrifice fly for the Rays, tying the game, at that point, at three runs a piece.

Morton ran into trouble again in the fifth frame, hitting a batter and walking another with the bases loaded, giving up the Pirates’ lead once again, this time tying the game, 5-5. 

It would a rough day for Chuck, giving up five runs on five runs while walking three though five innings, and his ERA inflated to 3.32 for the spring. 

The rest of the Pirates’ pitching staff didn’t fair much better.  Other than Jose Veras’s one inning of shutout baseball, the Bucs’ throwers struggled mightily.  Joel Hanrahan was tagged with the loss today, giving up two runs and walking two in his one inning of work, while Chris Resop gave up two runs on three hits through an inning.

From an offensive standpoint, it was rather uneventful.  With most of the starting position players being inactive, including Andrew McCutchen, Pedro Alvarez, Jose Tabata, and Neil Walker, the production was certainly at a premium.  Josh Rodriguez had a hit and two RBI, while Ryan Doumit had a huge double on the day as well. 

The Pirates actually out-hit the Rays today, but, as we’ve seen so incredibly often in recent years, we left a lot of men on base.  With the loss, the Buccos fall to 10-18 this spring. 

The Pirates will take on the New York Yankees tomorrow afternoon in Tampa Bay for a 1:05pm first pitch.  Kevin Correia, who was recently announced as the team’s starter for Opening Day, will take the mound for the Buccos tomorrow.

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Walker Homers Twice, Ohlendorf Continues Rough Spring In Loss To Orioles

By Zane Heiple

Photo Credit: Derick E. Hingle

The Baltimore Orioles completed a five game sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates this spring with an 11-7 win tonight.  The Pirates struck early with three runs in the first inning.  Lyle Overbay hit a two-run homerun to give the Bucs a 2-0 lead.  Neil Walker came up next and hit a solo shot to make it 3-0.

The O’s answered in the second off of Pittsburgh starter Ross Ohlendorf.  The first batter of the inning, Luke Scott, hit a solo shot, followed by a solo homer by Mark Reynolds.  The Orioles tied the game in the third inning with a Felix Pie sacrifice fly that scored Derrick Lee.

The fifth inning saw the end of Ohlendorf’s day as three more runs would score for Baltimore.  His final stat line looked like this:  4.2 innings pitched, five earned runs on nine hits, four K’s, two walks, and three homeruns.  He also picked up the loss, dropping his Spring Training record to 0-4 with a 10.05 ERA.

Pittsburgh gained a run back when Walker hit his second solo homerun on the day to cut the lead to 6-4.  The Orioles pulled away in the sixth and seventh innings, scoring a combined five runs.  Three of these five runs were earned, coming off newly acquired pitcher Garret Olson in the seventh inning.

The Buccos got a run in the eighth inning with Pedro Alvarez singled to right field, scoring Overbay.  The final scoring of the night came in the top of the ninth when Josh Rodriguez blasted a two-run homerun to trip the lead to 11-7, which would be the final.

It has been a tough road for Ohlendorf this spring as he had another bad start tonight.  It looks like he will get one more start this spring to figure out what he is doing wrong.  It was nice to see the Pirates collect four home runs tonight, especially since they are not known for their long-ball capabilities.  Hopefully the Bucs will have more success in the regular season against Baltimore as the two teams will meet in Pittsburgh on June 20-22 for an interleague series.

In an non-game note, manager Clint Hurdle named Kevin Correia his Opening Day starter for the Buccos.  The Pirates will return to action tomorrow when they take on the Rays for the next to last time this spring.

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

McCutchen Continues Impressive Spring As Pirates Lose To Astros

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit: AP/Eric Gay

Well, if Charlie Morton wasn’t the favorite to be part of the Pirates’ starting pitching rotation before, he certainly should be after today’s game.  Brian Burres, who is considered to be one of the candidates for the club’s final pitching rotation spot for the start of the 2011 regular season, was lit up today by a Houston Astros team that isn’t expected to have much pop in their lineup at all.

Burres gave up six earned runs on ten hits through five innings of work, as the Astros jumped on top of the Buccos early and never relinquished the lead.  While Houston’s starter, J.A. Happ, didn’t fair much better on the afternoon, giving up five runs on nine hits through six, his bullpen did enough to fend off the Pirates’ bats throughout the latter part of the ballgame.  The Astros won the game by a score of 10-6.

After Burres’s performance today, it SHOULD be clear that the left-hander does not belong in the starting role.  He’ll make a bullpen spot, and he probably should, but he’s not cut out to be a starting pitcher on a regular basis.  This, along with rumors and expectations of Brad Lincoln beginning 2011 in the minor leagues, make it almost a guarantee that Charlie Morton will be the fifth and final member of the Pirates’ starting pitching rotation when the regular season begins next week.

While the pitching certainly wasn’t sharp this afternoon, the same cannot be said about the offense.  The Buccos totaled 14 hits today, including four players tallying multi-hit games, including Andrew McCutchen, who had a homerun and two RBI’s while raising his spring batting average to a frightfully impressive .370.  Pedro Alvarez also had a round-tripper this afternoon, while Ryan Doumit and Lyle Overbay had two-hit performances. 

It was nice to see Ronny Cedeno hit well at the plate as well, adding two hits and scoring a run.  Cedeno is sure to be the shortstop, if not for the future, definitely for the present, so it was encouraging to see his continued impressive play this afternoon.

With the loss, the Pirates fell to 10-16 this spring.  The Buccos will travel to Sarasota, Florida tomorrow to take on the Baltimore Orioles for the final time this spring at 7:05pm ET.  Baltimore has been a nemesis for the Pirates this spring in their previous meetings.  Ross Ohlendorf will make the start for Pittsburgh, while Evan Meek, Garrett Olson, and Chris Leroux are also scheduled to make appearances.

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

"30 Clubs In 30 Days" Visits Bradenton And The Buccos!

Buccos Featured on 30 Clubs In 30 Days Tonight!

Good news Buccos fans!  The Pirates will be featured on MLB Network’s 30 Clubs In 30 Days TONIGHT!  Set your DVR’s and be sure to tune in tonight at 11:00PM to the MLB Network. 

We at Fans From The Stands will be discussing our reactions to the show tomorrow!  Be sure to tune in and share your comments with us.  Shoot us an email at comments@fansfromthestands.com for your chance to win some great Bucco prizes!

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!