Pirates Tidbits (2009 season)

[Jake]

Just when I thought the Bucs couldn't get any more desperate. Why don't they just fold and put me out of my misery?

Rinku Singh, 20, a left-handed pitcher, and Dinesh Kumar Patel, 19, were the top contenders to emerge from the first 30,000 entrants in the "Million Dollar Arm" contest in India. The winners threw the most pitches 85 miles per hour or faster for strikes.

They are the first Indian-born players to sign a professional sports contract outside of the country, according to the Pirates.

"The Pirates are committed to creatively adding talent to our organization.

So reality TV in India is the new scouting initiative.

Pirates sign two pitchers from India

[daveeb]

I thought reality stars had contract demands that went beyond what the Pirates were willing to pay. I guess I was wrong.

[Jake]

Outsourcing to India is popular for a reason.

[ScriptOhio]

Rinku Singh, LHP, 6′2, 185 lbs.
Jackson: Ringku Singh is clearly the less polished of the two prospects and is more of a project, likely a more boom-or-bust type pitcher than his counterpart Dinesh Patel. He has poor command at this point and gives his bullpen catcher headaches, frequently losing his grip on the ball and struggling to find his form.
However, at 6?2 185, the ceiling is there and he?s clearly an athlete. He?s got long arms and legs, a nice, strong high leg kick and overall shows strength and flexibility in his unpolished delivery. He throws from a ? arm slot, bringing his arm way down below his waist and then letting go with a sort of catapault-like delivery where he pushes the ball a bit. He struggles to repeat his form, especially with the lower half, and his follow through needs a lot of work. His arm speed is average at best and he relies on leverage to generate velocity.
Singh?s FB comes in 79-83 MPH, with a slow moving curve that ranges from 67-72. He currently lacks a real feel for the breaking pitch and his curve has little bite to it.

Dinesh Patel, RHP, 5′10/185

Aaron: Definitely the more polished of the two. Strong upper body, but the legs are a little thin. Throws from the stretch and starts in a crouched position. Nice tempo ? quick, but not hurried. Leg comes in high and he?s very aggressive to the plate. Call it a 3/4 arm angle. Has a very smooth and natural-looking delivery for someone who had never played baseball before last year.
Fastball is 84-85 and touches 87 with some tail down and in on right-handed batters, showing occasional sink. Delivery looks repeatable, but his release point is a little inconsistent, which will create command issues until he sorts it out. Due to his lack of height, he doesn?t get great plane but nice movement on the fastball can compensate for it. The ball doesn?t come out of his hand as easily as I?d like, but I he gets good extension on his follow-through. Nice aggressive finish.
Slider is 77-79. Doesn?t always get a lot of depth, but, again, like everything else with both these players, you have to remember Patel has been playing baseball for a friggin? year. With that in mind the slider looks like it has the possibility of developing into a useful secondary pitch.

Entire article: Scouting Reports on Rinku Singh and Dinesh Patel |

Neither pitchers have Nolan Ryan speed.

[Jake]

The Post Gazette reports the Bucs spent a total of $35,000 to sign these guys, pocket change in MLB terms. Pretty much nothing to lose...probably nothing to gain, either.

[Jake]

Another part of my childhood falls by the wayside. Yes, young Buckeyes, the Pirates used to be a good team.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP)?Dave Roberts, a left-handed pitcher who played for the 1979 World Series champion Pittsburgh Pirates during a 13-year career in the majors, died of lung cancer Friday. He was 64.

Roberts died at his home in Short Gap, according to his wife, Carol, and stepdaughter Kristy Rogan.

Rogan said Roberts had developed lung cancer from asbestos exposure as a young man. During the offseasons, he worked as a boilermaker.

And yes, players used to take jobs in the offseason to supplement their income in the days before even the scrubs were millionaires.
RIP, Dave. Thanks for the memories.

Former big league pitcher Dave Roberts dies at 64 - MLB - Yahoo! Sports

[Jake]

It's a miracle...well, in Pirates terms, anyway.

In a sharp reversal, the Pirates and center fielder Nate McLouth this morning agreed to terms on a three-year contract -- plus a club option for a fourth -- that avoided an arbitration hearing that had been scheduled for this afternoon in Phoenix.

McLouth's multiyear contract means the Pirates succeeded in all three of their offseason multiyear targets, including pitcher Paul Maholm and catcher Ryan Doumit, moves that solidify what management believes will be the core of the franchise for years to come. In all three cases, at least one year of free agency was bought up by the team.

McLouth, 27, enjoyed a breakout 2008 with a .276 average, 26 home runs, 94 RBIs, 23 steals, a Gold Glove and an All-Star appearance at Yankee Stadium.

Recent history suggests Nate will either regress terribly or get traded for prospects within 18 months. We'll see.

Pirates, McLouth reach long-term deal - PBC Blog - post-gazette.com

[daveeb]

Glad they signed Pedro Alvarez. He had a clutch double in the 9th of the second spring game that added to a rally to win the game. Yeah, I know, it doesn't mean much, but it was nice to see.

Bixler is not going to be able to replace Jack Flash at shortstop when he inevitably leaves the club via trade or option not being exercised. 2 errors in spring training = something to worry about.

[Jake]

If/when Wilson departs I'm guessing Ramon Vasquez is the first option at SS, in the short term. Bixler was awful last year. I don't see him as an option, short or long term.

[Jake]

The Buccos are 7-3 so far in the Grapefruit League. Woohoo! Time to start printing playoff tickets.

[NFBuck]

Originally Posted by Jake

The Buccos are 7-3 so far in the Grapefruit League. Woohoo! Time to start printing playoff tickets.

I feel bad for you Pirate fans, well, the few real ones that are left. My dad was a HUGE Pirates fan before he passed, so they always have a special place in my heart. I guess they would be my favorite NL team. I can't possibly fathom having to deal with the ineptitude you guys do. I get upset after one or two bad years for the Tribe. I remember vividly those great teams from the early nineties with Bonds (when he had a human sized head), Bobby Bo and Van Slyk. Those were fun teams to watch.

[Jake]

Originally Posted by NFBuck

I feel bad for you Pirate fans, well, the few real ones that are left. My dad was a HUGE Pirates fan before he passed, so they always have a special place in my heart. I guess they would be my favorite NL team. I can't possibly fathom having to deal with the ineptitude you guys do. I get upset after one or two bad years for the Tribe. I remember vividly those great teams from the early nineties with Bonds (when he had a human sized head), Bobby Bo and Van Slyk. Those were fun teams to watch.

I remember the World Series champs from the 1970s. I was too young to buy tickets back then, but I had WS tickets in 1992. Three outs away...Francisco [censored]in Cabrera and the kiss of death.

[NFBuck]

Originally Posted by Jake

I remember the World Series champs from the 1970s. I was too young to buy tickets back then, but I had WS tickets in 1992. Three outs away...Francisco [censored]in Cabrera and the kiss of death.

God, I remember Sid Bream lumbering around the bases like it was yesterday. [censored]ing Bonds and his noodle-arm.

[Steve19]

Sigh....

Willie Stargell
Robereto Clemente
Bill Mazeroski
Even Dock Ellis on LSD in hair curlers

The Bucs were linked to Columbus through the Columbus Jets, their AAA farm team. Like the city they call home, they were once so much more than they are today. It's too painful to watch now. You must look at the standings midway through the season to see if they avoided last place in the division.

[iambrutus]

grew up a buccos fan with my dad - i remember 1992 season really well - sid bream can eat my ass.

the only good thing about the pirates sucking is being able to show up on game day and get baseline seats (usually in the first few rows) for pennies