akira world

The Pirates signed pitcher Chris Cullen to a minor league contract. Cullen, 22, was 5-1 with a 3.20 ERA, 24 strikeouts and 27 walks in 56 innings for Edmonton in the independent Golden Baseball League this past summer. He previously pitched at Michigan State University.
벅스가 크리스 커런(Chris Cullen)과 마이너계약을 했습니다. 올 여름에 독립리그에서 뛰었다고하니 마이너리그 로스터 채우기 용이 아닐까 싶습니다.

If the Pirates like what they see of Pedro Alvarez in the spring, he could skip the first three rungs of the professional ladder on his way to Pittsburgh.

Management's plan, as detailed by director of player development Kyle Stark, is to have the franchise's prized draft pick start out in high Class A at Lynchburg, Va., or, if Alvarez is not deemed ready, in low Class A with the new affiliate in Charleston, W.Va.

"If Pedro's ready to go, we're going to be aggressive with him," Stark said. "It depends on what we see from him, how he adjusts to the game, what kind of shape he's in, a lot of factors. But I can tell you we're not going to rush him just to make up for lost time."

Most draft picks start out in the rookie-level Gulf Coast League or the short-season New York-Penn League. But, because of Alvarez's much-publicized contract dispute, he was unable to play in either of those late-summer leagues. His only action came in September with a month in the Florida Instructional League, but that is not considered formal.

No statistics were kept for Alvarez's performance in Florida, but team officials who witnessed him -- including Pirates manager John Russell -- were effusive in their praise of his hitting and satisfied with his defense at third base.

"As advertised," Stark said of the bat. "He projects to be a middle-of-the-order bat, and that's exactly what he looked like."

A debut in high Class A would not be unprecedented. The Baltimore Orioles started catcher Matt Wieters -- the player the Pirates bypassed in the 2007 draft -- at that level before he quickly moved to Class AA on his way to becoming Baseball America's minor league player of the year.
뭐 잡다한 해석은 안하겠습니다.
요약해서 말하면 알바레스가 하이 싱글A팀인 린츠버그에서 플레이할 수도 있다고 합니다. 하지만 일단 스캠에서 보고서 준비가 안되어있다면 로우 싱글A팀인 찰스턴으로 보낸다고 하네요.
그 모든것은 그(알바레스)에게 달려있다고 하네요. 뭐 당연한거 아니겠어요.
작년에 보라스의 장난으로 그의 계약이 길어졌고, 결국은 가을에 플로리다 교육리그에 보내졌다고...
드레프트되고서는 보통 루키 레벨 걸프 코스트리그(GCL)나 숏시즌인 뉴욕-펜 리그(New York-Penn League)로 보내지지만 그의 낭중지추(囊中之錐)랄까요?
하지만 이런 특별 케이스는 볼티모어의 최고 유망주인 맷 위터스(Matt Wieters)도 그러한 절차를 발았기때문에, 새로울게 없다고 하네요.

Pitchers Brad Lincoln and Danny Moskos, the Pirates' previous two first-round picks, will be in a position to compete for the rotation in Class AA Altoona. Neither has pitched at a higher level than Lynchburg.
이전 1라운드 출신인 브랜드 링컨과 데니 모스코스는 더블 A팀인 앨투나에서 로테이션 경쟁을 할거라고 하네요. 이 둘은 린츠버그 이상의 레벨에서 뛰지 않았다고 합니다. 잘한다....1라운드가 아깝군요.

Of the prospects currently on the 40-man roster: Outfielder Jose Tabata could make his debut with Class AAA Indianapolis, but he also might stay in Altoona if management decides it does not want two center fielders at the same level with Andrew McCutchen.
7월 양키스와의 트레이드로 건너온 호세 타바타(Jose Tabata)는 트리플 A팀인 인디에나폴리스에서 데뷔할 수도 있지만, 벅스 조직이 두명의 유망주 CF를 같은 곳에서 플레이하기를 꺼린다면 그는 더블 A에서 다시 시즌을 시작할 수도 있다고 합니다. 일단 박힌 돌은 벅스 최고의 유망주인 앤드류 맥커첸(Andrew McCutchen)입니다.


Catcher Steve Lerud and reliever Jeff Sues should start out with Altoona. The same is true of second baseman Jim Negrych, who is not on the 40-man but was the Pirates' 2008 minor league player of the year. And reliever Ronald Uviedo should start out with Lynchburg.
이번에 40인 로스터에 포함된 스티브 렐루드(Steve Lerud)와 릴리퍼 제프 슈즈(Jeff Sues)는 더블 A인 앨투나에서 뛸거라고 하네요. 또한 08시즌 벅스 올해의 마이너리거로 선정되었던 Jim Negrych도 앨투나에서 뛴다고 하네요. 08시즌에 앨투나로 승격되어서 25경기밖에 뛰지 않았으니 당연한 선택이라고 생각합니다. 하지만 같은 포지션에 유망주인 쉘비 포드(Shelby Ford)도 있기때문에 벅스는 어떻게 할지는 고민해봐야 할 문제인거 같네요.

Two of the Pirates' relievers have married this offseason, Matt and Jennifer Capps, John and Karey Grabow.
오프시즌에 벅스 소속의 릴리퍼인 맷 캡스(Matt Capps)와 존 가보(John Grabow)가 결혼한다고 하네요.
각각 부인되는 사람의 이름은 제니퍼와 케리라고 하네요.

The Pirates' near-total overhaul of managers for their minor league affiliates was capped yesterday with the selection of Frank Kremblas for Class AAA Indianapolis.

Kremblas, 42, managed the Milwaukee Brewers' Class AAA Nashville affiliate the past four seasons and won three consecutive division titles in 2005-07 while advancing a talented class of players that included Prince Fielder, Ryan Braun, Corey Hart and J.J. Hardy.

"Adding Frank gives us a talented teacher at the upper levels who brings not only his own strengths but also played a vital role in a system that thrived by graduating its own core players to the majors," Pirates director of player development Kyle Stark said. "His knowledge, passion, enthusiasm, creativity and commitment makes him a great fit with what we're doing in Pittsburgh."

Kremblas will fill the vacancy left when the Pirates dismissed Trent Jewett after three seasons as Indianapolis' manager.

Milwaukee dismissed Kremblas two weeks after this past season, during which Nashville was 59-81, with management telling him that, because he was not being considered for the Brewers' major league coaching staff, he was free to look elsewhere.

In 11 seasons as a minor league manager, Kremblas is 647-613.

The Pirates also named Matt Walbeck, previously the third base coach for the Texas Rangers, the manager at Class AA Altoona. P.J. Forbes, who spent the past five seasons managing in the Philadelphia Phillies' system, will be the manager at high Class A Lynchburg, and Gary Robinson, the head coach at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte from 1981-90, was named the manager at short-season Class A State College.
프랭크 크램블레스(Frank Kremblas)를 트리플 A팀인 인디에나폴리스의 감독으로 선임했습니다.
올시즌 종료와 함께 이전 감독이었던 트랜트 지웰트(Trent Jewett)와는 재계약을 하지 않았었죠.
크램블레스는 올시즌까지 맥주네 트리플A팀인 네쉬빌에 있었다고 하네요.
거기에서 왕자님과 라이언 브론, 코리 하트, 하디 등의 재능을 간파하고 더욱 돋보이게 했다는데...
얘네들은 원래 잘했는데...좀 과장된 표현이 아닐까 싶네요.

그리고 옛 텍사스 3루코치였던 맷 웰백(Matt Walbeck)을 더블 A팀인 앨투나(Altoona)감독으로 선임했습니다.
또한, P.J. 포브스(P.J. Forbes)를 싱글 A팀인 린츠버그(Lynchburg), 게리 로빈슨(Gary Robinson)을 싱글 A팀인 스테이트 칼리지(State College)의 감독으로 선임했습니다.

일단 작년까지 마이너팀들의 성적이 신통치않아서 전원(아마 거의) 물갈이를 하지 않았나 싶네요.

The Pirates and catcher Ryan Doumit have agreed to terms on a three-year contract extension -- plus an unusual club option for an additional two years -- and are expected to announce it with a news conference today at PNC Park.

All that remains is for Doumit to take a physical, and that is scheduled for this morning.

No financial terms were immediately available, but the guaranteed three-year term will carry Doumit through all three of his arbitration-eligible years, and the club option could buy out what would have been his first and second years of free agency. The rarity of the option is that it has a one-time trigger for both years, meaning that the Pirates can decide only once whether or not to exercise both.

The contract effectively gives the Pirates control of Doumit's rights through 2013.

Doumit, 27, made $412,000 during a breakout 2008 in which he batted .318 with 15 home runs and 69 RBIs. His .407 average with runners in scoring position was the best in the National League for players with a minimum 100 plate appearances.

The signing will be the first for the Pirates of their seven arbitration-eligible players. Starter Paul Maholm also is negotiating an extension with the team. Center fielder Nate McLouth had been doing likewise until those talks crumbled in the past week. The rest are first baseman Adam LaRoche, starter Zach Duke, and relievers John Grabow and Tyler Yates. All except Maholm can be expected, for now, to end up with one-year contracts.

The Doumit extension would be the fourth since new management took over in late 2007: Second baseman Freddy Sanchez, starter Ian Snell and closer Matt Capps received multiyear contracts early this year.
더밋이 3년 + 2년옵션의 연장계약을 채결했고, 현지시간으로 오늘 PNC팍에서 발표를 한다고 하네요.
신체검사는 아침에 한다고 합니다.
특이하게 2년 옵션을 달았군요.
옵션까지 시행된다면 2013년까지 벅스는 더밋을 컨트롤할 수 있다고 합니다.
경제여파때문에 얼마만큼의 계약을 해줄지는 모르겠지만, 4년에 20M이나 5년에 30M의 가치가 될거라고 예상은 나온 상태입니다.
그와 더불어 폴 마홈과 네이트 맥로스의 연장계약도 진행되고 있는 상황입니다만, 맥로스의 경우는 양측의 금액차이가 좀 난다고 합니다.

Major League Portion:

The Pirates picked 4th, and chose LHP Donald (Donnie) Veal from the Cubs.  Veal is a 24-year-old from Mississippi, 6' 4", 215 lb.  He's been a starter in the Cubs' organization, steadily working his way up the ladder, with Rookie and Low A levels in 2005, A and A+ in 2006, then stuck at AA Tennessee for the 2007 and 2008 seasons.  In those two years, he accumulated a 13-20 record and a 4.77 ERA.  He pitched 130.1 innings in 2007 and 145.1 innings in 2008.  He had 5 walks/9 innings in both season, with 9 strikeouts/9 innings in '07 and 7.6 strikeouts/9 innings in '08.  Veal continued to have control issues in the Arizona Fall League, as a reliever for the Mesa Solar Sox.  He made 10 appearances, for a total of 9 innings, but did not earn any wins, losses, or saves.  He gave up 12 runs (10 earned) on 9 hits, with 13 walks, and 9 strikeouts.  Veal also had tough stuff to deal with  off the field, with the deaths of both his parents.

The Pirates, and specifically Neal Huntington, are clearly aware of Veal's control issues.  He will be hooked up very closely with pitching coach Joe Kerrigan and minor league pitching coordinator Troy Buckley in Spring Training, and maybe in January's mini-camp also.  The idea is that he'll be a reliever for the Pirates, and if it works out, great -- and if it doesn't, well, it was a good try.
05년 컵스 2라운드(전체 68번)로 지명된 다니엘(도니) 빌을 벅스가 룰 5 드레프트로 데려왔다. 그는 컵스 조직에서 점점 더 그의 가치를 증명하고 있었다. 작년과 올해 그는 도합 13승 20패 4.77ERA를 기록했으며, 07년에는 130.1이닝, 08년에는 145.1이닝을 투구했다. 그는 이 두 시즌동안 9이닝당 볼넷 허용이 5였다. 9이닝당 삼진율은 07년도에는 9였지만, 올해는 7.6으로 감소했다. 빌은 AFL에서 컨트롤에 문제점을 들었냈고, 비단 AFL에서만의 문제가 아니었다. AFL에서 그는 스타터가 아닌 릴리퍼로만 뛰었고 9이닝동안 9피안타 12실점을 허용했다.

벅스와 닐 헌팅턴 단장은 빌의 컨트롤적인 문제를 이미 알고 있으며, 그는 조 케리건 투수코치와 마이너 피칭 코디네이터인 트로이 버클리와 스프링캠프와 1월에 열리는 미니캠프에서 그 문제점(컨트롤)을 다룰 것이다. 만약 빌의 컨트롤이 잘 잡히거나, 문제점을 들어나지 않는다면 그는 좋은 릴리프가 될 것이다.
일각에서는 그는 잘되면 빅리그 2선발이고 못되면 아서 로즈(Arthur Rhodes)형의 릴리프가 되리라고 예상했으며, 룰 5 드레프트 이전에 루머에 따르면 그는 패전처리용이 될 것이라는 루머도 있었습니다만, 지금으로썬 조 케리건을 믿을 수밖에 없네요.


The Pirates lost LHP Kyle Bloom to the Tigers, as the #8 overall pick.  Bloom, a 25-year old,  was the Pirates' 5th round pick in the 2004 draft.  His progression up in the organization has been slow, having spent half of 2005, all of 2006, and all but two games of 2007 in A+ Lynchburg.  Bloom was a member of the AA Altoona club for all of 2008, where he made 22 starts and 6 relief appearances.  He pitched a total of 109.2 innings, allowing 103 hits and 57 runs (51 earned).  He walked 55 (4.5 BB/9IP) and struck out 93 (7.6 K/9IP), and batters hit .244 against him.  He finished with a 5-8 record and a 4.19 ERA.  The good news about those numbers is that he was improving the whole time.  His ERA dropped from 8.15 in April to 3.63 in June, 2.45 in July, and 3.86 in August.  His walk rate was cut in half in July and August, as his strikeout rate increased a bit.  All 5 of his wins came in July and August.

Then he went to the Hawaiian Winter League and blew them away.  In 7 starts, 30 innings, he worked a 2-0 record and a 1.50 ERA, allowing 5 earned runs on 15 hits and 11 walks, with 32 strikeouts.  Batters could only manage a .144 against him.  Working above his level?  Yes, but that is probably not the whole story either.  Bloom credited his success, along with his improvement during the latter part of the regular season to better mechanics and better command of his fast ball, both contributing to more confidence in himself.
04년 피츠버그 5라운드(전체 142번)에 지명되었던 블럼은 벅스 지역언론들의 염려속에 결국 타팀에 지명되었습니다. 성장속도는 느리지만 꾸준히 발전해왔다. 08시즌 더블 A인 앨투나에서 22번의 선발과 6번의 릴리프로 109.2이닝동안 103피안타와 51자책점을 허용했으며, 9이닝당 볼넷 허용율은 4.5이고 9이닝당 삼진율은 7.6이다. 그의 자책점은 4월에 좋지 않았지만, 정상괘도로 돌아왔다.

그는 HWB에서 7선발 30이닝동안 1.50ERA를 기록했고, 11볼넷 32삼진을 기록했다. 아마 HWB의 성공은 정규시즌보다 더 좋은 커맨드와 페스트볼이 그에게 자신감을 불어넣었다고 본다.
사실 메인 언론(예를 들어 BA)에 거론되지않았지만, 헌팅턴이 단장 부임이후 첫번째 과오가 아닐까 싶을 정도입니다. 메이저리그에 좌완투수들이 많아서 좌완인 카일 블럼을 40인에 넣지않았다고 한다면 이해하겠지만, 룰 5에서 뽑은 선수도 좌완인거 보면 어떤 철학이 정립이 되지않은거 같아보입니다.


AAA Portion:

The Pirates don't appear to have lost any players in this round, but they picked up three:
SS Andres Santos from the Yankees
INF Rafael Quintero from the Indians 
RHP Gerardo Esparza from the Mariners

Both Santos and Quintero are listed as pitchers by the MiLB site, and their records show they spent 2008 in the Dominican Summer League.  Esparza is listed as a pitcher, and he pitched in the Venezuelan Summer League in 2008.  This is not at all clear to me.  I'll get back to you if I find out something that explains this.

UPDATE:
OK, they are all pitchers, according to the Pirates' site.  Santos is a lefty, and Quintero and Esparza are right-handers.

Andres Santos is a 22-year old Dominican native.  He pitched for the Yankees' Dominican Summer League team in 2008, making 13 appearances (9 starts).  His final record was 3-2 with a 1.85 ERA.  That split out to a 2-0 record and a 2.31 ERA as a reliever, and a 1-2 record with a 1.70 ERA as a starter.  He pitched a total of 48.2 innings, allowing 29 hits, 16 walks, and 49 strikeouts, and opposing batters hit .173 against him.  Santos did not allow an earned run in his last 5 appearances, which spanned 22.2 innings, and included 20 strikeouts. 

Rafael Quintero just turned 21 years old.  The Venezuelan native made 23 relief appearances for the Cleveland Indians' DSL team in 2008.  He earned 5 wins, one loss, and one save, with a 1.36 ERA.  He gave up 44 hits and 12 runs (7 earned) in 46.1 innings, with only 5 walks, and 48 strikeouts.  He must have really liked pitching on the road  -- his road record was 4-0, and his road ERA was 0.50, while his ERA at home was (a whopping) 1.91.

Gerardo Esparza is another Venezuelan native, and he also just turned 21.  Esparza spent most of his 2008 as a starter for the Mariners' Venezuelan Summer League team.  He made 13 starts and 2 relief appearances, working a 4-5 record (all as a starter), and a 1.81 ERA, plus one save.  Batters hit .198 against Esparza.  He pitched 69.2 innings, and gave up 50 hits and 22 walks, and struck out 59 batters.  The early part of the season was better for him -- he had an ERA of 0.64 in May, 1.20 in June, and 3.16 in July.  Of his 14 earned runs over the season, 8 of them came in July.
이 세 명의 선수를 왜 지명했는지 정말 헌팅턴에게 묻고 싶네요. 이 세명은 전부 루키레벨에서 올 시즌을 뛰었고, 그 레벨에서 나이가 많은 축에 해당되는 선수입니다. 즉, 기량이 부족하거나, 부상이라는 문제로 상위레벨로 진출하지못했을 가능성이 높습니다. 그런 루키레벨의 선수를 5단계나 뛰어넘는 트리플 A팀에 배치할만큼 가치있는 선수인지도 모르겠네요.
OK, they are all pitchers, according to the Pirates' site.
이 부분을 보더라도 기자조차도 이들에게 무관심하고 임펙트 없는 선수라는것이 드러나는군요.