The high-priced pick & the ex-Wild Thing
Pedro Alvarez, the Pirates' celebrated and high-priced first-round draft pick and the No. 2 overall selection last year, is playing his first week in Class AA with the Altoona Curve. On Thursday afternoon at Erie's Jerry Uht Park, Alvarez hit his second home run with Altoona. It was off former Wild Things pitcher Patrick Stanley.
Alvarez connected on a Stanley pitch in the first inning for a two-run homer to center field. Alvarez also doubled off Stanley. Those were two of the three hits allowed in 5 1/3 innings by Stanley, who struck out five. Stanley left with a 4-3 lead but the Erie bullpen blew up in the eighth inning and cost him a win as Altoona rallied for an 8-6 victory.
Alvarez connected on a Stanley pitch in the first inning for a two-run homer to center field. Alvarez also doubled off Stanley. Those were two of the three hits allowed in 5 1/3 innings by Stanley, who struck out five. Stanley left with a 4-3 lead but the Erie bullpen blew up in the eighth inning and cost him a win as Altoona rallied for an 8-6 victory.
Labels: Patrick Stanley, Pedro Alvarez
posted by Chris Dugan at
3:36 PM
24 Comments:
Good luck to Patrick Stanley. So far he is 1-2 with a 4.91 ERA in 6 starts with Erie. He pitched the first game I ever saw in Washington, and his family sat right behind me. Good people.
Well, that was the pitching performance of the season tonight by Jason Nietz. Complete game, 4 strikeouts, 2 hits, 0 earned runs, 0 walks, 0 hit batsmen, and 15 ground ball outs (if you include the 2 sacrifice bunts). Could it be any better?
Not much to brag about on offense, excluding Sutton's homer and 2-3 night. It's nice to see Psomas finally got a hit. He is quickly becoming a defensive nightmare. Robbie Knapp looked like a gold glover by comparison. He has DH written all over him....but we already have the best one in the league. Psomas and Parker are playing themselves out of all-star consideration quickly.
It looks like the Wild Things are starting to gel, but the real test comes when we play Kalamazoo. Weather permitting, I plan to attend the Butler Blue Sox game on Friday, and the Altoona Curve game on Saturday. Since I won't be tuning it to the Wild Things games, please keep me informed! Thanks!
Psomas had a throwing error last night, but, over the time he played first base (Banks out), he saved 5-6 throwing errors by other players.
O.K., let me clarify...at THIRD BASE he is a defensive liablity. He had two errors last night, not one. He now has 10, which is second in the Frontier League. The league leader is the 2B for River City. Perhaps he is better defensively at 1B, but it was also during that position switch that his offense went into the tank. Still hoping he turns it around. He was crushing the ball the first few weeks of the season.
Swisscheda,
You just have to get a life!
This is sandlot baseball with the only difference being the players have uniforms.
You can't be serious about all this stuff you post!
Joe
Keep posting Swisscheda. The people who get on this blog and make comments like "sandlot ball" are the ones who need to get a life. I know that if I don't like something I don't waste my time commenting on blogs about it, especially on a Friday night in the summer with about a million better things to do.
yes swisscheeda. keep it up. some people like to talk baseball on a baseball blog. the troubling thing about him right now is he isnt even hitting the ball hard and getting out anymore. having some very bad at bats
I messed up, sorry. FL is not as good as sandlot ball
late single Thursday night and two smash doubles Friday. Hopefully, bat coming back around. Bad night for a bad outing by Edwards. Team battled back from down 4-0 to lead by two in bottom of ninth.
On the upside, Wild Things have won 2-of-3 in each of the last three series. gotta keep that up.
And, yes, cheda, keep up the baseball talk.
Bob Gregg, I think you mean Peterson, not Edwards, right? Edwards pitched 1 scoreless inning, according to the box score. It seems like the players I mentioned earlier as all-star candidates have gone in the tank, with 1 exception. 7 walks by the Wild Things in the loss, keeping up their average of free passes in losing efforts.
Thank you to the anonymous poster after "Joe" and Bob Gregg. The post after "Joe" says everything that I would care to say. I'd much rather follow independant ball and minor league ball, than pay grossly inflated prices for tickets and food to see major league players ruined by steroids, egos, and greed (how much would Clemente be worth in today's market???) The Wild Things have excitement and passion, if you can't see that, it's your loss. If you can't appreciate the efforts put forth by these players, don't come through the turnstile, and find something else to do on a Friday night. And Joe, I'd bet the bank that I have a happier life than you. I'm not going away, sorry.
Back to the original post, Pedro A. had a rough debut at Altoona's home field last night. 2 errors, 0-5, and 3 strikeouts, including the final at-bat of the game. I'm going to Altoona for the double-header tonight.
Swisscheda,
The minor leagues are one of the great things in America. Young guys working hard for their dream.
Unfortunately for you, the Frontier League is just not the same as the minors. You may view it as your entertainment for the summer, but it never will be minor league baseball. Sorry.
I do respect your opinions though and your passion. It is just not the quality of baseball that can be considered anywhere near major league. You will find more guys at the PONY League World Series every year who make it to MLB more often than Frontier League players.
Also, MLB is not what you make it out to be. That is just a joke. Steroids? Yes, that is a problem. Grossly inflated prices? Um, I dont think you have been there for awhile, unless you are talking behind the plate at new Yankee Stadium. Egos? Obviously, you are not close to the players in the Frontier League where I have personally run into some of the largest egos I have ever witnessed. Sorry, it is the truth.
I'm willing to bet that you have to go back at least a dozen years to find a kid who played in the Pony League World Series who made it to the major leagues. Nothing is a bigger joke in the baseball world than the Pony ball. It must be played in something like 10 cities in the country because the same teams are in Washington every year. And if the above Anonymous doesn't think there is inflated prices at the major leagues, then I hope that $7 cup of stale Iron City beer tasted good while watching Andy LaRoche make three errors in one innings earlier this week.
I'm willing to bet that you have to go back at least a dozen years to find a kid who played in the Pony League World Series
You may be correct BUT the Frontier League is the BIGGEST joke in so-called professional baseball!
I'll watch it but, I'm sure as the devil not that excited about it!
You may be correct BUT the Frontier League is the BIGGEST joke in so-called professional baseball!
I'll watch it but, I'm sure as the devil not that excited about it!
then why do u get on the blogs and leave posts about the biggest joke you are not excited about -numnuts
River City's 2B is brutal in the field. They would have been better off keeping Raniere.
"You may be correct BUT the Frontier League is the BIGGEST joke in so-called professional baseball!
I'll watch it but, I'm sure as the devil not that excited about it!"
That's like saying you hate to hit yourself in the face with a hammer repeatedly everyday and then make blog comments about it to inform people how unpleasant an experience it is, but you'll continue to do it because you have nothing better to do.
What an idiot. Go get a life buddy.
What an idiot. Go get a life buddy.
First place - I am NOT your "Buddy". Only homos have "buddies". What does calling somebody an idiot have to do with baseball?
"Nothing is a bigger joke in the baseball world than the Pony ball. It must be played in something like 10 cities in the country because the same teams are in Washington every year."
You know what, you can not like the PONY League World Series if you want. You can think that it's a joke if you want. But you can not make such a gross misstatement as "proof" of your nonsense.
Here are the FACTS (and they are not in dispute). In the past 5 years of the PONY League World Series:
Chinese Taipei--3 times
Johnstown, PA--3 times
Caguas, PR--3 times
Long Beach, CA--2 times
24 other teams have been here once each over the past five World Series.
That's an average of five different teams EVERY YEAR.
Here's the opinion: For your $3 parking (free if you want to walk a little) and $5 admission (good for doubleheader except championship day), you'll be hard-pressed to find a more enjoyable evening in the middle of August.
And, yes, the writer is the Chairman of the PONY League World Series.
I would rather see the taxpayers turf used for Pony field that the Wild Things.
At least it would be funding a non profit organization.
Mr. Gregg, do your magic and have the turf changed to the opposite side of Washington.
This would help when it rains and get more games in during a tight schedule.
That the baseball Mecca of Johnstown has played in any kind of world series three times in five years tells you there's not enough teams playing.
Bob Gregg trumpeting the Pony World Series - no conflict of intertest there huh? Oh, I forgot, Bob Gregg never has a conflict of interest.
Enough is enough.
One brave "Anon" wrote: "Bob Gregg trumpeting the Pony World Series - no conflict of intertest there huh?"
Exactly what conflict is it Bob Gregg "trumpeted" the Pony League World Series?
He is a volunteer for Tournaments, Inc., elected as President for many years and serving as Chairman of the World Series since the mid-80s. Why wouldn't he "trumpet" this event that so many of us work to bring to town every year? And how is it a "conflict of interest" for him to do so?
If not for Bob's efforts and those of the 20-some other people who work all year round as volunteers on Tournaments, Inc., the World Series would have left here permanently a long time ago.
You are completely clueless.
"That the baseball Mecca of Johnstown has played in any kind of world series three times in five years tells you there's not enough teams playing."
Really? And you would know WHAT about how teams qualify for the World Series? Johnstown won their satellite tournament (5-8 teams), then beat 5-6 other satellite tournament winners to win the Host Area berth in the World Series. That alone means that Johnstown bested at least 25, and as many as 50, other Host Area teams to EARN their trip to the World Series.
If you have any other questions about how the PONY League World Series works, feel free to ask. I'll be more than willing to help you understand that which you clearly do not.
Obuma wrote: "I would rather see the taxpayers turf used for Pony field that the Wild Things....
Mr. Gregg...have the turf changed to the opposite side of Washington.
This would help when it rains and get more games in during a tight schedule."
Thanks for the suggestion, but, at this point, doesn't make nearly as much sense.
First of all, in the 25 years since the World Series returned to Washington, we've had very few rainouts. In fact, we've lost less than 8 days' action to rain.
Secondly, to install turf at Lew Hays PONY Field would cost nearly as much as it will at CONSOL Energy Park. But PONY Field has significantly less action, and hundreds of thousands fewer attendees than its bigger, younger brother, CEP.
Appreciate the suggestion, but not really a possibility, nor does it make the best use of the Tourism Development & Promotion funds.
nor does it make the best use of the Tourism Development & Promotion funds
DON'T GET ME STARTED!!
Lloyd
DON'T GET ME STARTED!!
Lloyd
Seriously? You took time out of your day to post that?
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