Alvarez slugs three home runs for U.S.

All three homers went to a different field. That is remarkable.

I wonder what Neal could get for Pedro in a trade.

I know, more parts for a championship team.

We don't wan't .500, we're trying to build a team that is competing for a World Series annually.

    IT'S A CULTURE OF NEAL!

Wham!  A nudda homa!  Wham! A nudda homa!  Wham!  A nudda homa!

Can this guy be for real and do this in the bigs next year?  PLEASE?

Demery--Neal wants to go from worst to first!  No .500's for us.

@groattomaz, (your comment on prior thread)

 "We were going to give Tanner Scheppers between $900,000 and $1.1 mill to sign last year.  He gave up a whole year of progress to the Major Leagues for around $200,000.Sounds like a foolish move to me."

 Typical post from on a board that will  will bash anyone who spurns the Bucs. It could have been as much as 350k and Texas is a club on the upswing with tremendous young talent. He was injured so he didn't give up a whole year and who knows he might be with an organization that he feels more comfortable with. With the Pirates history in developing young talent I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of kids need to be blown away to sign here unless they have no other options.

 I was looking back at the vitriol against Alvarez last year after the contract situation came undone. Very interesting reading one year later. "We don't need him" "I hope he never succeeds" "He doesn't deserve it" "He is being led astray" were a few of the tamer remarks. Hilarious how everyone else is always the one who makes mistakes or is unwise yet  the PBC sets records for futility and will top it off this year with 100 losses.  

Now that I think about it Scheppers made upward of 250k by avoiding the Pirates??? Heck it would have been worth paying 250k to not join this organization right now.  

@pghboy, not sure what you were trying to say there buddy but it came off as an attack on some of us for our opinions. At least to me, Pedro and his affair with the FO last summer was displeasing all around. I was ashamed that my pirates were so dysfunctional they couldn't even sign a player to a long term deal without making a keystone kop mini-series out of it. Why should we not bash somebody who spurns our favorite club it is just human nature. I promised myself that I would no longer type anything negative about fellow posters so with that i will just click the ADD button

@ Arriba

IT COULD HAPPEN, prolly not, BUT IT COULD HAPPEN

The Pirates would be foolish to bring Alvarez up next year and waste a year of him being with the Pirates to play on a losing team.  They need to lose out this year and get a high draft pick, and play young guys next year to get another high draft pick.

Hopefully in 2011 the stars will align and Alvarez will be brought up to be put in a competitive lineup.

Right now, all Pirates fans should be rooting to get Bryce Harper.  Word is the Nats might not take Harper even if they finish last because they would not want to eat another huge contract.  The Pirates shouldn't take any chances and lose out the rest of the way.

Why is it that Alvarez can hit 3 home runs, get six RBI's in one game, would be a top prospect in any organization and all we get on this blog is more bashing of the Buc's organization, we should be glad that we have a talented prospect like this guy. Just so happens we have a few more coming besides him.

I don't care how be got him, we got him, that is the bottom line. He is the future and the future is bright.

We don't have Scheppers and I don't care what happens to him, obviously if the Bucs would have taken Scheppers, they would have been bashed for taking a pitcher with a bum shoulder.

Bucs can't win no matter what they do.

Let's say Scheppers got 250K or so more today than he would've last August.  First, you have to deduct around 50K or so for inflation over the past 13+ months.  Then you have to compare his earnings over the past 13+ months to what they would've been otherwise.  Then you have to factor in that he might be a year closer to free agency if he'd signed with the Pirates (or maybe more, depending on how much he developed in the past year compared to how much he would've if he'd signed).  

There's no way to ever know for sure how the finances would've played out if he'd signed for around a mil last August, but it's unlikely that he gained more than a pittance by waiting so long to sign.  And even if he had . . . would you pass up a million dollars in the hope that your injury will heal enough to earn you two the following year?

California Boy,

Who put the burr in your bra??

I didn't make a parochial comment relative to Pittsburgh.

Scheppers lost a whole year of progress toward being a Major Leaguer.

His bonus money a year later is worth approximately half of a year's minimum salary in the Major Leagues.  Seems like he made an unwise gamble:  his delay of a year in making the Bigs will financially cost him.

He did not know a year ago when he turned down the Pirates that he would be drafted by "a club on the upswing" as you tout the Rangers.

I am making the comment that it does not appear that financially Scheppers made a wise decision.  And If he is a competitor, he would be more interested in being in the Majors a year sooner, not selecting preferred sites.

Sounds like the only one bashing is you:  the Pirates in general.

I stand by my non-provincial statement.  Sounds like you have anti-provincial feelings.

@ WAKE

I bow to your superior intelligence *sarcasm intended*

I have been saying the same thing for a few days, I repeat bringing P. Alvarez next year is not a good decision,we do not want him to be "Pearce'd".

I hope you take the intelligence remark as it is intended not at you but as a lowbrow atempt at humor

Corey,

Exactly correct he was injured and we were glad we did not sign an injured player. He and the Pirates rolled the dice. Some times ya win and some times ya lose. You can go a million different directions based upon past decisions, but it all only conjecture and adds nothing to the future unless we use it as a teaching moment

The three different fields is quite something - good for him!

I say don't bring Pedro up till 2020. Just play the rookies till then. We'll have all the pieces in place by then.

I just know it.

The Bucs will bring up Alvarez at the same point in the 2010 season as they did with McCutcheon this year to avoid losing a year of control. He is ready now and not bringing up a player that is ready can cause  as much harm as bringing them up too early.  

Corey,

Exactly correct he was injured and we were glad we did not sign an injured player. He and the Pirates rolled the dice. Some times ya win and some times ya lose. You can go a million different directions based upon past decisions, but it all only conjecture and adds nothing to the future unless we use it as a teaching moment

Who knows Demery Pedro may flop and 2020 is a realistic timeframe, but I see your POV.

I'm Doomed to Wander,

I agree with you that the Bucs will probably bring up Alvarez at exactly the timing they brought up McCutch.  They want that extra year.  June it is!

I disagree with you that he is surely ready right now.  Brad Eldred, Ron Wright, Steve Pearce, and numerous others——even Yoslan Herrera this year with the 9-1 record——have "walked on water" and done well at AA, while dying at AAA.

Let's have him hit well at AAA before we guarantee him HOF status.

He went into today's USA game batting .168

"The Bucs will bring up Alvarez at the same point in the 2010 season as they did with McCutcheon this year to avoid losing a year of control. He is ready now and not bringing up a player that is ready can cause  as much harm as bringing them up too early.  "

Hi to all especially Indy and Leadoff, long time w/o any back and forth. sorry to be a "lurker"  but i just have not had the stomach to watch what has happened over the past 6 weeks.

Shenandoah, i agree with you about when they will bring Pedro up i will reserve judgement on if hes ready or not, three home runs is impressive

if he does that in spring training i will beat the same drum as you.

And if he keeps hitting like that i will take my bag off, besides it's getting sweaty underneath that thing:)

Let's just take a step back and relax.

Neal has a plan. Just give him the time and respect he deserves.    

      IN NEAL WE TRUST!

G-DAY MAC

Yeah ususally lurk too but there was somethings I had to get off my chest and it has continued today and it hasnt nbeen too nasty so i will continue as it is

Mac

How you doing Mac?

I do agree, Pedro will be here in mid year, next year unless he is struggling, something I do not expect.

For that reason I do expect Andy LaRoach to start off the year at 3rd unless they trade him over the winter and start the year off with Walker.

Three options with PA

Bring him up after the season starts so the clock doesn't start and then have him at the start of 2011.  Leave him down all season and then do the late bring up in 2011 so the clock doesn't start until 2012, or even do the same in 2012 so it starts in 2013.

Let's not forget Pedro is a kid.

As long as he's in the minors, folks on here, I expect, will say the FO is keeping him there to save money.

When he comes up, folks on here will be saying he came up so he can be showcased for a trade so they don't have to pay him.

Let him develop, stay healthy, and come up when he's ready. I don't know when that is - I'm not a major league coach like most of you here.

 Groatto maz,

    I understand where you are coming from and maybe you aren't one of the traditional basher's of anyone who doesn't do right by the Pirates, this board is so full of them some times it is hard to realize peoples intentions.

  I believe one year in the over all scheme of things is insignificant if you go on to a long productive career. Being in an organization that you are comfortable with and believe in is a much higher priority than getting started 1 year earlier. (and that may or may not be a factor)

  My son was a tremendous high school athlete and a really good student and was being recruited by Stanford, Duke, Penn and a host of other schools. Over the 2 years of deciding where to go I can't tell you how many people gave their advice (most of them were not asked what they thought LOL) All I heard were you have to go to Stanford, or you are throwing away a golden opportunity by passing on Duke, or you would be crazy not to go to an Ivy league school if that opportunity is available.

  In the end he decided to go to a school that was less prestigous but one that he felt comfortable at and fit his criteria for setting up the rest of his life. He just left this morning to go back after few days of being home (they are on the quarter system so school starts late Sept) and he loves the school and is thriving. When the decision came down i was a little surprised but supportive because he was the one who had go there for 4 years and make it a part of his life.

    Bottom line is there are still people who ask me why he choose to do what he did and does he regret it? He knew what he needed and where he fit in and is extremely happy and most importantly excelling at school.  

   Tanner Scheppers is a kid and money nay not have been his primary motivation and hopefully this works out well for him. I am a Pirate fan but if my kid was drafted by them right now I wouldn't be thrilled about him joining a team that just set the record for  consecutive losing seasons in North American professional sports, has the lowest current payroll in MLB and has history of early round pitchers blowing their arms out and crashing before ever reaching success at the major league level.

Alvarez reminds me of another 3rd basemen who went directly from Arizona State to the 1978 Atlanta Brave lineup and  became the Rookie of the Year-- Bob Horner.

POH AND PGHBOYINCA-

You both make your points, but you've also both struck a very, very deep nerve with your use of the word "kid." Neither Pedro Alvarez or Tanner Scheppers is a kid. They are grown men of 22 years of living. Perhaps you were referring to the word "kid" with respect to baseball and I understand that perspective. But as a long-time educator and coach, I am pretty sensitive to adults calling anyone younger than they are "kids."

One of the major problems with professional baseball players is that a great majority of them have zero life experience. They are indoctrinated into their profession by a union (run by attorneys) who have very little interest in their growth, development and well-being. In far too many instances these gusy get taught life lessons by their union brethren who think and act in lock-step with the attorneys/agents who only have their own interests in mind and not the players'.

So I digressed... sorry. But the word "kid" gets tossed around today as a catch-all excuse for someone who may not be developed. But are we certain that we want to call 22 year old millionaires "kids?" Let's call them what they really are: young men, playing a kids game in a grown man's sport. It does take time for these guys to develop their skills, but they are not kids. And at some point, the trend to continue to call college-aged students and people in their 20's or 30's "kids" has got to stop.

Know that I mean no disrespect to either of you and I think your use of the word "kid" is probably more linked to their professional careers more than anything. But I hear it at work and in life all the time...too bad our society uses that term all too often as a catch-all excuse.

Naje -

Point taken. My use of the word, however, was not intended to be demeaning.

One night just a week or so ago WHEN FRIGGIN FSN DEIGNED TO PLAY THE GAMES ON AIR, Bob Walk referred to the Pirates - the entire starting line up - as "kids really," even naming Jones and Doumit, who are late 20s.

I meant Pedro has YEARS to play professional ball if his body and his mind are handled correctly first and foremost by him first, for he is responsible for what the good Lord gave him, and then by his coaches, trainers, etc.

Sir (or m'am, maybe, I'm assuming, I guess) I have two rookie reporters working for me that are older than 23. They are kids - in many many senses of the professional use of the word.

NAJE, to someone in their mid fifties anyone 22 is still much a kid.

When we are 22 we think we are full grown when we are 50 we know we were not full grown.

I know most 22 year olds are not as developed as even a 25 year old.

@ DK

Just followed up on all the material , Great work DK but I cant beleive you said MATT CAPPS still has his velocity, Maybe I watching a different game, I remember when CAPPS could hit 97 99 on a good day, He is throwing 92- 93 right over the plate and getting smashed.....Ever since that elbow injury he hasnt been the same......Let me know if its just me but man he doesnt have the same velocity...

lot of runs in the sally League tonight

Lynchburg scored 1 in the 1st, Salem came back with 3, Lynchburg put 6 in the 2nd and Salem back with 1 so 7-4 going to the 3rd amd Locke lasted only 1.2 on 6 hits 3 walks 4 runs and 2 K

Box score here but yiu have to refresh it to get updated

lynchburg.hillcats.milb.com/.../stats.jsp

JJ-

I'm 43 and understand and appreciate your sentiments, but that's the way it's always going to be. Is being a "kid" an excuse, though? That's the notion I'm trying to break...that's the stuff that kids need to learn. The quicker they understand the responsibilities of life---and I'm not saying that kids shouldn't be kids---but our perceptions as adults can sometimes overlook behavior in a manner that puts everything in the neat, little "they're just a kid" box. And yes, you're correct that a 22 yr old may not be as developed as a 25 yr old. Heck, my 54 year old sister is not nearly as developed as my 60 year old sister, even though she really thinks that she is.

POH

You can call me Paul, or sir or dude or man...Good point as well about the development theory. But I watched that game to which you referred, and I swear I would have fought tooth and nail with Walk about that comment if for no other reason than to get him to stop talking for just a few seconds. It's a guy in his 50's talking down the efforts of players in their 20's...and ultimately he's giving them a built-in excuse for what they are lacking.

One question: was Albert Pujols a kid when he burst on the scene at 21? Dwight Gooden? Daryl Strawberry? I realize I'm using some extremely unique talents as examples, but I'm trying to compare that notion of "kid" and it being used by adults to make excuses for those who are young(er).

of kids--you be the judge

Psychology studies claim the average female reaches emotional maturity between the ages of 25 and 27 and the average male reaches it between the ages of 27 and 29.

7-4 Hillcats, end of the third.

I love internet radio.

At this point and time and the HORRIFIC SITUATION the Bucs are in , they owe the fans PEDRO ALVAREZ ASAP, I dont want to hear about time served and the ramifications, right now this team is a NATIONAL JOKE, We need him to draw fans and make us relevant.....He should be at 3rd next year opening day, Nothing to loose at all, we have been doing that for 17 years....Our situation is TOTALLY DIFFERENT than anyobody ever in SPORTS, Move Laroche to 2nd and have PA at 3rd and things dont look that bad........ITS A MUST ..

Anybody wanting to listen to the Lynchburg game ... it's FREE. Here's the link ... lynchburg.hillcats.milb.com/.../audio.jsp

Lynchburg has scored again, after a bunt single by Harrison, double by Mercer and single by Romak. 8-4. Nobody out.

@naje:

You're right, Paul. There's referring to someone as a kid meaning they are fairly young, and there's giving them an excuse.

Albert Pujols was ready. Still is! Wish he were ours every time I see him play the Bucs!

I just don't want to see someone overused, or underdeveloped, for an immediate return that impedes their long term health - mentally or physically. I don't know when that is - I'm sure it's different for different people - but I don't want him suffocated in the minors too long or exposed to the bigs too early.

And, I still consider Roethlisberger a kid, in terms of age and energy, in a good way.

Sid's a kid. Youngest captain ever to hoist Lord Stanley's cup, but he's a kid.

Those two don't allow excuses for themselves...

JAL

Kids? Yeah, it's amazing we've decided that eighteen year olds are mature enough to serve and die in wars in our protection or in the pursuit of our country's interests.

Daryle, you are not the only one scratching his head about no lost velocity.

No not an excuse.

Hopefully sooner rather then later we'll be reading something to the extent of..........

Alvarez slugs three homers, as Pirates stretch division lead to 4 games with 14-3 victory over Cubs.

@JAL - "Kids? Yeah, it's amazing we've decided that eighteen year olds are mature enough to serve and die in wars in our protection or in the pursuit of our country's interests."

And they've done a great job ... I don't know about current U.S. military strategy, but I've always heard that the WWII soldiers sent behind enemy lines for hand-to-hand combat were 18 and 19-year-olds ... still very athletic and full of much daring abandon at that age.

@marty - "Hopefully sooner rather then later we'll be reading something to the extent of..........

Alvarez slugs three homers, as Pirates stretch division lead to 4 games with 14-3 victory over Cubs.

I second that emotion, Marty!

@ Jersey Joe\

I thought I was by myself on this, I mean he HUFFS AND PUFFS like he is the same but he is not,,,He has a DEAD ARM, not even BOB WALK who I love to death comments on CAPPS.....Truly ashame

@NuttingHostage

I am almost ready to jump on your WAGON in regards to NUTTING and his books, I always beleived you to be wrong and to quick to judge him, I honestly beleive they thought they had something and now the BOTTOM has fell out, if they dont spend money this offseason there is the ANSWER ...

There was nobody to spend money on this offseason because OWNERSHIP thought they had it right...This offseason will speak VOLUMES on what direction this team is headed and if OWNERSHIP even cares about the loosing....Speaking of NH you would think he would be in favor of bringing PA up early since he might not be around to see his debut, or maybe behind closed doors NUTTING has told him he is ok..

Marty, that's pretty good... made me laugh.

POH

Agree...terrific examples in Roethlisberger and Crosby. As for Alvarez, it's one of those odd things where life and professional experience determine the answer. I think everyone agrees that he's got to be ready to play on the MLB level; that he has to put last year's contract negotiations and his extremely high profile agent behind him; that he has a job and a responsibility to extract the most out of his natural and hard-earned talents; that he has to do the things necessary--be they get in shape, run faster, lose weight, situational baseball knowledge, get in shape, field his position with authority, lose weight,--sorry, got a little lost there.

But if he does those things that need to be done in order to help him and his club succeed, then I've got no doubt that he'll be called up when his actions merit a call-up. As Marty wrote, "hopefully that will be sooner than later."

Bay

Hopefully we'll see the "The Lumber Company  2", led by sluggers 3B Pedro Alvarez, 1B Garrett Jones, and RF Jose Tabata. :). We can always at least hope!

Baywatch

No doubt  teenaged soldiers have done a great job past and present, but are the attributes and daring you laud them for not a result of their immatuity? They lack the maturity for self control  and judgement at that age and are we then not taking advantage of them because of that?

@ariba-

'worst to first'

part one- MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

On D DAY my dad was 24, I never heard him refer in any way than kids doing a mans job.

@Shenan - "They lack the maturity for self control  and judgement at that age and are we then not taking advantage of them because of that?"

I doubt you'd find ANYONE 60 years ago who said, "You're taking advantage of my teenage son!" It was a different day ... suffice it to say we're a much more RIGHTS oriented society today ... I by no means mean that as a slam on human rights, which we fight for.

Meanwhile back to baseball ... :-)

Would love to see a productive 3-4-5 order of Jones, Alvarez, Tabata... That is, IF all the "ifs" get answered in a positive way. Is it that far off to think that they could be in the heart of the order as early as next June? 2011 opening day?

leadoff - -you are absolutely right, even when something great happens for the Pirates, it seems to get criticized. This is not saying all decisions are good, but rather if poor decisions are highly criticized, then positive decisions for the advancement of Pirate baseball should be given some praise. Pedro Alvarez, congratulations for a ray of sunshine as we look to the future.

Good evening inmates near and far. Speaking of the Bucs as "kids", the dodgers radio guys yesterday said the Pirates had the third most rookies in MLB with twelve. Twelve?? I'm too lazy to pull up a roster, are there really 12? Also, they said Bucs are second youngest team behind Indians, I would expect that would be right.

In doing some research on the Pirates’ futility, I came across numbers so incredibly bad that it angered me yet again. Whether this (as is claimed by management) is the fastest course to building a competitive team or not, the sham of a baseball team that the Pirate front office has foisted on the fans of Pittsburgh is an embarrassment to the proud tradition that the team has carried for so long and the loyalty of its (at one time, numerous) fans. It is also such a horrible representation of the concept of competitiveness when they are playing teams vying for a pennant (who are given such an absolute walkover when they play the Pirates) that it’s a joke and deserves investigation from Major League Baseball.

Listen to these numbers (and to those of you who are familiar with them, I apologize). They’ve gone 2-17 (an amazingly anemic .105 winning percentage, which interpolates to a 17-145 season record) in their last 19 games. They have scored 3 or less runs in 12 (nearly 79%) of those 19 games, while giving up 4 or more an astounding 84% (16 times) of games over the same stretch. Since August 1, they have gone 11-31 (.261 baseball, which would yield a whopping 42-120 season-expansion Mets territory). In that time, they have scored 3 or less 59%(25 of 42 games) of the time, and given up 4 or more in 76%(32 of 42) of the games. Since July 1, they are 19-48 (for a .283 percentage, or 45-117 for the season-not a whole lot better).

This isn’t just atrociously bad and non-competitive baseball, it’s an insult to Pirate fans and the National League. Instead of the politically correct, bland pablum that Coonelly and Huntington are fond of spouting and is an insult to the intelligence of every Pirate fan with a functional brain, the fans deserve something more like this:

“To all Pirate fans in the tri-state area and beyond, we humbly apologize. We were wrong. In July, 2008, we felt that this team wouldn’t have a chance to avoid a 16th and a 17th consecutive losing season, so we decided to completely demolish the team, bring in prospects we thought might end up helping the team win in 5 years, but at the same time yield other more veteran players that would keep the team entertaining and competitive enough to represent the city of Pittsburgh and Pirate fans in a professional manner, and, concurrently, insure that we’d keep our jobs until that happened. However, we badly misjudged the abilities of the older, more established players we received in return in those trades, and as a result, we have created a product that, we are embarrassed to admit, doesn’t belong in the major leagues. Since we aren’t planning to spend any money to substantially improve the talent level for the 2010 season, we are hereby announcing that ticket prices will be decreased 20% across the board for all 2010 games. Please forgive these mistakes, and we, in the future, will do our best to avoid making the type of self-serving, ridiculously inane statements praising our actions, the team’s talent level and on-field play. Unfortunately, since we didn’t correctly evaluate many of the younger players we got in our trades, either, as we have been planning all along, all we can do at this point is to continue to hope and pray that the talent we brought in will somehow develop, through the grace of God, to the extent that the Pirates will someday have a winning season. If this does not happen by the end of the 2011 season, we agree to resign our positions and leave Pittsburgh forever, never to be heard from in this area again. Thank you for your consideration, and once again, we apologize.”

Frank Coonelly

Neal Huntington

There. I feel better now.

Let's not jump the gun on Alvarez. I doubt he is seeing a high level of quality pitching over in Europe, and he just finished a partial season in AA. He should start at AAA next year, and, if he continues to excel and improves his physical conditioning, bring him up at the same time of year that they brought up McCutchen this year. No sense in rushing things when the team is going to be lucky to win 55 games next year, anyway. Maybe by late June, they'll have figured out the LaRoche/Walker/Moss/Pearce issues, and Alvarez can be placed where he will ulitmately end up playing.

Lynchburg up 8-6 top of 8 th.Other than that i ain't sayin nothin.(too many bullets flying around and me without a helmet) :-)

Bottom of the 9th ... Lynchburg going for the championship, up 8-6!

Maz, is that you in the avatar?

I wonder how the National Sports Media (assuming, of course, any such media not originally from Pittsburgh know the Pirates still exist) would react if the Pirates brought PA north with them in 2010, tore up his contract, and gave him an Arod-esque 10 year $250 million deal.  Certainly such a move would show that the FO is willing to spend money.  My guess, however, is that there would be negative stories regarding how the Pirates are fiscally irresponsible, living beyond their means, putting all their eggs in one basket, writing checks their attendance figures can't cash, negatively inflating salaries of unproven players, and spending their trust-fund style welfare receipts from the Yankees/Red Sox/Cubs/Dodgers, etc. in a spend-thrift manner.  Then there would be the obligatory story about how the Pirates are "more than one player away" from contending and what a stupid decision that was.  

Baywatch -I got kind of hot around the collar after Capps had his meltdown in the extra inning giveaway.:-) (I'm still mad about that)

I count these rookies...

A McCutchen, Jones, Jaramillo, Jackson, Dan Mac, Veal, Walker, Vasquez, Meek, Robinzon Diaz, Luis Cruz, and Jesse Chavez

That's 12.

The Hillcats win the pennant! The Hillcats win the pennant! The Hillcats win the pennant!

8-7 your final.

Hillcats hold on 8-7. At least we have 1 team that can win a close game.

[MINOR LEAGUE] CULTURE OF WINNING

congrats to the hillcat wee ones, pedro in europa, and all others on the radar. please do us proud again someday. save us. please....we'll be here waiting. we'll even come to PNC without giveaways.

Baywatch-You sound like Harry Caray.lol  

I would suppose chef Demery will be making Hillcat cookies.

We all know the Hillcats players with upside will be traded for overage players on the decline. Same old same old.

On the subject of Capps' velocity, fangraphs.com has breakdowns for each pitcher of the pitches thrown and their average velocity.  The data comes from Baseball Info Solutions, which I assume means it ultimately comes from MLB's Pitch f/x system, although I'm not sure about that.  According to fangraphs, Capps' fastball velocity this year is averaging 93.7, which is the highest average of his career.

www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx

I'm dancing in a scottish Kilt!  GOOOOOOOOO Linchburg!

WHO KNEW!  They came together and Justin Wilson really came on late in the season.  Congrats to McSwain, Hague, Watts for a great season.  

See, the Pirates did win one this year.  Just not at the Minor League level. City of Champions.  

Demery keep the jokes coming.

Oh, c'mon, Teke! No champagne for you ... maybe a little soup, but no champagne!

Actually, check that.  The fangraphs pitch data does NOT come from Pitch f/x.

WTM, thanks for that stat ... guess it just comes down to command.

ants marching========================================