Vasquez demoted, Jackson returning

VV say hello to Jose Tabata when you get to Indy--3-3 and 2 walks...good start!

Most obvious move of the year, I'm surprised they didnt announce it in the fifth inning tonight

And right about now, PoH is jumping off the Clemente Bridge.

Sad fact is, Virgil's stint here is very reminiscent of the results put up by another "V" player, John Van Benschoten. I saw a stat tonight that Virgil has given up something like a 11-12 first inning runs in - what? - seven or eight starts?

Well, Pirates got him via the waver wire so they basically got him for free. Nothing really lost.

@Missing

haha! no doubt.  V.V. is a serviceable starter.  exactly the kind of guy you want around in AAA as insurance to short term injury substitution

That should be "waiver" not "waver." I CAN spell, just not typing so well tonight.  ;-)

That picture below of McCutchen rounding third is good, but then seeing the sad face of that Montreal Expo, er Washington Senator guy makes me feel sad for him. I know we have enough of our own sad moments as Pirates fans, and maybe that's why I can relate to the poor Expos guy, but I can't help but be saddened looking at that downcast face of his. Then again, maybe that guy always looks that way.

What'd I say, Washing Senators? Geez I'm really dating myself with that one. Really though, They're still the Expos as far as I'm concerned.

Pig Legs

I think that is Zimmerman in the picture and he should sad

At least VV is going down with a win.

G-man

Same here--I can spell but I do not type well

Pig Legs

No--the expos were much better than the Nats, even though are the same team :)

BTW--while no one was looking the reds lost and the Pirates are now tied with thm--not in last place by themselves for now.

Not only did Tabata reach base all 5 times but so did Alvarez.  He hit a homer and walk 4 times.  Alderson pitched solid in his Altoona debut tonight too.  Looked at Durham's lineup, would love to see the Bucs swing a trade with the Rays for Reid Brignac.  He could play short immediately for the Bucs.

@Bizrow wrote re: Pirates vs. Nationals, 8-1-09

on Aug 1, 2009 9:51 PM

IMO Veal should go nowhere, he may be part of the future, judge him when it counts in 2011-2012

__________

Biz - I was thinking the same thing tonight.  If he gives up a run or two so what as long as we have a big lead and still win the game.  He will get bashed in the blogs for it but it will be a good learning experience for him and next year he can take what he learned and refine it in the minors.  Hopefully he will be ready to help us in 2011 or 2012.

New Indy Indians

Tabata - stated above - has 1.000 batting average!

Clement (from Mariners)- 2 for 5 - .556 average

Ascanio (from Cubs) - 6.2 IP, 2ER, 1 W, 9 SO

For those of you who think we salary dumped, when was the last time you've seen so many prospects doing so well?

On another note, Chase d'Arnaud has an OBP of .402 and 47 BB's vs. 43 K's... that's pretty impressive.  That's the kind of stuff that makes a player a good major leaguer.  Pitch selection is underrated especially with minor leaguers among the general fanbase.  Starling Marte is another under the radar guy who could turn out to be very good.

I want to finish in front of the Brewers and have a better record than the Mets.  That's all.

@kozy21 --

I've been trying to keep tabs on Grossman and Marte.  They both seem like they may be able to move through the system at a pretty good pace.

You can tell Moss had a good night...no wakerider.All three OFers had RBI and played well.In fact the whole team was good defensively.6-11 RISP pretty much tells the story too..not to take anything away from Cutch.

Hopefully, Indianapolis was not playing the Nationals' AAA team.  If so, adopting the negative viewpoint, those stats would be irrelevant.    

Grossman is only 19, his OBP is in the high 300's.  He's also 6'1 but is skinny.  I think when he fills out he'll definitely develop some power.

I like the new Bucs lineup a lot, has some flexibility in it, the only problem appears to be the bullpen, we do not have a reliable closer or setup man for the 8th inning.

Good evening bloggers in whom there is no guile!

Well, only caught the last two innings ... lot of rain in the pizza wars tonight. They call rain God's Coupon because people love to order pizza when it rains ... so we got busy and I raked.

Anyway ... I'd say Mr. McCutchen was seeing the ball pretty well tonight! Amazing what a couple of victories will do for the spirit ... even if it's the Nationals!

Can anyone say "sweep?" Oh, I forgot ... we're playing them on Monday, too. Can anyone STILL say "sweep!"

@awalk5 - <I want to finish in front of the Brewers and have a better record than the Mets.  That's all.>

You might be a couple of years too early for that, but, I like the way you think.

"I've been trying to keep tabs on Grossman and Marte.  They both seem like they may be able to move through the system at a pretty good pace.

You might want to keep an eye on young Quincy Latimore too. 9 HRs 52 RBI and is 20

Biz, Mad - I agree that Veal should be given every opportunity to pitch in these one-sided games. So from these comments, I gather the Pirates just need to keep him on the roster this year, then he can be retained while pitching in the minors. Is this correct?

Last update of Pirate graph for a while - be back next Friday.

My bad.  Obviously, Indianapolis could not have been playing the Nationals' AAA team because the Pirates beat the Nationals' AAA team tonight.  

Listing to Jory Rand on sports show at 10:30, he was raving about the Bucs, then he said of course they are a bad team.

Someone please translate that for me!

Wow, 9 k in 6 inning for Ascanio.

Correct me if I'm wrong (and I'm sure someone will), but I seem to recall Ascanio pitching against us earlier this year in a day game and striking out guys right & left. I remember thinking it was Carlos Marmol, but then finding out it wasn't.

Yeah, I don't care what anybody says about Huntington, I give him an A+ so far for rebuliding the minor league talent, of which we had zilch before he arrived. (other than Lincoln & Cutch). I'm excited about the future. It's getting so that we will have too many good players to fit on the team in the next few years. Alvarez is going to be a bomber and Tabata is exciting too. Even in spring training you could see it coming, and I saw Garrett Jones's potential then too. You could tell Garrett was going to be good because he didn't swing at bad pitches the way that younger rookies do. He's not fooled by veteran pitchers.

I was here through Bonifay & Littlefield's idiotic reigns, the different between them and Huntington is night and day.

I don't understand "its the Nationals" posts and media outlets.

That team can hit.

This is a very good Pirate team, I said it before we played the Nats and I will be saying it if we lose the next two to the Nats.

Bullpen, fix that and we could win a lot of games the rest of the year.

Ask the juggernaut Philles what is like to run into the same pitchers that the Bucs ran into with San Fran. Oh my they can't hit either.

@frustrated_314 - That is correct. Veale can be sent to the minors next year to get regular work and develop into a better pitcher.

Pig Legs

I was here through Bonifay & Littlefield's idiotic reigns, the different between them and Huntington is night and day.

____________________________

You get a cookie, right on sir.

Phillies lose 2-0 to the Giants. They get 7 hits and Lincecum struck out 8.

WV Power defeats Hagerstown Suns 2-1 in ten innings.  Brett Lorin was the starting pitcher and he pitched the first seven innings, giving up the one run in the seventh.  Tony Sanchez knocked int he first run.The Power escaped the ninth inning when the Suns had first and second occupied with no outs.  The final pitcher's number was not in the player list, the name will appear in tomorrow's newspaper.  Randy Grossman an outfield assist, third in tow games here.

Assuming Veal and Dumitrait are with the club in ST they will have 2 lefties in relief next year.Maybe we can pick up 1 or 2 over the winter or spring as well.Spring training might be interesting.(PA,Tabata,Lincoln,Ascanio,Bootcheck,Clement,Diaz(2)

Has there been any updates on Hansen? Did they ever figure out what was going on in his back?  

I am still hoping he can come back and pull it together.  I remember when he first came up for the Sox. He was incredible!

@mazfromiowa - I don't think Veal is with the big club next year. They will probably try to sign a lefty reliever in free agency. Who knows, they may even try to sign Grabow. ; )

National Media Outlets officially on board:  ESPN just had "extensive" Pirates highlights within first 15 minutes of show (rather than normal last 2 minutes or not at all) with effusive praise for AMAC and a chart comparing him to Stargell and Clemente (as Pirate HOFers who had 3 HR games).  

So our rotation is now

Maholm, Morton, Duke, Hart, Ohlendorf

with a bullpen of Capps, Meek, Chavez, Karstens, Veal, Jackson, and Hanrahan

there is talk of Veal being a starter next year in Indi

I'm interested to see what they do with Veal next year.  I believe I heard he he started something like 20 games in the minors last year.  I think he'll definitely be in the minors, but I'm curious if he'll go back to starting or they try to develop him as a late inning reliever.

and Alderson or Lincoln could crack this rotation next year,

Maybe, some how, some way, we can get a fifth starter and move Maholm into the bullpen.  I've never liked him as a starter.  He reminds me way to much of Dave Williams from about 5 years ago.

Wow, i'm shocked by ESPN

During the Braves-Dodgers games, after they showed McClouth's sliding grab in centerfield: "Of course they traded him (nate) so they could bring McCutchen up..."

YOU MEAN IT WASN'T A SALARY DUMP!?!?!?

You know something good is happening when they go a whole show without once blasting the bucco's while at the same time repeatedly mentioning them.

Haha and they just referenced Cutch in an intro for Tiger Woods

Someone pinch me

@Baywatch -

Sweep?  Remember, we have our No. 6 starter going tomorrow...

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V.V. - You seem like a nice kid, but I think I could hit your fastball...

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Minor Rpt:  Don't forget Shelby Ford, 5 for 5.  The wrist seems to finally be healing

Irate-I was sorta thinking he might make the club out of spring training.I'm going to be curious about who will play in the fall leagues too.

My god who would have the THE NEW PIRATE ERA would start like this...

AMAC is so special that he may not be a leadoff hitter his whole career...His fast hands remind mr of a young Alfonso Soriano...Wow this team is so fun to watch....It's happening right before our eyes...

YESSSSS

@mazturk2008, sorry for the late response

Yup, if we are smart here, we will be focusing on 2011-2012, not fighting about this year or postulating about next, anything next year is gravy, if we don't see progress by 2011, Mr Huntington will be the next in a long line of crappy GMs, if he succeeds, I will be rejoicing while some others will be crowing, I and many can take it, if others who blindly and arrogantly, support this guy will step to the plate and say, they erred.  I'll gladly do it if he has his act together.

For the third time, night all and good tidings to the Bucco nation, where ever you are.  Especially my favorite, for his hope, Darlyethepiratefan, but I still want the same meds he gets. ; }

Nice to see Jackson returning  Virgil really should have never been with the big club for as long as he was here other than a little insurance against injuries he has no business being in the organization. Virgil is a AAA pitcher at best its unfortunate he didnt do betterup with the big club but he is being kept as a body to fill out a roster till the end of the year. Here is to the future things are looking up with all the guys we have received in the last week weeks.

RE: myself

Sorry my posts seem a bit arbitrary tonight...the game got me a little amped.

That being said, ESPN has been showing the pierogie race from the other night on an endless cycle.  Kinda cool

Also, Baseball Tonight just led off their show with the Cutch highlights.

When was the last time a Bucs-Nats game made the opening piece on any show?

FYI...Snell will be starting tomorrow for the Mariners.

I'll say one thing about Snell, he's lucky to be pitching in Seattle, a notorious pitchers park. I picked up Jarrod Washburn in my fantasy league every time he pitched at home this year and made out like a bandit. (He wasn't nearly as good on the road, and now traded to Detroit I doubt he will come close to his earlier numbers the rest of this year).

If Snell can't make consistent quality starts in Seattle, he can't do it anywhere.

@frustrated_314 wrote re: Vasquez demoted, Jackson returning

on Aug 1, 2009 11:14 PM

Biz, Mad - I agree that Veal should be given every opportunity to pitch in these one-sided games. So from these comments, I gather the Pirates just need to keep him on the roster this year, then he can be retained while pitching in the minors. Is this correct?

______

That is correct sorry for he late response in and out and wil lbe out until tomorrow.  Also they will use hiim next year probably as a starter and go from there.

@Bizrow wrote re: Vasquez demoted, Jackson returning

on Aug 2, 2009 12:26 AM

@mazturk2008, sorry for the late response

_____________

NP I have been in and out for the most part and never seem to be caught up on the posts myself.

I agree and will be with you when the time comes either way on Veal.  

Have the ants marched to the new thread?  Morning links?

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