In what felt like an eternity for myself and even more so for power hitting prospect Pedro Alvarez, it finally happened. The Pittsburgh Pirates have called up their potential star slugger after last nights loss to the Chicago WhiteSox. It’s felt like an on again off again battle with the fans and what “management” has proclaimed all this time.
Hell even last night you could hear faint chants of “We want Pedro, We Want Pedro!” So the time is now, and the future is here. Will it save Neal Huntington’s job? Who knows, but I bet he’s hoping that Alvarez has an immediate impact to make him look like a genius. I mean after all, Neal my face the harsh reality that he has to cut Aki Iwaruma and eat his 4 million dollar salary.
The Pirates are actually in a great situation, sure they are losing horribly again, however they aren’t getting blown out. Even with Lincoln pitching very sub standard yesterday they had a chance to win the game. So here’s to Alvarez coming up and making an immediate impact. I for one think he’s going to need major adjustments in terms of plate patience and his swing, but we’ll see how he adapts. I’m hoping to God that he pulls a McCutchen and goes off with a 3 home run night. Ok, I’ll even settle for just one, just as long as it hits the river. What I’m getting at is this is the first batter we’ve had in a long time with true power. Unabashed swinging power. With all that potential, comes major stress in terms of what’s being asked from you. I really really hope he lives up to the hype.
That being said, he’ll start tonight, which will move LaRoche to who knows where because Neil Walker is still doing decent since he was called up. Below the image of Pedro Alvarez doing boss things, we’ll see what the players think about him.
Pedro Alvarez, Power Prospect of the Pittsburgh Pirates
These quotes are taken from the article posted yesterday at the Post-Gazette’s website. To read the full article please go there. Now on with the quoteage!
Jose Tabata had this to say about Alvarez:
“Oh, man,” fairly gushed Tabata, a close friend and teammate from Class AA Altoona and, the opening two months of this season, Class AAA Indianapolis. He has been getting texts from Alvarez since this speedy outfielder and starter Brad Lincoln were called up Wednesday in something less than a state secret. “I saw him every day working hard. He’s focused. He’s focused every day. He’s happy every day. He wants to come up.”
Neil Walker had this to say:
“When we were playing together in [Class AAA], it was a lot of fun,” added Walker, who, before his late-May promotion, often batted between Tabata and Alvarez in Indianapolis’ top of the order or two spots ahead of Alvarez. And what will Alvarez bring to the Pirates? “Wow. He’s most likely going to be somewhere in the middle of the lineup. He’s going to be driving balls all around the yard, probably hitting balls in the Allegheny as soon as he gets up here. He’s going to bring a lot of energy to the ballclub. … I don’t think he’ll miss a beat when he gets here, either. So I’m looking forward to it.”
Finally, Andrew McCutchen has this to say about the star prospect:
“That left-handed power, that can help this team out. A lot. Take advantage of that right-field wall,” said McCutchen, who never played in the minors with the second overall pick from the 2008 draft. “He’s that guy, when he comes up to bat, hey, he can hit the ball out of the park. Just be ready.
“That’s something we kind of lack. We don’t have that guy who just comes up with the power. We have Garrett Jones, we have Ryan Doumit, we have those guys. But [in Alvarez] we have a guy who really has some pop, who can really hit the ball hard to all parts of the field. He’s been able to show that in the minors. I’m sure he’ll be able to show that when he gets here as well.”
I don’t know about anyone else, but for the first time in a long time. I may sit down and watch a full game of Pirates baseball. Sure they still suck at this moment, but with all the rookies finally getting a call. I’d rather watch a team with players who have potential, than nothing at all.
Wed, Jun 16, 2010
Sports