Nov 17 2009
By Chuck Finder | 5:18 p.m. Tuesday
Steve Williams, 45, left his Kansas City Royals post as assistant director of scouting after three years to become a major-league scout with the Pirates, the club announced this evening. He will assume much the same duties held by special assistants to general manager Neal Huntington, who announced his hiring in a news release.
It's Williams' first time toiling in the National League. Before the Royals, Williams was the Midwest scouting supervisor (2000-01) and East Coast supervisor (2002-06) with the Detroit Tigers. He was an area scout for Minnesota (1988-95) and Toronto (1995-99) prior to that.
Williams, a four-year letterwinner with Clemson's baseball team in the late 1980s, spent the past six years as president of the Buck O'Neil Scouting and Coaches Association.
Nov 16 2009
By Chuck Finder | 10:50 p.m. Monday
While Florida leadoff hitter Chris Coghlan won the National League Rookie of the Year -- and, if anyone cares, Oakland closer Andrew Bailey on the American League side -- a pair of Pirates became the fifth tandem in club history to finish among the top 10 for the NL honor.
Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen finished fourth and outfielder-first baseman Garrett Jones seventh in voting by the Baseball Writers Association of America. The 60-year-old award last placed a couple of Pirates in the top 10 a decade ago, when second baseman Warren Morris and starter Kris Benson finished third and fourth behind winner Scott Williamson, Cincinnati's closer, and Florida outfielder Preston Wilson.
McCutchen, 23, named Baseball America's Major-League rookie of the year, batted .286 with 12 home runs, 54 RBIs and 22 steals in 108 games. His 47 extra-base hits topped all NL rookies. He ranked second in runs, walks, total bases and multi-hit games, third in RBIs, steals and slugging percentage.
Jones, 28, batted .293 with 21 homers, as many doubles and 44 RBIs in 82 games. He led NL rookies in homers while becoming the fastest Pirate to hit 10 homers (his first 19 games) and a club setting a club rookie record for homers by a left-handed batter. His .372 on-base percentage was second among rookies, his average third, his RBIs sixth.