Results tagged ‘ Josh Fields ’
A Vote For Pedro.. No not THAT One
I understand that this may seem like a Napoleon Dynamite or even a Pedro Alvarez reference, but that is not the case. The Pedro that I happen to be speaking of is Pedro Ciriaco.
This past September Ciriaco was made a September call-up and management never gave him a chance. He never really got a chance to start and show off some of his glove work. His bat in that small quality looked impressive as he hit .333.
This Spring, Ciriaco has been given ample opportunity at shortstop and has rewarded the Pirates hitting over .350 before today’s “B” game that he was scheduled to be in. Manager Clint Hurdle seems impressed by Ciriaco and honestly, why wouldn’t you be?
Ciriaco has to be considered a front runner as Rule-5 pick Josh Rodriguez does not look to make the team. Ciriaco can play the infield minus first base and is dabbling in some outfield and can prove his worth even further.
It also helps Pedro’s case that Ronny Cedeno, who does his best work in the earlier part of the season was hitting .217 as of Sunday although he has brought that up since then. Cedeno is too streaky for me and much like Andy LaRoche is good in April, no more and no less.
Ciriaco was given to the Pirates by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the trade that sent Chris Snyder here as well. Pedro was rated the Diamondback’s best defensive prospect, so the offense is a strike extra, no pun intended.
If this Pedro does not make the roster come Opening Day, then something is truly wrong with this team. I understand what Garrett Atkins and Josh Fields can do, but at this moment the way that the roster is, Ciriaco is the way to go.
Pirates early season preview part 7: Centerfield
As it stands now, here is the current centerfield depth chart:
1. Andrew McCutchen
2. John Bowker
3. Matt Diaz
We all know the Andrew McCutchen story and how he took over for Nate McLouth in centerfield. While McLouth did win a Gold Glove award, the criteria for the award is severly flawed and his range was not that great. McCutchen defensively is worth the price of admission, and a reason why I get centerfield seats as much as possible. He entertains the fans as a seemingly neverending human highlight real.
Another thing that sets McCutchen apart is his offense. The Pirates love speedsters in centerfield, and Chris Duffy, Nyjer Morgan, Nate McLouth and others (obviously McCutchen) fit the bill. McCutchen goes against the grain however, because unlike many of these previous options, he has a bat to go along with the speed.
McCutchen also earned high praise from one of the best names in the game, Bobby Cox. ”He’s an All-Star. This year, probably,” said Atlanta Braves manager Bobby Cox. “Hitting. Running. Defense. Throwing. He’s got it all. He catches the ball like Andruw Jones did when he was 19. You can’t hit a ball [past him] out there. He’s got lightning in that bat too.”
The year started off slowly for McCutchen, however he slowly recovered and raised his batting average over .300. Both McCutchen and Garrett Jones had career days on May 14 vs the Chicago Cubs. The teammates were the first to both go 5 for 5 since Willie Stargell and Bob Robertson in 1970. “I guess we were just kind of competing against each other,” McCutchen said, laughing. “I don’t know. I’d get a hit, he’d get a hit. He’d hit a homer, I’d hit a homer.”
The biggest surprise of the year was that “Cutch” was not named to the All-Star game. McCutchen was the most qualified of the Pirates to be named so it came as a little bit of a surprise to some fans that he wasn’t named to the team, but the Pirates usually only get one player on the team each year and Evan Meek made more sense as he was a solid reliever all season with a sub-one ERA for quite a bit of the time before the All-Star Game.
McCutchen had a rough August hitting .226 but hit .326 after that. On his batting during these times, McCutchen stayed true to himself. “Honestly, I don’t think I’m doing anything any different right now. You swing, and the ball finds a hole. That’s it. That’s the game of baseball.”
His second season with Pittsburgh was not a sophomore slump, as he hit .286 while hitting 16 home runs, batting in 56 runs and he also stole 33 bases.
McCutchen is clearly the team’s starter in centerfield for this year, and for seasons to come. McCutchen did get a little banged up last season though so that could be a cause for concern.
If Cutch does get injured, I have discussed a lot of the previous options in Matt Diaz, John Bowker, Josh Fields and Garrett Atkins. It is worth noting that Steve Pearce played the outfield as well for the Pirates, so there is a chance that he could play the position as well.
One guy I have not talked about is Alex Presley. Presley was drafted in the 8th round of the 2006 MLB Draft. He was promoted to the Majors on September 7, 2010 and is a current member of the 40 man roster. Presley played in 19 games and got 23 at bats with 6 hits for an average of .273. He struck out five times and stole one base (and was caught stealing once as well). He often pinch hit for the pitcher during his time, and also would play the outfield in games where the outcome was essentially decided. He did start a few games due to injury or to give guys a day off, but he did not homer or drive in any runs. Presley was named a Minor Leaguer of the Year in the Pirates’ system. Presley would be able to play any of the three outfield positions which helps his chances, but it is likely that the Pirates want to see more of Presley in the Minors so that they can see what he has to offer, and plus he will get more at-bats that way as well.
Here is what I see as the likely depth chart for the outfield:
1. Andrew McCutchen
2. John Bowker
3. Matt Diaz
4. Alex Presley
It is likely that neither Fields nor Atkins could play the centerfield position and Diaz is more suitable for corner outfield position and Bowker has much more power than Presley.
Tomorrow I will blog about the platoon scenario in right field. All signs point to Garrett Jones and Matt Diaz in a platoon but Ryan Doumit is waiting in the wings.
Pirates early season preview part 6: Left Field
As of this moment, here is the Pirates current depth chart:
1. Jose Tabata
2. Matt Diaz
3. John Bowker
Tabata came over to the Pirates in the deal that sent Jeff Karstens, Daniel McCutchen and Ross Ohlendorf to Pittsburgh. Tabata brought a lot of excitement to the city. Tabata had some off the field trouble involved with his relationships and his age, but he brought speed and excitement to Pittsburgh. Tabata was called up on June 9, and in his first at-bat singled. He hit .299 in 2010 and led National League left fielders in range factor per game at 2.09. Tabata stole 19 bases, but his power has not shown up yet hitting only 4 home runs. Upon growth and maturation, perhaps the power will come.
I discussed Matt Diaz in a recent post, but essentially he will be in a platoon scenario in right field. That does not mean that he could not start in left field, but it just means that this is highly unlikely. History has shown Diaz struggling against righties and Tabata bats from the right side, meaning that Diaz has a slim chance of starting.
John Bowker is the next option down the line, because if Ryan Doumit even stays in a Pirates uniform, he will play right field and has never played PNC Park’s left field, which as you know has some weird bounces. Bowker was brought over to Pittsburgh along with Joe Martinez in the trade that sent Javier Lopez to the San Francisco Giants (it worked out pretty well for them). Many complained of Bowker’s offense, but he was brought up as a September call-up. Bowker had some chances to start and he made the most of them, hitting .319 with 4 home runs and 10 runs batted in. Sure the sample size was small, but I was encouraged by what he was able to do. It will be interesting to see what Bowker has to offer.
As it stands right now, here are my projections for the left field come April 1:
1. Jose Tabata
2. John Bowker
3. Matt Diaz
There always is the chance that a Minor Leaguer can take a position on this depth chart, and perhaps the super utility player Corey Wimberly could make a push on the depth chart, or even Josh Fields or Garrett Atkins. I don’t see that happening yet, as I believe that Pirates Mangement already has their minds made up over the position.
Tomorrow’s entry will be on the centerfield position, which as we know is home to Andrew McCutchen, a friend to all Pirates fans, and always great to myself and all in centerfield. He puts on a show every night, and it makes thing exciting. It looks to be a great entry.
Pirates early season preview Part 5: Third Base
As it stands now, here is the Pirates current depth chart:
1. Pedro Alvarez.
2. Josh Rodriguez
The position was Alvarez’s come season’s end, however Andy LaRoche was given the position at the beginning of last season. Not many were sure what to expect with LaRoche, but many knew that he was just a placeholder and Alvarez would take over the position sooner rather than later. LaRoche had a decent 2009 season, but had a great defensive season under the tutiledge of Perry Hill. Hill left after the 2009 season, and sure enough so did LaRoche’s defense. It made things much easier for Alvarez to take over the position.
Alvarez was officially called up on June 16, 2010. He hit 13 home runs and batted in 53 runs in 66 games for Triple-A Indianapolis. In his first couple of weeks, fans were calling for his head. Every one was thrilled when he was drafted and because the Pirates have not been winning, the media overhyped Alvarez. People expected him to hit an endless amount of home runs, and last time I checked, he was not god. Alvarez will get his fare share of hits, but he will strikeout a lot as well. Rocco DeMaro even compared him to Adam Dunn once, meaning he will strikeout a lot, but he will get his fair share of hits too.
Perhaps Alvarez’s biggest Pittsburgh highlight was his three run home run off of Colorado Rockies closer Huston Street in the bottom of the tenth inning, in perhaps the craziest game of the year.
Alvarez had a couple of multi-homer games last season and was named National League Player of the Week based on his September 20-26 performances, in which Alvarez went 10-24 (a .417 batting average) with 2 home runs and 13 runs batted in. He was the NL Rookie of the Month for the month of September after hitting .311 and batting in 26 runs.
Alvarez will be starting at third base unless a freak injury happens. Alvarez has shown the power in his bat and he got into baseball shape last season, after people were saying that he would have to start at first base because of his weight. Pedro is working defensively on mastering the position, so that will be something to watch.
There is not much else to write about, as I have gone over Josh Rodriguez as well as both Josh Fields and Garrett Atkins for every other infield position. The Pirates likely will keep Rodriguez as he is the Rule-5 guy, but it wouldn’t surprise me if they got rid of him because they did not appear to be set on anybody. Fields and Atkins essentially are the same player, but Fields is coming off of an injury and thus is an experiment. Atkins is for that matter too, but Hurdle is likely to favor Atkins, as Atkins played under Hurdle back in both of their Colorado days and is more likely to help this team.
With that being said, here is my projected list come April 1:
1. Pedro Alvarez
2. Josh Rodriguez
3. Garrett Atkins
4. Josh Fields
I will start blogging tomorrow about the outfield beginning with left field. Jose Tabata is the front runner in the outfield, but who else is in the running.
Pirates Early Series Preview Part 4: Shortstop
As of today, here is the depth chart for the shortstop position:
1. Ronny Cedeno
2. Josh Rodriguez
3. Pedro Ciriaco
Unfortunately for the Pirates, they are very thin at the shortstop position. Essentially by defauly, Cedeno will be the new shortstop. I along with any other sensable Pirates fan know that Cedeno has no reason to be the team’s starting shortstop. Cedeno somehow managed to hit 8 home runs in his 136 games played. Cedeno seemed to get more and more tired as the season went on, and even worse, he played this off-season for a Venezuelan Fall League and thus I am concerned about how he will hold up this season. He also was a liability in the field committing 18 errors last season. His range factor was also down last season. In his 423 career games played at the shortstop position, he has made 56 errors. While that stat may be a little reassuring, his defense slipped a little last season and while he made a few nice plays, they often were overshadowed. Cedeno essentially is a great bench player, but should not be a starter for any team, even if it is for the Pirates.
I went over the Rodriguez matters yesterday, as he is the team’s Rule-5 Pick. He was signed to provide some “competition” for Cedeno. I still have no idea why the Pirates have not gone after a shortstop as of late, but essentially Rodriguez will be the team’s starter if Cedeno gets injured (he is quite injury prone) or does not perform up to par. While that may be a scary thought, nothing could be as scary as Cedeno being the Pirates starting shortstop.
Pedro Ciriaco was a part of the deal that sent Chris Snyder to Pittsburgh and Bobby Crosby, Ryan Church and D.J. Carrasco to Arizona. He was cited as the fastest guy in the Diamondbacks Minor League system which made me a little excited. Fan were supposed to see what he had to offer, as he was a September call up. Things got really exciting when he got hits in his first two at-bats. With Cedeno struggling, many wanted Ciriaco to start to see what he had to offer, but Pirates Management refused and even in the same breath said that they weren’t just happy with Cedeno’s play, but that he was a “lock” to start at the position for the 2011 team. The team never allowed Ciriaco to start a game, and thus he was pretty much a waste of a call-up. In his next two at-bats, he struck out before getting a hit in the second to last game of the season against the Florida Marlins. He got an at-bat on the last game of the season, striking out again. Essentially, Ciriaco was 3 for 6 with 3 strikeouts, which although it was an extremely small sample size, was not that impressive.
The Minor Leagues do not offer much promise at this moment as Chase D’Arnaud is not ready for the Majors quite yet. It is obvious that the shortstop position is our weakest position both offensively and defensively.
I am very surprised at the team’s approach to this position thus far in the off-season. I understand that the team is short on money, but they were happy to blow their money on two (perhaps even three) minor leaguers that essentially serve the same purpose (Josh Fields, Garrett Atkins and Corey Wimberly) and Lyle Overbay. It seemed like they spent their money on signing guys to seemingly show Ryan Doumit the door and seemingly ignore the shortstop position.
If the Pirates decide to spend some money, they cannot ignore their shortstop position, as that and a left-handed reliever are their two biggest needs. Here are the shortstops still in the free agency market and my quick thoughts on them all.
Orlando Cabrera (36) – Type B, not offered arb: Cabrera was briefly connected with the Pirates this off-season, but the rumors were quickly denied. Cabrera is a defensive shortstop, which would benefit this team, but I believe that Cedeno has better power numbers. He and Ojeda are the oldest shortstop candidates, and Cabrera likely would command too much money anyways.
Bobby Crosby (31)- I actually would like to see the team bring Crosby back. He had a brief stint here, and never really had a chance with Arizona, and we could probably sign him cheaply. Crosby at least provides some depth for the team, and at 31 still could play an active role with this team.
Cristian Guzman (33)- Would be a great fit, and I believe would start over Cedeno, but likely will ask for too much money. Plus he is an old 33.
Jerry Hairston Jr. (35)- He seems to be older than 35, and I think he would ask for too much money.
Julio Lugo (35)- Not worth it at all. He would likely command too much money anyways.
Augie Ojeda (36)- Not a good fit at all.
Nick Punto (33)- Would be a better signing at least defensively, but would probably ask for too much.
Edgar Renteria (34)- He wouldn’t sign with us anyways. Probably will sign with San Fransisco.
Here is my predictions for the depth chart come April 1 (no surprises here):
1. Ronny Cedeno
2. Josh Rodriguez
3. Pedro Ciriaco
Tomorrow I will write about the much more exciting and eventful third base position.
Entry on Pirates Promos, Caravan and Garrett Atkins
Here is some analysis on Garrett Atkins starting with the Wikipedia info:
Atkins was drafted in 2000 out of UCLA by the Colorado Rockies in the fifth round (137th overall). This time, he chose to accept the offer from an MLB club and began the process of reaching the majors.
Colorado Rockies
2007 season
Garrett Atkins
Hit .301 overall, batting .349 at mile-high Coors Field, but hit only .254 in away games. However, one of the reasons for any substantial differences in home and road splits for Rockies batters is that they have to make adjustments in how they see pitches away from Coors Field – particularly breaking balls, such as sliders and curve balls – since those pitches act differently at Coors Field than on the road.
2008 season
In 2008, Atkins spent much of the season playing first base in the absence of injured teammate Todd Helton, marking a defensive transition to “a more natural position for him.”
2009 season
Prior to the start of the 2009 season, Atkins accepted a one-year $7 million dollar contract from the Rockies. He struggled in the 2009 season hitting .226 with nine home runs, and 48 RBIs. With the emergence of Ian Stewart Atkins became less of a priority in the Rockies longterm plans, he was thus non-tendered by the Rockies on December 12, 2009, officially making him a free agent.
Baltimore Orioles
2010 season
Atkins agreed to a 1-year, $4 million deal with the Baltimore Orioles. The deal includes a one-year club option for $8.5 million, with a $500,000 buyout. He is expected to be the starting first baseman.
On June 27, the Orioles designated Atkins for assignment.
On July 6, the Orioles released Atkins.
Pittsburgh Pirates
2011 Season
Atkins agreed to a minor league deal with the Pirates on December 23, 2010. It includes an invite to spring training.
- 2005 Topps Major League Rookie All-Star Team; 3B
- National League Rookie of the Month (June 2005)
Atkins has a third base background, although he can play first base as well. As it was said earlier, he is on a Minor League deal and he is right handed. As a right-handed batter, Atkins can backup both Pedro Alvarez and Lyle Overbay if he makes the Majors. To me the signing was cheap, however confuses me. Here I was earlier this week singing the praises of the team signing Josh Fields and then the team goes out and wastes the small amount of money they have to sign a guy that could potentially become the next Delwyn Young on this team. I am not quite happy with this signing, although I still rank the Olsen signing as the worst of the off-season.
Zac’s Grade: C+
| Garrett Atkins Career statistics | |
|---|---|
| Batting average | .285 |
| Home runs | 99 |
| Runs batted in |
488 |
This came forth earlier in the off-season so here is the actual Pirates promotional schedule:
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April
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| Date | Opponent | Promotion / Event | Presented by | For | |
| Thu, Apr 7 | Rockies | Opening Day | |||
| 2011 Magnetic Schedule | All Fans | ||||
| Fri, Apr 8 | Rockies | Free Shirt Friday | All Fans | ||
| 2011 Pirates Schedule Poster | All Fans | ||||
| Sat, Apr 9 | Rockies | Zambelli Fireworks | |||
| 2011 Pirates Schedule Poster | All Fans | ||||
| Scratch’n Win | Eat’n Park | All Fans | |||
| Sun, Apr 10 | Rockies | Kids Day | |||
| Kids Glove | Kids 14 & Younger | ||||
| Fri, Apr 22 | Nationals | Free Shirt Friday | All Fans | ||
| Reusable Coffee Sleeve | All Fans | ||||
| Sat, Apr 23 | Nationals | Andrew McCutchen Action Figurine | All Fans | ||
| Scratch’n Win | Eat’n Park | All Fans | |||
| Sun, Apr 24 | Nationals | Kids Day | |||
| Kids Build-a-Bear Pirates Bunny | Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield | Kids 14 & Younger | |||
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All giveaways and event dates are subject to change.
 
May
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| Date | Opponent | Promotion / Event | Presented by | For | |
| Fri, May 6 | Astros | Free Shirt Friday | FSN | All Fans | |
| Sat, May 7 | Astros | Pirates Cap Night | All Fans | ||
| Zambelli Fireworks | |||||
| Scratch’n Win | Eat’n Park | All Fans | |||
| Sun, May 8 | Astros | Kids Day | |||
| Kids Mini Bat | Kids 14 & Younger | ||||
| Mom’s Earrings | All Moms | ||||
| Fri, May 20 | Tigers | Free Shirt Friday | All Fans | ||
| Sat, May 21 | Tigers | Neil Walker Bobblehead | All Fans | ||
| Scratch’n Win | Eat’n Park | All Fans | |||
| Sun, May 22 | Tigers | Kids Day | |||
| Kids Pierogy Beach Towel | Kids 14 & Younger | ||||
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All giveaways and event dates are subject to change.
June
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| Date | Opponent | Promotion / Event | Presented by | For | |
| Fri, Jun 3 | Phillies | Free Shirt Friday | Consol Energy | All Fans | |
| Sat, Jun 4 | Phillies | Zambelli Fireworks | |||
| Scratch’n Win | Eat’n Park | All Fans | |||
| Sun, Jun 5 | Phillies | Kids Day | |||
| Kids Pedro Alvarez Replica BP Jersey | Kids 14 & Younger | ||||
| Fri, Jun 10 | Mets | Free Shirt Friday | All Fans | ||
| Sat, Jun 11 | Mets | Skyblast featuring Zambelli Fireworks and Live Music TBD | |||
| Scratch’n Win | Eat’n Park | All Fans | |||
| Sun, Jun 12 | Mets | Kids Day | |||
| Kids Pirate Parrot Cruise for the Cure Bobble | Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield | Kids 14 & Younger | |||
| Mon, Jun 20 | Orioles | Blass/Sanguillen 1971 Championship Canvas Wrap | All Fans | ||
| Tue, Jun 21 | Orioles | 1971 40th Anniversary Celebration | |||
| 1971 Commemorative Ceramic Stein | All Fans | ||||
| Fri, Jun 24 | Red Sox | Free Shirt Friday | All Fans | ||
| Sat, Jun 25 | Red Sox | Zambelli Fireworks | |||
| Scratch’n Win | Eat’n Park | All Fans | |||
| Sun, Jun 26 | Red Sox | Kids Day | |||
| Kids Bucco Bands | Kids 14 & Younger | ||||
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All giveaways and event dates are subject to change.
July
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| Date | Opponent | Promotion / Event | Presented by | For | |
| Mon, Jul 4 | Astros | Pirates Stars’n Stripes Reversible Floppy Cap | All Fans | ||
| Fri, Jul 8 | Cubs | Free Shirt Friday | All Fans | ||
| Sat, Jul 9 | Cubs | Skyblast featuring Zambelli Fireworks and .38 Special in Concert | |||
| Scratch’n Win | Eat’n Park | All Fans | |||
| Sun, Jul 10 | Cubs | Kids Day | |||
| Kids Pierogy Wind-Up Racers | Kids 14 & Younger | ||||
| Fri, Jul 22 | Cardinals | Free Shirt Friday | All Fans | ||
| Sat, Jul 23 | Cardinals | Zambelli Fireworks | |||
| Scratch’n Win | Eat’n Park | All Fans | |||
| Sun, Jul 24 | Cardinals | Kids Day | |||
| Kids Jose Tabata Replica Alternate Jersey | Kids 14 & Younger | ||||
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All giveaways and event dates are subject to change.
August
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| Date | Opponent | Promotion / Event | Presented by | For | |
| Fri, Aug 5 | Padres | Free Shirt Friday | All Fans | ||
| Sat, Aug 6 | Padres | Skyblast featuring Zambelli Fireworks and Live Music TBD | |||
| Scratch’n Win | Eat’n Park | All Fans | |||
| Sun, Aug 7 | Padres | Kids Day | |||
| Kids Drawstring Bag | Kids 14 & Younger | ||||
| Fri, Aug 19 | Reds | Free Shirt Friday | All Fans | ||
| Sat, Aug 20 | Reds | Zambelli Fireworks | |||
| Scratch’n Win | Eat’n Park | All Fans | |||
| Sun, Aug 21 | Reds | Kids Day | |||
| Kids Book Covers | Kids 14 & Younger | ||||
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All giveaways and event dates are subject to change.
September
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| Date | Opponent | Promotion / Event | Presented by | For | |
| Fri, Sep 9 | Marlins | Free Shirt Friday | All Fans | ||
| Sat, Sep 10 | Marlins | Zambelli Fireworks | |||
| Scratch’n Win | Eat’n Park | All Fans | |||
| Sun, Sep 11 | Marlins | Kids Day | |||
| Kids Pirates Slippers | Kids 14 & Younger | ||||
| Fri, Sep 23 | Reds | Free Shirt Friday | All Fans | ||
| 2012 Magnetic Schedule | All Fans | ||||
| Sat, Sep 24 | Reds | Fan Jam featuring Steve Miller Band | |||
| 2012 Magnetic Schedule | All Fans | ||||
| Scratch’n Win | Eat’n Park | All Fans | |||
| Sun, Sep 25 | Reds | Kids Day | |||
| Kids Growth Chart | Kids 14 & Younger | ||||
| 2012 Magnetic Schedule | All Fans | ||||
Although this came forth a while ago as well, here is the Pittsburgh Pirates Winter Caravan Schedule:
Group 1
Featuring outfielder Andrew McCutchen, relief pitcher Evan Meek, and broadcasters Bob Walk and John Wehner.
| Date | Location | Time | Event Details |
| Mon., Jan 24 | Pittsburgh, PA | 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. | Allegheny General Hospital Visit (private event) |
| Mon., Jan 24 | Pittsburgh, PA | 11:15 a.m. – 12 p.m. | Autograph session at Allegheny General Hospital lobby |
| Mon., Jan 24 | North Hills, PA | 1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. | Autograph session at PNC Bank in McIntyre Square |
| Mon., Jan 24 | Somerset, PA | 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. | VIP Reception at Seven Springs Mountain Resort (private event) |
| Tue., Jan 25 | Wheeling, WV | 10 – 11 a.m. | Triadelphia Middle School Visit |
| Tue., Jan 25 | Wheeling, WV | 12 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. | Luncheon Event at Wheeling Island |
| Tue., Jan 25 | Pittsburgh, PA | 6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m. | Autograph Session at Dick’s Sporting Goods at the Galleria at Pittsburgh Mills |
| Wed., Jan 26 | Freeport, PA | 9 a.m. – 10 a.m. | School Visit (Location TBA) |
| Wed., Jan 26 | Pittsburgh, PA | 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. | Carmalt Academy School Visit |
| Wed., Jan 26 | Shaler Township, PA | 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. | Autograph Session at Giant Eagle |
| Thu., Jan 27 | Pittsburgh, PA | 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. | Allegheny Traditional Academy School Visit |
| Thu., Jan 27 | Pittsburgh, PA | 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. | School Visit (Location TBA) |
| Thu., Jan 27 | Pittsburgh, PA (Private Event) |
6 p.m. – 9 p.m. | Roberto Clemente Museum reception (Private Event) |
Group 2
Featuring pitching coach Ray Searage, starting pitcher James McDonald, infielder Neil Walker and broadcaster Tim Neverett.
| Date | Location | Time | Event Details |
| Mon., Jan 24 | Washington, PA | 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. | School Visit (Location TBA) |
| Mon., Jan 24 | Morgantown, WV | 12 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. | Luncheon Event at Damon’s Restaurant |
| Mon., Jan 24 | Uniontown, PA | 6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m. | Autograph Session at Uniontown Mall |
| Tue., Jan 25 | Smithton, PA | 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. | Visit to Dick’s Sporting Goods Distribution Center (private event) |
| Tue., Jan 25 | Latrobe, PA | 12 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. | Luncheon Event at Giannilli’s Two Restaurant |
| Tue., Jan 25 | Indiana, PA | 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. | Autograph Session at Indiana Mall |
| Wed., Jan 26 | Rural Valley, PA | 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. | School Assembly at West Shamokin Jr. High |
| Wed., Jan 26 | Butler, PA | 12 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. | Luncheon Event (Location TBA) |
| Wed., Jan 26 | Steubenville, OH | 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. | Autograph Session at Fort Steuben Mall |
| Thu., Jan 27 | Poland, OH | 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. | School Assembly at Poland North Elementary |
| Thu., Jan 27 | Youngstown, OH | 12 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. | Luncheon Event at Butler Art Institute |
| Thu., Jan 27 | Pittsburgh, PA (Private Event) |
6 p.m. – 9 p.m. | Roberto Clemente Museum reception (Private Event) |
Group 3
Featuring bench coach Jeff Banister, first baseman Garrett Jones, relief pitcher Joel Hanrahan, outfielder Jose Tabata and broadcaster Greg Brown.
| Date | Location | Time | Event Details |
| Mon., Jan 24 | New Castle, PA | 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. | School Visit at George Washington Intermediate |
| Mon., Jan 24 | Meadville, PA | 12:30 p.m. – 2 p.m. | Luncheon Event at Allegheny College |
| Mon., Jan 24 | Erie, PA | 6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m. | Autograph Session at Dick’s Sporting Goods |
| Tue., Jan 25 | Ridgway, PA | 11 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | School Visit at Ridgway Area Middle School |
| Tue., Jan 25 | DuBois, PA | 6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m. | Autograph Session at DuBois Mall |
| Wed., Jan 26 | State College, PA | 11:45 a.m. – 1 p.m. | Luncheon Event at Damon’s Restaurant |
| Wed., Jan 26 | State College, PA | 1:30 P.m. – 2:30 p.m. | Hospital Visit to Mt. Nittany Medical Center |
| Wed., Jan 26 | Altoona, PA | 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. | Autograph Session at Dick’s Sporting Goods |
| Thu., Jan 27 | Ebensburg, PA | 2 p.m. – 3 p.m. | Ebensburg Center Visit (private event) |
| Thu., Jan 27 | Pittsburgh, PA (Private Event) |
6 p.m. – 9 p.m. |
Roberto Clemente Museum reception
The Pirates Caravan will also visit Charleston, West Virginia, on Sunday, January 30 and Monday, January 31. The players traveling to Charleston will be announced at a later date.
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Pittsburgh Pirates Off-Season Part 5
For this fifth entry of the Pirates off-season I will talk about yesterday’s signing of Josh Fields.
Before I begin, I will mention that I have not graded the Andy Marte, Fernando Nieve and Donnie Veal moves as the grades would not be high (in Marte or Nieve’s case probably both D’s) or would be incomplete (in Veal’s case due to injuries and inconsistencies). Now back to Fields and his Wikipedia background.
“He was selected as the 18th overall pick in the first round of the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft by the White Sox.”
Entering 2005, Fields was ranked as the fourth-best prospect in the White Sox organization and the 95th-best prospect in Major League Baseball by Baseball America. He hit safely in 14 straight games from August 6 – August 21 for the Birmingham Barons, tied for the eighth-longest streak in the Southern League.
Prior to the 2006 season, Fields was once again ranked as the fourth-best prospect in the White Sox organization by Baseball America. He homered in four consecutive games from May 11 – May 14 with the Charlotte Knights, and was selected to play in the All-Star Futures Game at Pittsburgh‘s PNC Park. Fields made his major league debut on September 13, 2006, but did not record his first major league at-bat until September 18. In that game against the Detroit Tigers, Fields hit a pinch-hit home run off Detroit’s Jamie Walker. He became the third player in White Sox history to hit a home run in his first major league at-bat, joining Carlos Lee (May 7, 1999) and Miguel Olivo (September 15, 2002) as the only other White Sox to do so.
Fields entered the 2007 season ranked as the second-best prospect in the White Sox organization and the 45th-best prospect in Major League Baseball by Baseball America. Although he started the season at Triple-A Charlotte, he was called up to the White Sox after a season ending back injury to third basemam Joe Crede. He recorded his first multi-home run game on August 10 against the Seattle Mariners, hitting both off starter Jarrod Washburn. On August 26, 2007, Fields made his first start in left field, though he only played 21 games at that position before being moved back to third base.
Fields ended his first season as a Major Leaguer by hitting a promising .244, 23 home runs, 67 RBI, and an OPS of .788 in 100 games. His 23 home runs tied him with Bill Melton for 3rd most home runs by a White Sox player in their rookie season, Melton did that in 157 games. Fields received one third-place vote for AL Rookie of the Year.
Entering spring training for the 2008 season, Fields was expected to be the starting third baseman, with Joe Crede likely traded. However, Crede arrived at camp fully recovered from his injury and White Sox general manager Kenny Williams was said to be unsatisfied with the trade offers. This resulted in Crede being given the starting job and Fields once again beginning the season in Triple-A Charlotte. Fields had a disappointing, injury-riddled season with the Knights, in which he regressed to a .246 batting average and .772 OPS.
On July 25, 2008, he was called up to play with the White Sox after Crede was put on the 15-day disabled list. Fields underwent arthroscopic knee surgery at the end of the 2008 season, and was the White Sox’s starting third baseman in 2009 until Gordon Beckham was recalled from Triple-A Charlotte on June 4and took the position. On July 23, 2009, in a game against the Tampa Bay Rays, Fields hit a grand slam in his first plate appearance of the game. This would later end up being the game winning home run in Mark Buehrle‘s perfect game over the Tampa Bay Rays, winning 5-0. Fields also caught the final out of the perfect game, a groundout to White Sox shortstop Alexei Ramirez. Six days later he would be demoted to Triple A Charlotte to make room for newly acquired Mark Kotsay.
On November 6, 2009, Fields, along with Chris Getz, was traded by the Chicago White Sox to the Kansas City Royals in exchange for Mark Teahen. On December 20, 2010, Fields was signed to a minor league contract by the Pittsburgh Pirates.”
His career statistics are an underwhelming batting average of .229 with 31 home runs and 101 runs batted in.
While this may seem like an insignificant signing baseball god Bill James projects Fields to be our second best signing next to Matt Diaz. It is fairly understandable why, as he is a right handed bat and can provide some power. The problem is that he is blocked in the outfield at the moment by Jose Tabata, Andrew McCutchen, John Bowker, Ryan Doumit, Garrett Jones and Diaz. Furthermore Pedro Alvarez at his natural position of third base and Lyle Overbay was just signed to play first base, which means it will be tough for him to even become a reserve for the team. That would require either a few injuries, or a really impressive Spring Training.
Even still, an impressive Spring Training was not enough for Neil Walker last Spring, so perhaps Fields can use that as motivation. While it is very likely that Fields was signed to provide depth in the Minor Leagues, I still am a big fan of the move much like James, and see Fields contributing to the 2011 Pirates.
Zac’s Grade: B
Zachary Weiss
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