SB Nation - Craig Monroe

Detroit's Clay Rapada Era is Over

Ian Casselberry — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 20:35:03 -0000

For anyone wondering why the Detroit Tigers don't use Clay Rapada in their bullpen, the question is now irrelevant. The lefty reliever was dealt to the Texas Rangers this afternoon for either a player to be named later or cash (straight cash, homey). If you wanted to see a trade at these Winter Meetings, you now have one.

(Thanks to allikazoo for posting the link a FanShot.)

Rapada came over to the Tigers' organization from the Chicago Cubs in a trade for outfielder Craig Monroe back in 2007 (in what may have been Mike McClary's favorite moment from that season). In 32 appearances over three seasons with Detroit, Rapada compiled a 3-0 record and 4.94 ERA. He struck out 21 batters in his 27.1 innings (and was even more impressive in the minors), but also issued 18 walks, which is presumably why Jim Leyland never quite warmed up to him.

Perhaps the final word on Rapada's Tigers career came in September, when he wasn't among the team's minor league call-ups once rosters could expand. He was added to the active major league roster, however, when Bobby Seay had to rest a strained pectoral muscle late in the season.

For the Rangers' point of view on the trade, check out Lone Star Ball. Otherwise, you can post your favorite Clay Rapada memories in the comments.

All Ex-Twins Team, 2009

Jesse — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 02:09:33 -0000

More photos » by Lori Shepler - AP

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2008 Roster
2006 Roster

For the second year in a row I tried to put together a full 25-man roster, and while I made the cut this team has some pretty big holes. Generally it's old, which is surprising, and there's going to be some pretty bad defense in places, but if any of the three outfielders get hurt there's nobody to be a fourth outfielder. Luckily, none of the guys on this team have to play a single game.

Without further ado, your batting order:

Name	Pos	AVG	OBP	SLG	HR	RBI	'09 Team	With Twins
Jason Bartlett	SS	.320	.389	.490	14	66	Rays	'04 - '07
Luis Castillo	2B	.302	.387	.346	1	40	Mets	'06 - '07
Garrett Jones	RF	.293	.372	.567	21	44	Pirates	2007
Torii Hunter	CF	.299	.366	.508	22	90	Angels	'97 - '07
Casey Blake	3B	.280	.363	.468	18	79	Dodgers	'00 - '02
Randy Ruiz	1B	.313	.385	.635	10	17	Blue Jays	2008
David Ortiz	DH	.238	.332	.462	28	99	Red Sox	'97 - '02
A.J. Pierzynski	C	.300	.331	.425	13	49	White Sox	'98 - '03
Craig Monroe	LF	.215	.287	.354	3	16	Pirates	2008

All in all that's not a bad offensive lineup. According to Baseball Musing's Lineup Analysis tool, this offense would blow last year's out of the water: 5.741 runs per game, or about 930 runs over the course of a full season. Even with Jones and Monroe being stone defenders in the outfield corners, those runs are going to make up the difference.

The tool also insists that all of the best lineups would have Monroe hitting 8th and Castillo 9th, while a vast majority of the best lineups still have Bartlett leading off, but they also have Ruiz batting cleanup with his massive OBP and SLG in limited time.

Your bench? Outfielder-less. Henry Blanco of the Pirates is your catcher, followed by a trio of infielders: Cristian Guzman (Nationals), Adam Everett (Tigers) and Juan Castro (Dodgers).

Next up? Your starting rotation:

Name	W-L	ERA	IP	K	BB	'09 Team	With Twins
Johan Santana	13-9	3.13	166.2	146	46	Mets	'00 - '07
Matt Garza	8-12	3.95	203.0	189	79	Rays	'06 - '07
Kyle Lohse	6-10	4.74	117.2	77	36	Cardinals	'01 - '06
Livan Hernandez	9-12	5.44	183.2	102	67	Mets/Nationals	2008
Sidney Ponson	1-7	7.36	58.2	32	25	Royals	2007

I want you to know that I seriously considered going with a three-man rotation, a three-man bench, and then having a nine-man bullpen, but the reality is that even the bullpen pickings get a little thin once you get six or seven deep. As far as other starters I could have considered, there aren't many guys out there right now. Carlos Silva? Absolutely not.

Last season saw Santana, Lohse and Garza as the top three in the rotation as well. Moving onto the bullpen, last year I had Balfour closing, but this season I'd probably tab Hawkins.

Name	W-L	ERA	IP	K	BB	'09 Team	With Twins
LaTroy Hawkins	1-4	2.13	63.1	45	16	Astros	'95 - '03
Craig Breslow	7-5	2.60	55.1	44	18	Athletics	'08 - '09
J.C. Romero	0-0	2.70	16.2	12	13	Phillies	'99 - '05
Joe Beimel	1-6	3.58	55.1	35	19	Nationals/Rockies	2004
Grant Balfour	5-4	4.81	67.1	69	33	Rays	'01 - '04
Eddie Guardado	1-2	4.46	38.1	20	15	Rangers	'93 - '03, '08

Even in limited time, Romero is still managing to escape at least the appearance of damage in spite of some unnerving peripherals. Like the bench and the back of the rotation, this one of this team's weaker spots.

If injuries weren't a factor, how would this team fare over a season? Would an offense like this be able to keep this team afloat with the help of a strong 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation? Or would those unproven bats pair up with some older arms to bring the team's fortunes crashing to earth?

Guys who have made the team each of the three years: Pierzynski, Blake, Ortiz, Beimel, Romero and Hawkins.

Poll

How would this team fare?

They could compete for a division title

169 votes

Probably a .500 team

322 votes

Bottom dwellers, for sure

181 votes

672 votes | Poll has closed

Twins Sign Mark Grudzielanek to Minor League Contract

Jesse — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 20:37:22 -0000

I'm surprised. Are you surprised? We shouldn't be surprised, it's a quintessential Twins move.

Mark Grudzielanek

#?? / Second Base / Minnesota Twins

Height: 6-1

Weight: 200

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Jun 30, 1970

The following occurred between 12:45 and 12:46 pm CDT today:

Jesse: Grudz?
Jesse: Really?
Seth: Ya...just had it confirmed, too.
Jesse: Why am I surprised?

I don't want to set anyone up with the wrong idea here, because there are merits to this signing and I'll get to them later, but honestly: why was I surprised? The Twins organization has done a fantastic job over the years of acquiring veterans in twilight in the hope that they can provide some kind of depth or leadership. I could also add production, but that hasn't always been the case.

These signings have all fallen under one of two categories. Either these veterans were A) washed up and we all knew it (James Baldwin, Jesse Orosco, Juan Castro, Bret Boone, Ruben Sierra, Tony Batista, Phil Nevin, Jeff Cirillo, Ramon Ortiz, Sidney Ponson, Craig Monroe, Livan Hernandez, the return of Eddie Guardado, Luis Ayala, Sean Henn) or B) all things considered weren't a bad gamble (Tom Prince, Rick Reed, Kenny Rogers, Henry Blanco, Jose Offerman, Terry Mulholland, Pat Borders, Mike Redmond, Rondell White, Jason Tyner, Mike Lamb, Adam Everett, R.A. Dickey). Of course, whether or not any of column B actually worked out is another matter altogether. But you're catching my drift, and I didn't even list all of Joe Mauer's third catchers.

Now we can officially add one Mark Grudzielanek to that list. I think the reason this signing surprised me is because Grudz was a free agent. It was almost too easy. Of course if the Twins were in contact with Grudz, you can bet they were probably in contact with Ray Durham, too. Let's get to the actual analysis of this deal.

Contract

Minnesota has offered Grudzielanek a minor league deal, and he'll report to a Gulf Coast League squad in Florida. He made $4.5 million with the Kansas City Royals in 2008, but suffice it to say he won't be making anywhere near that much this year. Financial terms haven't been disclosed, but I'd be surprised if it cracks the one million mark. It sounds like he did have offers in the off-season, being a Type B free agent, but he declined those offers.

Age

This is the bit that everyone is going to focus on: Grudz is 39. Most guys are out of the league by this time, whether that's by choice or not, but here's something to keep in mind: even at 38 he was a good player.

Offense

Patience & Discipline: Grudz hasn't really been a guy who walks a lot over the course of his career, but he makes up for that by being a great contact hitter. He makes contact on over 90% of his swings, and goes outside of the zone at right around the league average rate. Again, the walk rates (5% of plate appearances) are low, but Alexi Casilla (6%) and Brendan Harris (7%) aren't walk machines, either. He sees roughly 3.5 pitches per plate appearance.

Power: He's a career .395 slugger, .106 isolated power. As a full-time player he's always been good for plenty of doubles, but as far as the long-ball goes he's a middle infielder. This is a secondary concern for anyone playing second base.

Batted Ball: Grudz is a line-drive hitter. A lot of analysts will say that hitting line drives isn't a repeatable skill, and that might be accurate, but when you're hitting them at a rate that's better than league average year after year after year, something is going well.

Defense

Arm: This has never been a problem. He spent a lot of time at shortstop for the Expos earlier in his career, but for a guy who would be playing exclusively at second base, the arm is fine.

Range: Oddly enough, for a guy who was 38 last season his range didn't fall off too much. The problem is that he is a bit older, and having lost that first step does mean something. That's reflected in defensive metrics like UZR/150, which came in at 5.3 in 2008. Still above average, which is very much in line with Grudzielanek's history, it's just not what it was.

Conclusions

There are a lot of positives here; just not as many as we'd hoped as fans rooting for someone like Freddy Sanchez. This is a move that has zero risk for the Twins, who are still counting on Casilla to get the job done. If Casilla faulters again, it's not as though Minnesota would be wasting a roster spot by calling on Grudzielanek. The biggest focus as far as positives go though, and it's a big one, is this: it's not going to take much to improve on what the Twins have been given from second base this season. If Grudz is ready by the middle of August, comes up and hits .280/.330/.380, that's an improvement. As far as his defense goes, there would have to be something desperately wrong for him to have suddenly turned into a negative player in the field. For a guy like this, his offensive skills may disappear, but the glove will linger on.

What does leave me slightly disappointed is the fact that this is such a by-the-numbers move for the Twins. There's no risk here, but sometimes that's exactly what a team needs for a boost: a risk. A sign that, yes, dammit, this organization believes in you so much that we went out and put our own asses on the line. Sometimes I get the sense that the front office forgets that everything about baseball is a two-way street, it's all a relationship, from the fans to the players to the front office.

Baseball is a business. By that definition, picking up a guy like Grudzielanek is a good move simply because getting a guy to play league average anything at second base constitutes an upgrade. But I just had my sights on something a bit more substantial.

There's still time.

Poll

Which list does Grudz belong on?

A) He's washed up and we all know it.

53 votes

B) All things considered, not a bad signing.

245 votes

C) I've already ordered my "Grudz" jersey.

33 votes

331 votes | Poll has closed

Thursday's Frosty Mug

KLSnow — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:15:52 -0000

More photos » by Morry Gash - AP

Finally, we have a video highlight of this moment.

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Some things to read while cuddling up with Miguel Cabrera.

The Brewers finished off a good, but not great homestand with the Mets yesterday, and remain in sole possession of first place heading into a four game series in Chicago starting tonight. Seth McClung, who starts tonight, said he's looking forward to the atmosphere at Wrigley. "Atmosphere" is one of the few positive things visiting players have to say about the park.

Did you do your part this week by booing Gary Sheffield? Brian Costa of the Newark Star-Ledger discusses the reactions Sheffield receives on the road, including in Milwaukee, and quotes a blogger you might know.

Meanwhile, A Girl's View wonders why the Mets didn't just send a rookie starter to the mound this week. And Sports Rubbish has the video highlight you've all been waiting to see: Fernando Martinez' faceplant in center field.

Now that we're into July, Doug Melvin and company are intently watching the trade market for opportunities to improve the team, but working to lower expectations at the same time. Melvin also said he isn't interested in Brandon Backe.

In the minors:

Mat Gamel checked in at #13 in Project Prospect's Midseason Top 50, with Alcides Escobar nowhere to be found. Jonathan Mayo of MiLB.com said he'd take Gamel's upside over fellow 3B prospect Brett Wallace.
The international signing period begins today and the Brewers are expected to make a big splash by signing Dominican OF Jose Pena. Depending on who you ask, his bonus could be anywhere from $500k to $1.5 million.
Alcides Escobar, Brendan Katin and R.J. Swindle have been named to the PCL All Star team. Escobar was also selected to the MLB Futures Game. Swindle is making his first All Star appearance at any level.
The Brewers officially announced the signings of seventh round pick Khris Davis, 8th round pick Chad Stang, 25th round pick Demetrius McKelvie and two undrafted free agents yesterday. Some of that is old news: Davis was already in the lineup for Helena a couple of days ago.

This probably isn't news to you: Jason Kendall has caught a lot of games. Among those games, there has been the occasional close win. Kendall has caught 463 saves, sixth most all time.

On Power Rankings:

Beyond the Box Score moved the Brewers up from 17th to 16th.
MLB FanHouse dropped the Brewers from sixth to seventh.

This isn't actually a Power Ranking, but it fits in with them: ESPN the Magazine just completed their Ultimate Standings for 2009 for all North American major pro sports teams, and the Brewers are ranked #7, up from #13 last year. They rank in the top 20 in six of the eight categories measured and in the top ten in Affordability (third), Stadium Experience (third) and Bang for the Buck (seventh). On the other end of the spectrum, the Bucks rank 110th out of 122 franchises.

Around the League:

Cardinals: Mark DeRosa is day to day after being diagnosed with a strained tendon in his wrist.
Cubs: Have reportedly reached a deal to acquire utility infielder Jeff Baker from the Rockies.
Dodgers: Designated outfielder Mitch Jones for assignment.
Pirates: Released outfielder Craig Monroe, who had been designated for assignment.
Rockies: Designated catcher Paul Phillips for assignment.
Royals: Shortstop Mike Aviles will undergo Tommy John surgery and miss about 12 months.
Twins: Released reliever Luis Ayala, who had been designated for assignment.

Did you have any run ins with obnoxious Met fans this week? In a poll in the Baltimore Sun, 80% of voters rated Met fans the most obnoxious in baseball. I can't imagine that, because off the top of my head I'd list the Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs and Phillies ahead of the Mets, without question.

As I mentioned before, the international signing period begins today, and with Jose Pena reportedly off the market, the top available talent might be Cuban lefty Aroldis Chapman, who reportedly has defected. Chapman is 21, throws 90+ and pitched for Cuba in the WBC.

Some days my attention span is painfully short. This morning, for example, I read this story and all I got out of it was the fact that Dr. Mark Schickendantz might be the coolest name I've ever seen.

Oh, and happy birthday to knuckleballer Steve Sparks, who pitched 202 innings for the 1995 Brewers and turns 44 today.

Drink up.

Tuesday's Frosty Mug

KLSnow — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 14:18:15 -0000

More photos » by Duane Burleson - AP

6 months ago: Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Dave Bush waits for Detroit Tigers' Miguel Cabrera to round the bases after giving up a two-run home run in the third inning of a baseball game Saturday, June 20, 2009 in Detroit. The Tigers beat the Brewers 9-5. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

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Some things to read while wearing unnecessarily dangerous hats and vests.

Well, I'm married, honeymooned and moved, and I think I'm finally ready to be back. Thanks to Jordan for filling in on the Mug in my absence, and to all the site's contributors and mods who posted in my absence. It doesn't look like the site missed a beat while I was gone, which is great to see.

Unfortunately, the Brewers are 4-9 since I left on my honeymoon, and 0-3 since I've moved into my new house. I've started putting things back in boxes.

As I'm sure you know, the Brewers' starting pitchers haven't been very good lately. FanGraphs notes that Brewer pitchers posted a 6.08 FIP last week, and five different pitchers posted ERAs over 10. Meanwhile, Dave Bush will likely be pushed back a few days, or could skip a start entirely to recover from arm fatigue.

Who will take Dave Bush's spot in the rotation? Tyler Mass handicaps the favorites over at Right Field Bleachers. Seth McClung appears to be the early favorite. I doubt consideration will be given to Manny Parra (who has only made one start in AAA) or Carlos Villanueva (don't mess with a good thing in the bullpen), but Mike Burns is already lined up to start Thursday, so he could also be an option.

At least Yovani Gallardo looked pretty good on Sunday. He also ranks eleventh in Baseball Analysts' list of pitchers ranked by strikeouts per 100 pitches. Jeff Suppan ranks 90th out of 98 pitchers listed.

The Brewers close out interleague play with a three game series against the Twins starting tonight, but don't expect it to be the end of the line for Mat Gamel. Anthony Witrado says Gamel is getting comfortable in the big leagues and the team appears committed to keeping him around.

Prince Fielder, meanwhile, simply continues to produce. Adam McCalvy has a look at Fielder's consistency, and notices that Fielder has not gone more than three games without an RBI this season.

It seems increasingly likely that the Brewers will make a move to strengthen their playoff chances, but how much money can they spend? Jon Heyman lists them among ten teams that could add payroll, but I'm not sure they could add much, as they were already claiming they were out of money before giving $5 million to Braden Looper months ago.

I still think it's too early to start discussing the Wild Card, but MLB FanHouse notices that the Brewers are tied with the Giants for the lead in the race for the final playoff spot, and five teams are within 2.5 games of it.

Meanwhile, in power rankings:

WhatifSports dropped the Brewers six spots to fourteenth.
Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star dropped the Brewers from seventh to twelfth.

Around the league:

Angels: Placed Ervin Santana on the DL with triceps inflammation.
Mets: Placed Carlos Beltran on the DL with a bone bruise on his right knee, designated infielder Wilson Valdez and minor league pitcher Connor Robertson for assignment and released Javier Valentin, Wily Mo Pena and Bobby Kielty from minor league deals.
Phillies: Will place Clay Condrey on the DL with an oblique strain.
Pirates: Designated Craig Monroe for assignment after he showed a lack of hustle.
Rays: Akinori Iwamura's knee injury was not as bad as previously thought, and he could be back in 6-8 weeks following an arthroscopic procedure.
Yankees: CC Sabathia is expected to make his next start after being pulled in the second inning of his last start with arm soreness.

This is how you know your infield situation is pretty bad: Lookout Landing crunched the numbers and discovered that the Mariners may actually be better off starting veteran journeyman Chris Woodward at shortstop. Woodward spent 2008 in Nashville.

Where would the Mariners be without Russell Branyan? The USA Today has a profile of Branyan and his breakout season, and Larry Stone of the Seattle Times notes that Branyan is on past to collect the least RBI ever accumulated by a 40 home run hitter.

On top of making all the roster moves listed above, the Mets had another reason to panic yesterday, as Jose Reyes and a team trainer were rear ended by a fire truck on their way to an appointment with Reyes' doctor. Everyone is ok, thankfully.

Oh, and today is a Woot-off day.

Drink up.

Morning Prowl: Dolsi's Call-Up, Dontrelle's Refusal, Guillen's Shoulder, and Tram's Return

Ian Casselberry — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 13:30:53 -0000

Freddy Dolsi became the latest addition to the Tigers' 25-man roster yesterday, when he was called up from Triple-A Toledo to take Ryan Perry's place. (This was largely covered in yesterday's Open Thread, along with a good discussion on what Dolsi's season numbers indicate.)

This season with the Mud Hens, Dolsi pitched in 24 games, compiling a 4.35 ERA with 19 strikeouts and 11 walks in 31 innings. Last year with the Tigers, he posted a 3.97 ERA with 29 strikeouts and 28 walks in 47.2 innings.

I have to join the majority in scratching my head over this move. Maybe it just doesn't seem that exciting, since we've seen Dolsi before, and his numbers don't look as impressive as Fu-Te Ni's or Casey Fien's. Perhaps the Tigers chose him due to familiarity, or preferred someone already on the 40-man roster. Dolsi has also been very good in June thus far, allowing one run and one walk in 10.2 innings, so maybe they wanted to go with the hot reliever.

Both The Detroit Tigers Weblog and Mack Avenue Tigers have more thoughts on calling up Dolsi, including "highlights" of his Tigers career and a closer look at his numbers.

As it turns out, the Tigers might have put Dontrelle Willis on the DL again because he refused assignment to the minors. That's what SI.com's Jon Heyman reports, anyway.

And as we posted yesterday, a player with Willis's major league tenure has the option of staying on the roster. Here's the explanation from Detroit Tigers Thoughts.

(Thanks to densogirl for posting this in the comments of yesterday's Morning Prowl.)

Could Carlos Guillen now return by July? That's what his agent told Jon Paul Morosi (approximately a week after telling him that season-ending surgery was a possibility.) Apparently, Gullen's current training program has him "feeling much better." However, if the Tigers want him to play left field when he returns, that might require more rehabilitation. Surgery still hasn't been ruled out as an option, either.

Alan Trammell: Always a Tiger. And during the Cubs' visit to Detroit this week, Tram plans on driving by what's left of Tiger Stadium. (Which isn't very much at all, with the upper deck collapsing during demolition yesterday.)

Should Troy Glaus be on the Tigers' radar? He could probably only be a designated hitter at this point, as he's better able to hit than throw on his current rehabilitation. And as Ken Rosenthal writes, Glaus is of no use to the Cardinals if he can't play third base. But he wouldn't have to do that in Detroit. And maybe he could fill in occasionally for Miguel Cabrera at first base.

Last year with St. Louis, Glaus hit .270/.372/.483 with 27 homers and 99 RBIs in 151 games (637 plate appearances).

More from Heyman: He lists the Tigers among 10 teams that could add payroll this season to bring in more help. The other AL Central team on his list is the White Sox. (Other AL teams: Red Sox, Angels, Yankees.)

How did Pedro Martinez look when he threw for some scouts on Friday? One told Danny Knobler that he needs "to go to Triple-A first," showing a good change-up, but only reaching 87 m.p.h. with his fastball. "He's a fifth starter," the scout said. "A soft fifth starter."

Was former Tiger Craig Monroe released by the Pittsburgh Pirates for not hustling? Last Tuesday, Monroe didn't run hard to first base after a strikeout pitch got past Joe Mauer. Apparently, that didn't go over so well with the Pirates' coaching staff and front office.

(via MLB Daily Dish)

If you're hungry for a little national perspective on the Tigers, USA Today's Bob Nightengale wrote a nice feature on the team's success this season, and how players are aware of just how bleak things have been in Detroit recently.

(Hat tip to Mike McClary)

How could Dane Sardinha (who was outrighted to Toledo on Saturday) have had a lower on-base percentage than batting average? Grand Cards does some investigative blogging. Tim Kurkjian would've loved this one.

Pirates Cut Craig Monroe For Lack of Hustle

Matt Buggenhagen — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 18:55:15 -0000

More photos » by Gene J. Puskar - AP

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The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is reporting that the Pirates cut outfielder Craig Monroe for failing to hustle during a play against the Minnesota Twins.

With his team down 8-2 in the eighth inning, Twins pitcher Glen Perkins struck out Monroe, but the ball got away from catcher Joe Mauer, allowing Monroe an opportunity to reach first base.

Monroe reached the bag safely, but only because Mauer made a throwing error. According to the paper: "He ran casually -- somewhere between a jog and a run," and coaches were "livid."

Monroe was benched the next three games, and designated for assignment on Friday. The Pirates subsequently called up outfielder Steven Pearce to take Monroe's spot on the roster.

Monroe, 32, was batting .215 with three home runs and 16 RBI.

Kudos to the Pirates coaching staff, this has become somewhat of an epidemic in the game today. Several players often fail to hustle on numerous occasions. Given the salaries that are currently being paid to players, I don't feel it's a great deal for a fan to ask for continued effort throughout a full game.

For more information on this story check out the Bucs Dugout, the home for all things Pirates.

News Roundup: Monroe's Lack of Hustle

Charlie — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 08:27:37 -0000

Some links, leading off with a few interesting items in the Post-Gazette:

-P- Craig Monroe's lack of hustle in the Twins series apparently played a role in the Pirates' decision to let him go:

To find out one significant reason why the team cut loose outfielder Craig Monroe, one must rewind to a play Tuesday in Minneapolis, which, no coincidence, marked his final at-bat with the team.

With two outs in the eighth inning and the Pirates trailing, 8-2, Monroe struck out swinging over a Glen Perkins pitch that got away from catcher Joe Mauer. Monroe ran casually -- somewhere between a jog and a run -- to first base and was safe only because Mauer made a throwing error.

Monroe did not make another appearance in the three games leading up to being designated for assignment late Friday night.

No one associated with the team discussed the play for the record, but the coaching staff and front office, multiple sources confirmed, were livid.

I'm not sure why you'd need a poor play like that to convince you that Craig Monroe is awful, but that play made me angry too.

-P- Nyjer is fast, but McCutchen is faster. That triple last night? Whew!

-P- The same story says that West Virginia pitcher Rudy Owens will probably be promoted soon, which is exciting. Owens, 21, has a 2.20 ERA with 65 strikeouts and 11 walks in 69.2 innings. I'm not sure how he'll fare at Lynchburg, but he's proven he deserves to be there.

-P- Brad Lincoln has officially been promoted to Indianapolis and will join the Indians' rotation.

-P- Tony Sanchez hit a game-winning single in his pro debut for State College last night.

-P- I know the game in Denver last night didn't end well, but I was happy to see Nyjer Morgan, Andy LaRoche and Brandon Moss have big nights--the offense has been missing them for a while. Charlie Morton looked pretty good, too.

-P- Somewhat off-topic: yesterday I missed a golden opportunity to hype a great Pittsburgh band my group played with last night. They're called Meeting of Important People, and they make extremely catchy, well-made pop songs that sound a little bit like Weezer, or maybe the Shins, or Nada Surf's last couple of records. They're a really good live band and very nice people who listened to me prattle on about extremely dorky music-theory stuff for upwards of a half hour, so they're well worth getting to know if you live in the area, or even if you don't. I highly recommend their new record.

News Roundup: Pirates Dump Craig Monroe, Promote Steve Pearce

Charlie — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 17:03:19 -0000

More photos » by Gene J. Puskar - AP

The Pirates have designated Craig Monroe, center, for assignment.

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-P- As cocktailsfor2 already pointed out in the FanPosts, the Pirates have designated Craig Monroe for assignment, replacing him on the roster with Steve Pearce, who will mostly play outfield. The Pirates' weird non-plan for Pearce marches on--last year he was in the minors working on his outfield defense, this year he was back there to play first base so he could potentially replace Adam LaRoche, and now he's back in the outfield again. I have no idea what the goal of all that was, unless it was to make me not care about Pearce anymore. Well, whatever--Brandon Moss hadn't been playing well and had been playing less and less, so the Bucs might as well give the resulting free plate appearances to Pearce, who might someday be a useful player, rather than Monroe, who shows every indication of being done.

-P- The Pirates have signed second baseman Brock Holt, their ninth-round pick out of Rice University. He'll head to State College, where he'll presumably be the Spikes' starting second baseman.

-P- Shawn Chacon has signed a minor-league deal with the A's.

Much has changed since the last time the Pirates and Rockies met

Poseidon's Fist — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 17:22:00 -0000

More photos » by John Heller - AP

It sure isn't Nate McLouth pirating flyballs to center these days.

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First, the Rockies had to prove they could win a series (Cardinals). Then they had to prove it wasn't a fluke (Brewers). Then the Rox had to show it could translate at home (Mariners). Then there was the challenge of winning against a world-class offense (Rays). And we've done all that.

So what does a series with the Pittsburgh Pirates offer? How about winning a series while being clearly the better team for once? Believe it or not, this is the first series the Rockies have gone into with a better record than their opponent since April 10th, the first home series of the years against the Phillies. Can we respond now that we are no longer the underdog? It would be our first series win (in two tries) against a team with an inferior record.

Or how about redemption? One month ago, the ~~Pirates embarrassed the Rockies~~ Rockies embarrassed themselves in Pittsburgh (see 10-run, 2-error inning). A dramatic ninth inning home run by Brad Hawpe was all that staved off the sweep. That series more or less sealed the fate of Clint Hurdle. After failing to lose series at Atlanta and Detroit, the move was delayed, but the losing attitude was smothering.

So now's the chance to get back and show the Pirates what real Rockies baseball is. They have treaded water at 15-14 since the series, and the Rockies have gone 19-11, passing Pittsburgh and five other teams in the wild card race in that month. We won't have to face Nate McLouth, who was traded to Atlanta, but Charlie Morton - who came in that trade - is slated to pitch on Saturday.

Also, check out Bucs Dugout, Pittsburgh's SBNation site. Check it out, but be friendly.

Pittsburgh Pirates (31-35, L1, t-5th, 6 GB)

Friday-Sunday : 3-game series at Coors Field

The Bats: D+

A weak offense got weaker when Nate McLouth got shipped to Georgia, but it should be noted that two young players have stepped up in his absence. Delwyn Young (1.120 OPS in June), who Pittsburgh basically got for free from the Dodgers this spring, and top prospect Andrew McCutchen (.849 OPS since his callup June 4) have really excelled with regular playing time. Still, they are only 20th in wOBA this season and 19th in runs, and that ought to be adjusted downward by tossing out McLouth's contributions. Then consider their 40 home runs, second to only the Giants' 38 for MLB futility. Take McLouth's nine out of the equation...and their roster is by far the weakest in the bigs. I mean, the Rockies have six players who have more dingers than Freddy Sanchez, second on the roster.

LINEUP	Avg	HR	RBI
Andrew McCutchen - CF	.333	1	9
Nyjer Morgan - LF	.256	1	24
Freddy Sanchez - 2B	.314	5	25
Adam LaRoche - 1B	.260	9	32
Delwyn Young - RF	.360	1	11
Andy LaRoche - 3B	.278	3	31
Robinzon Diaz - C	.295	1	15
Jack Wilson - SS	.274	1	20

Ryan Doumit is still on the DL, so Jason Jaramillo will get one or two starts this weekend. Brandon Moss still finds a start about half the time in the outfield, and Eric Hinske, Craig Monroe, and Ramon Vazquez fill out the bench.

The Arms: C-

The Pirates started strong in allowing the fewest runs in the league, but after getting three shutouts in four games April 17-20, Pittsburgh has failed to record another one in the two months since. Their ERA is a bit above average at 12th (4.24), though thier FIP is 22nd (4.51), and their tRA is even higher - 4.63 in the rotation and 5.00 in the bullpen. In fact the bullpen has the fourth worst FIP in the majors, partially due to Matt Dicus Capps having an ERA near 5.00 And yes, that's his real middle name.

Charlie Morton will take Jeff Karstens' rotation spot Saturday, and that may help things in the rotation, but they've still been deceptively below average. We will miss their worst starter so far this year (Ian Snell) but also arguably their best (Zach Duke), so the series will be a pretty fair shake.

The D: A

The Pirates have made just 27 errors, 3rd least in MLB, which has led to 24 unearned runs yet are also tied for the 3rd best UZR/150 rating at 6.6. Replacing McLouth with Andrew McCutchen in center also improves their defensive picture.

Probable Pitchers:

Tonight, 7:10 pm MDT

	W-L	ERA	WHIP	K	BB
2009 - Ross Ohlendorf	6-5	4.56	1.27	39	22

	W-L	ERA	WHIP	K	BB
2009 - Jason Marquis	8-4	3.77	1.35	41	31

Saturday, June 20, 6:10 pm MDT

	W-L	ERA	WHIP	K	BB
2009 - Charlie Morton	0-0	0.00	1.00	0	0

	W-L	ERA	WHIP	K	BB
2009 - Jason Hammel	4-3	4.10	1.48	42	15

Thursday, June 18, 1:10 MDT

	W-L	ERA	WHIP	K	BB
2009 - Paul Maholm	4-3	4.23	1.41	54	28

	W-L	ERA	WHIP	K	BB
2009 - Jorge De La Rosa	2-7	5.81	1.49	76	33

Adam LaRoche is really starting to heat up. He is 9 for his last 19 with 2 HR. Delwyn Young, Jack Wilson, Andrew McCutchen, and Freddy Sanchez are all OPSing over .930 over the past week as well. Ross Ohlendorf allowed only one run and two hits in his previous start.

Nyjer Morgan and Andy LaRoche have been the biggest flops recently, each collecting just three hits and one home run over the past week. Paul Maholm was torched for eight runs in his last start.

Ryan Doumit is still on the DL with a wrist injury he sustained April 20, when the Pirates were over .500. Tyler Yates (elbow) and Donald Veal (groin) are on the 15-day, and Phil Dumatrait (shoulder) and Craig Hansen (neck) are on the 60-day.

Poll

What says you for the last June home series?

The real Rockies have shown up. We'll have no trouble with the Pittsburgh. Something tells me Pirates would have trouble in the Rockies anyway

55 votes

We will inexplicably lose a game just because. But a series win is practically in pen now.

77 votes

Time for a letdown. Pirates take the series

6 votes

Aaargh. Jim Tracy must love his old teams too much. A sweep to the Pirates shocks us all.

0 votes

138 votes | Poll has closed