Results tagged ‘ rudy owens ’
11 things to look forward to in ’11
With a start of a new year, it’s a clean slate for the Bucs, who endured 105 losses. The new season is right around the corner: Only 41 days until Pitchers and catchers report and 88 until opening day.
Here is a list of 11 things to look forward to in 2011:
11) Interleague series against the Boston Red Sox at PNC Park – Some of the die hard Pirates fans may not like the idea of facing the potent lineup of the Red Sox, but baseball fans in general will enjoy seeing the All-star lineups. Stars like Carl Crawford, Adrian Gonzalez, Kevin Youkilis, Dustin Pedroia, David Ortiz, Jon Lester and Josh Beckett (the list goes on and on) will be in Pittsburgh –a glimpse of a possible 2011 playoff contender.
10) The new offseason acquisitions and how they impact the ball club – The Pirates made several signings this offseason in hopes to improve the team in 2011. Lyle Overbay will be the new everyday first baseman and Matt Diaz will platoon in right field with Garrett Jones.
Other signings include: Third baseman Andy Marte, short stop Josh Rodriguez, center fielder Corey Wimberly, left handers Scott Olsen, Kevin Correia and Aaron Thompson.
9) A better pitching rotation – The Pirates starters went 34-84 with a 5.28 ERA last season. The Bucs are hoping Ross Ohlendorf, and Paul Maholm will perform much better in 2011. New Pirate Kevin Correia also helps to improve the staff and James McDonald, who had great success since being acquired by the Dodgers, will round out the top four. Scott Olsen, Charlie Morton and Brad Lincoln will be fighting for the fifth spot.
8) Number one draft pick- The Pirates lost 105 games last season, sealing the first pick in the 2011 draft. Third baseman Anthony Rendon is considered to the be the top talent. He finished 2010 at Rice University batting .394 with 26 home runs and 85 runs batted in.
7) Young prospects making their way through the system – Players like Tony Sanchez, Josh Harrison, Jordy Mercer and Andrew Lambo (to name a few) are getting closer to making their major league debuts while adding more young talent to the Pirates ball club.
6) Glimpes of solid arms in late 2011 – Rudy Owens, Justin Wilson and Daniel Moskos (reliever) could make their debuts as early as July. Bryan Morris and Jeff Locke are also two more starters that will make a impact on the Pirates rotation but it’s more likely to be in 2012.
5) Debuts of young aces- Jameson Tallion and Stetson Allie will be making their Pirates debut at Low-A West Virginia in 2011.
Tallion was selected second overall by the Bucs in the 2010 draft. The 6’7, 230 pound right hander’s fastball already reaches 94-99 on the gun and has “explosive movement” according to scouts. Tallion also has a plus curve (81-85) and breaking ball (84-88).
Allie has an even stronger arm. The 6’4, 225 pound right-hander throws both a two-seamer and four-seamer fastball that clocks regularly at 98. He also has an above average slider (87-91) and a change, with very good sink at 85-87.
4) Clint Hurdle managing the Bucs – Hurdle is exactly what the young Pirates need in a new skipper. He is very charismatic and passionate about baseball, smart, motivational and has past success in managing a young team. Hurdle is aware of the changes ahead and has said, “I’m all in.”
3) Ending the 18 year consecutive losing streak? -While it may be a long shot –the Pirates would need to have a 24 game improvement to finish .500– it still is possible. Example: The 2007 Tampa Bay Rays went 66-96, in 2008 they finished 97-65 –a 31 game improvement as well as a American League Championship title. The1991 Braves went 94-68 after finishing 65-97 in 1990. Tough, but not impossible.
2) The young Bucs continue to improve – Andrew McCutchen, Jose Tabata and Neil Walker (all under 25) will continue to get better and better with more major league experience. Tabata and Walker finished their rookie seasons better than expected. Tabata had 121 hits in 102 games, Walker with 126 in 110 games. Both hit most of the season over .300 and finished .299 and .296 respectively. McCutchen in his first full major league season continued to be a hitting and running machine. He finished .286 while adding 94 runs, 16 home runs, 56 RBIs and 33 stolen bases.
1) Pedro Alvarez to become a superstar- Pedro finished his rookie campaign with a .256 average, 16 home runs and 64 RBI’s. If Alvarez’s month of September is a glimpse of what’s to come (.306 avg, 10 doubles, six home runs and 27 RBI in 29 games) Pirates fans should be excited for years to come. He has an ability to change the game with one swing –the three-run walk-off bomb against the Rockies made highlights and one of MLB Network’s top moments of the season. There’s no doubt he is a superstar in the making.
Martinez DFA, four more get spring training invites
The Pirates designated pitcher Joe Martinez for assignment on Wednesday, to make room for Kevin Correia who was added to the 40-man roster on Friday.
If Martinez clears waivers, the Bucs have 10 days to either trade, release or outright him to the minors (If out righted to the minors, he would receive an invitation to Spring Training to compete for a spot in the Pirates bullpen).
Martinez was acquired from the San Francisco Giants in the Javier Lopez trade, where he, along with John Bowker, were sent to Pittsburgh.
In five relief appearances with the Pirates in 2010, Martinez allowed three runs in 8.2 innings while striking out six and walking three.
The Pirates announced four more non-roster spring training invites. Tyler Yates, Jeff Clement, Rudy Owens and Justin Wilson. The non-roster list currently sits at 12. Those already invited are: Justin Thomas, Fernando Nieve, Josh Fields, Dusty Brown, Sean Gallagher, Donnie Veal, Andy Marte and Cesar Valdez.
Minor League News and Notes
- The Pirates have not decided on a starting rotation for Triple-A system for 2011. Those players who do not make the major league roster could be factored into the Indians rotation. The candidates include: Rudy Owens, Justin Wilson, Bryan Morris and Jared Hughes (who could begin trickling into the Pirates rotation after July).
- Infielder Josh Harrison finished the finished well in the Arizona Fall League where he hit .330 in 22 games and finished with a .516 slugging percentage. He could be a candidate to start the season in Triple-A.
“He’s a guy that’s going to continue to challenge people to think that he’s better than what they think,” farm director Kyle Stark said. “He went out there and played very well.”
- Andrew Lambo also finished well in the AFL, batting .274 with 23 RBIs in 28 games (The 22-year-old outfielder was acquired by the Dodgers in the Octavio Dotel trade). Lambo is also a starting candidate for Triple-A.
Who will the Pirates protect in Rule 5 draft?
The Rule 5 draft deadline is almost here. The Pirates have until Midnight ET on November 19th to move players they want to protect to the 40-man roster. The roster is currently at 38 (as of Thursday evening) and will have to remove several guys off in order to save some good prospects.
According to Jenifer Langosch, Pirates Beat Reporter these are the players that are likely/unlikely to be protected.
Near certain Additions: Rudy Owens, Jeff Locke, Diego Moreno
Up for debate: Daniel Moskos, Nathan Adcock, Brian Friday, Tony Watson
Notable ’07 Draft picks likely to be left off: Duke Welker, Andrew Walker
Unlikely to be protected … again: Michael Crotta, Michael Dubee, Jim Negrych, and Miles Durham
Baseball prospectus ranks Pirates system
Kevin Goldstein of Baseball prospectus ranked the Pirates system. Here is the list of the top 11 prospects:
Five-star Prospects
1) Jameson Taillon RHP
2) Stetson Allie RHP
Four-Star Prospects
3) Luis Heredia RHP
4) Tony Sanchez C
Three-Star Prospects
5) Rudy Owens LHP
6) Bryan Morris RHP
7) Starling Marte OF
8) Jeff Locke LHP
9) Diego Moreno RHP
Two-Star Prospects
10) Colton Cain LHP
11) Zack Von Rosenberg RHP
…Continue reading for the good, the bad, projections
Payroll increase and off-season plans, Coonelly answers fans questions
President Frank Coonelly took part in his monthly chat on Wednesday. Some of the topics were on the manager vacancy, payroll increase and off-season plans. You can read the entire chat here. These are a few of the questions I thought were interesting.
I support this rebuilding process and am excited for the team in 2012 and beyond. That said, without giving a canned answer, are you going to add enough payroll to support a better team in 2011? Can we hope for at least a $50M payroll?
Coonelly: “I appreciate your support of our plan to return the Pirates to a championship caliber club and your recognition that such a plan necessarily takes time.”
“Notwithstanding what was a very disappointing season in 2010, we have made meaningful progress in upgrading the talent in our organization and over the last two years have added several of the most exciting young players in the National League, including Andrew McCutchen, Jose Tabata, Neil Walker and Pedro Alvarez.”
“Speaking candidly, I have said that we have the capacity to add meaningfully to our 2011 payroll if we are able to secure players who will help us win in Pittsburgh. We have the capacity to have a payroll over $50 million and we’ll add those payroll dollars if we are able to bring in players that can help us win.”
What do you plan on doing to help the pitching situation for next year, as it was clearly our biggest weakness?
Coonelly: “There is no question that we need to improve our pitching in 2011, particularly our starting rotation. We have identified the starting rotation as a priority this off-season and we’ll aggressively pursue adding at least one starting pitcher during the off-season, either through a free-agent signing or a trade. Of course, the free-agent market for starting pitchers is rather thin this off-season and thus there is no guarantee that we will be able to add a free-agent starter who will be able to impact our roster.”
“Part of the solution, therefore, must be getting better performances from pitchers like Paul Maholm, Ross Ohlendorf, and, possibly, Charlie Morton and/or Brad Lincoln. James McDonald pitched well for us following his acquisition. Ohlendorf was pitching very well prior to being shut down with shoulder soreness and Charlie Morton, who is currently pitching in winter ball, looked like he was beginning to figure some things out as the season closed.”
“These pitchers and any offseason acquisitions should be pushed hard by the young arms (Rudy Owens, Bryan Morris, Justin Wilson and Jeff Locke) who helped the Altoona Curve win the Eastern League championship this year. In summary, we must pitch far better in 2011 and I am confident that we will.”
How confident is the organization with Hanrahan or Meek as the closer in 2011? Or will you shop for a veteran closer again (like 2010 with Dotel) until you feel one is ready?
Coonelly: ”Joel Hanrahan and Evan Meek both have shown that they have the tools necessary to be quality closers. As a result, we would be comfortable relying on Joel and/or Evan closing games for us in 2011. Having said that, we are looking to add to our bullpen and if we were able to add an experienced closer, we would certainly consider making such an addition to the back of our bullpen.”
Will Alvarez be moved to first base and will pitching be addressed in the offseason?
President Frank Coonelly held his monthly online chat on Wednesday. If you missed it, here are a few of the interesting questions.
The team made some improvements and showed some growth, but has a glaring lack of starting pitching going into 2011. The team made some improvements and showed some growth, but has a glaring lack of starting pitching going into 2011.
“We agree that, despite what was an incredibly frustrating and disappointing season, a solid core of position players have emerged that showed growth in the system and are players about whom we are excited moving forward. For the second consecutive year, we had multiple players — this year Jose Tabata, Neil Walker and Pedro Alvarez — who should receive serious consideration for top rookie honors. I also agree that our pitching, particularly our starting pitching, was extremely poor and made it difficult for this team to win on a consistent basis. Fortunately, a strength of our Minor League system is the starting pitching that helped the Altoona Curve win the Eastern League this year, particularly Rudy Owens, Justin Wilson, Bryan Morris and Jeff Locke. While the strong performances of these young pitchers bode well for our rotation in the near future, it is far from certain that any of them will be ready to join the rotation out of Spring Training. As a result, we will look to add starting pitching this offseason, either through the free agent market or the trade market. James McDonald obviously was a bright spot after joining the rotation in August and Ross Ohlendorf, who pitched much better than his record would otherwise indicate, will be ready to rejoin the rotation in the spring. Our fans, including season-ticket holders like yourself, should know that one of Neal Huntington’s highest priorities this offseason is to improve the pitching staff.”
Do you see any of the current coaches being retained by the new manager?
“There are quality baseball men and quality individuals on our coaching staff who are highly valued by the organization. I certainly can foresee members of last year’s staff having a role on the staff in 2011 or otherwise within the organization. In fairness to the staff members, Neal informed them that they were free to explore other opportunities. But he also told them that they were highly valued by the organization and that we would working hard to select a new manager as expeditiously as possible so that we could provide them with a definitive answer in terms of their role with the Pirates.”
Are there any plans to move Pedro Alvarez, whose defense was suspect at times, to first base and sign a free-agent third baseman?
“There are no current plans to move Pedro to first base. Our focus remains putting Pedro in a position to stay at third base for his entire career. Pedro made several above-average-to-spectacular plays at third base this season but, at the same time, struggled at times. While this is not unexpected for a player in his first Major League season, we need Pedro and the rest of our fielders to play superior defense if we are going to play winning baseball. Pedro understands the importance of conditioning to his ability to stay at third base and we are confident that he will work extremely hard this offseason to put himself in a position to be an above-average defender at third base. As we have said, Pedro has all of the physical tools necessary to be an above-average defensive third baseman, and he is much more valuable to our organization if he is able to stay there. Pedro’s aspirations are aligned with ours in that he views himself as a third baseman and is determined to demonstrate that he should stay at third base. As you look at the list of free-agent players eligible this offseason, it is much easier to find a quality bat who can play first base on the free-agent market.”
Rudy Owens said his changeup got even better this year
Rudy Owens, the Pirates 28th-round selection in the 2006 draft, is 27-18 with a 2.92 ERA in his three years in the minor league system.
With Double-A Altoona this season, Owens was 12-6 with a 2.46 ERA. The 22-year old is most likely to start the 2011 season with the Triple-A Indians. If Owens continues to pitch well we may see him in a Pirates uniform at some point next season.
“I went into this year just trying to take everything in — trying to learn from the hitters, learn from my catchers and how they call they games, learn from my stuff,” Owens said. “I kind of caught on and trusted my stuff and my ability to call my own games. That’s where I took off.”
His changeup is a big reason for his success.
“I worked on it during the throwing program, messing with the grip, until I felt comfortable,” Owens said. “You’ve got to throw it to make it feel good. I threw it enough and got comfortable with it. I messed with the grip until I got to that point. It’s something I’ve got to perfect. I’ve got to be able to throw it in the strike zone when I want to or in the dirt when I need to. I’m just trying to get the guy to swing or miss.”
Owens, Presley receive Minor league awards
Before the Pirates game on Friday against the Astros, Rudy Owens and Alex Presley were honored with Pittsburgh’s Minor league Pitcher and Player of the year awards.
Owens, which received the award last year as well and Presley have had great seasons this year.
Owens spent the 2010 season in Double-A finishing 12-6 with a 2.36 ERA in 26 starts. His ERA was the lowest among pitchers in the Eastern League and his 132 strikeouts were third best.
Presley had a great 2010 season. He spent 67 games in Double-A batting .350 and was promoted to Triple-A where he hit .294 in 69 games. Presley’s breakout season allowed him to be a September call-up and make his major league debut.
Here are a few pictures of them receiving the awards with General Manager Neal Huntington.
Pre-Game News 9/24: Owens, Presley to be honored; Astros vs Pirates
Before the Pirates open up the final three game series at PNC Park this season, Rudy Owens and Alex Presley will be awarded as Pittsburgh’s minor league pitcher and player of the year.
Owens spent the 2010 season in Double-A finishing 12-6 with a 2.36 ERA in 26 starts. His ERA was the lowest among pitchers in the Eastern League and his 132 strikeouts were third best. This is his second straight year receiving this award.
Presley had a great 2010 season. He spent 67 games in Double-A batting .350 and was promoted to Triple-A where he hit .294 in 69 games. Presley’s breakout season allowed him to be a September call-up and make his major league debut.
- The Pirates need to sweep the Astros in order to finish the season .500 at home.
Pitching Matchup:
Brett Myers (13-7, 2.76 ERA)
Vs.
James McDonald (4-4, 3.50 ERA)
Myers streak is still intact –31 straight starts pitching at least six innings–. Myers 2.76 ERA in third best in the National League. He is 2-0 with a 2.18 ERA against the Pirates this season. Myers picked up his 13th win his last start against the Reds allowing no runs on six hits through seven innings.
McDonald’s streak was broken his last start –20 innings without allowing a run–. J-Mac picked up his fourth win pitching five innings (101 pitches) allowing two runs on four hits, striking out six. McDonald has been dominant at PNC Park since being acquired from the Dodgers going 4-1 with a 2.40 ERA.
Astros Lineup:
Bourgeois 8
Sanchez 6
Pence 9
Lee 7
Keppinger 4
Johnson 5
Quintero 2
Wallace 3
Myers 1
Pirates Lineup:
McCutchen 8
Tabata 7
Walker 4
Jones 3
Alvarez 5
Bowker 9
Cedeno 6
Snyder 2
McDonald 1
Kristy Robinson
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