3.16 Rays at Pirates

It was a beautiful night in sold out McKechnie Field, the spring home of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Since the park is located in a residential area the number of games held at night is relatively low. In fact, last year I attended the first night game in its 75-year history.

Visitors of Note in the Crowd

The day after Selection Sunday found Dickie V, resident of Tampa, attending the baseball game in nearby Bradenton with his friend Howie Schwab, of trivia-show "Stump the Schwab" fame. Schwab was the first statistician hired by ESPN and compiled a record of 64-16 over the show's four-season run. I saw Vitale and Schwab together last year as well, eating at The Broken Egg, which Dickie V frequents pretty much every day for breakfast.


Also in the crowd was Bret Saberhagen (I think), two-time Cy Young winning pitcher from Kansas City. In 1985 Saberhagen compiled a 20-6 record with a 2.87 ERA, a World Series championship for the Royals (!) and a World Series MVP. His other Cy Young year was 1989 when his record was 23-6 and ERA of 2.16. He threw 12 complete games that year.



Random Errors Trying To Make the Team

Two players in the game are current Random Errors property on the bubble for being kept, Paul Maholm and Pat Burrell. Maholm is coming off an excellent year and has pitched well so far this spring. On Monday night he threw 4 2/3 shutout innings, giving up two ground ball singles and striking out four Rays. He has now allowed only 1 earned run in over 13 innings this spring and is under serious keeper consideration for the Errors.


Pat Burrell missed a great opportunity to impress his fantasy owner when he batted in the 6th inning with bases loaded. He walked, shortly after hitting a foul ball, on a 3-0 green light, practically to downtown Bradenton. That half inning, the top of the sixth, was the longest half inning I've ever sat through. It lasted so long that David Price, who had pitched the bottom of the fifth for the Rays (more later) went down to the Rays bullpen to stay sharp before coming back out in the bottom of the sixth.



Pirates Game Notes

Amazingly, a year ago Nyger Morgan was competing with Nate McLouth for the Pirates' center field job. I wrote then:

I don't understand what's so hard about the decision. McLouth has been about the most impressive player I've seen over several games this spring. Yet he apparently hasn't won the CF job for Pittsburgh. Tonight, leading off the game for the Pirates he homered to the opposite field on a 3-1 count. He made two spectacular plays in CF. In the second inning he made a diving catch to rob the Yankees of a couple runs. Later in the game, with bases loaded, he made a full-run over-the-shoulder catch of a line drive. He ended up 2 for 3 with 2 runs scored. Give this guy a job, will ya...(3.19.08)

McLouth's 2008 season proved me right - 113 runs, 26 home runs, 94 rbi (from the lead-off spot), 23 SB and .356 OBP.

In 2009, Morgan is now in the running for the LF job for the Pirates with McLouth having been moved to the three-hole in the line-up.

Here's a picture of Ryan "EBay" Doumit, the Pirates catcher.



Rays Game Notes

Andy Sonenstein was throwing hard, but wasn't dominant. Brian Shouse, lefty specialist, showed why he doesn't pitch often against RH hitters.

The most excitement for the evening occurred in the bottom of the fifth when LHP David Price entered the game for the Rays. Price showed flashes of his electric stuff, but wasn't consistently sharp. He was aided by two excellent defensive plays by 3B Evan Longoria. McLouth worked Price for a walk then stole second. Price gave up a run over 2 1/3 innings.