Reclaiming Glory: The 2010 Pirates Dynasty

[PirateFan17]

Ive been a Pirate fan my whole life and I thought this would be a fun thing to do, turn the Pirates around. I saw a few people writing up reports like this so I thought I would give it a try, hopefully someone checks this out so Im not doing this for nothing. This game uses the scouting system and the coaching system, the only option I changed was the trading difficulty which I changed to hard.

[PirateFan17]

In a surprise move the Pittsburgh Pirates have fired GM Neil Huntington just two days before their opening day game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The team cited poor team performance as the reason for the sudden firing. The Team wasted no time in selecting his replacement, naming 20 year old Charlie Fisher the replacement.

Fisher inherits a team that needs more than its fair share of work. The Pirates haven’t put up a winning season in 17 years, and that streak doesn’t appear to have a ending in sight. He does inherit the 9th best farm system in baseball, but he gets arguably one of the worst major league teams in the league.

Fisher doesn’t have the best circumstances surrounding him and his team, but that doesn’t hurt his confidence in his ability to turn this team around. “I am really excited to get started. I have been a Pirate fan my whole life, and I am excited to be the general manager of my long time favorite team. We have some good players here that will be the core of this team for years to come. Now its my job to keep the core here and to bring in the right players and coaches to finish the puzzle and bring a few championships to this
historic franchise.”

All eyes will be on the new general manager, only time will tell how he reacts to the pressure.

[PirateFan17]

The Pirates’ rotation heading into 2010 is a rotation that lacks a true number one starter. The Pirates have a pretty young rotation filled with talented guys, but none that have the skill set to be considered the ace of the staff. The Pirates will turn to lefty Zach Duke, and righty Ross Ohlendorf to lead this young staff. The Pirates have the 29th ranked pitching staff in the Majors. Pitching is the number one concern of new GM Charlie Fisher so look for the Pirates to imptove their staff in the next few years.

LHP #28 Paul Maholm- 27
Contract: 4,500,000/5,750,000/9,750,000
2009 Stats: 8-9, 4.44 ERA
Career: 38-44, 4.33 ERA
GM Report: Maholm is an average pitcher who is better suited at the bottom of the rotation but he is slotted at the top of the Pirates rotation due to the lack of a true number one on their staff. He can be expected to be a .500 pitcher who has an ERA in the low fours.

RHP #49 Ross Ohlendorf-27
Contract: 413,500 (Auto Renew)
2009 Stats: 11-10, 3.92 ERA
Career: 12-14, 4.54 ERA
GM Report: The Pirates have high expectations for Ross Ohlendorf heading into 2011. He is coming off a year where he lead the team in wins with 11 and ERA by a starter with a 3.92 ERA. The Pirates hope he can continue to progress into the top of the rotation pitcher that they think he has the potential to be.

LHP #57 Zach Duke-26
Contract: 4,300,000 (Arbitration Eligible)
2009 Stats: 11-16, 4.06 ERA
Career: 37-55, 4.30 ERA
GM Report: Duke is a young player who has the skills to be a good major league starter. The Pirates will give Duke ample time to prove what he can do on the mound, and they hope he can return to the form that let him go 8-2, with a 1.81 ERA in his rookie campaign.

RHP #37 Charlie Morton-26
Contract: 405,000 (Auto Renew)
2009 Stats: 5-9, 4.55 ERA
Career: 9-17, 5.24 ERA
GM Report: Charlie Morton was brought to Pittsburgh in the Nate McLouth deal. Morton has the most potential of all the starters on the current Pirates rotation. He is young and can be a top of the rotation starter if he can learn better control, and reach his true potential.

LHP # Jarrod Washburn-35
Contract: 2,500,000
2009 Stats: 9-9, 3.78 ERA
Career: 107-109, 4.10
GM Report: Washburn was signed by new GM Charlie Fisher to be the Pirates 5th starter. Washburn brings a veteran presence to the rotation that was lacking before. Washburn fits right in with the rest of the rotation being a pitcher who will most likely pitch at a .500 level with an ERA around 4.

In The Minors

In the minors the Pirates don’t have much to brag about. Their best prospect is Brad Lincoln who is the 98th best prospect in baseball. Brad Lincoln and fellow starter Tim Alderson are the best prospects in the Pirates system, but even they only rate out as bottom of the rotation pitchers at best. Jeff Karstens and Daniel McCutchen may see some time in the majors in 2010 if a starter gets hurt, but they are fringe major leaguers at best and there are no signs of that changing. The Pirates will look to improve their lack of minor league pitching which is currently ranked dead last in the league.

[PirateFan17]

The Pirates’ bullpen has a good mix of seasoned veterans and talented young pitchers. Led by veterans Brendan Donnelly and Octavio Dotel, as well as youngsters Evan Meek and Joel Hanrahan the bullpen looks to be an area of strength for the Pirates heading into 2010. Pirate management think the Pirates’ bullpen can outplay their 17th ranking.

RHP #53 Brendan Donnelly-38
Contract: 1,350,000
2009 Stats: 3-0, 1.78 ERA, 2 SV
Career: 29-9. 3.02, 6 SV
GM Report: Donnelly has been a great reliever throughout his career and the Pirates are hoping for one more good year from the right hander. The Pirates signed Donnelly in the offseason to add a good veteran presence to the bullpen to help the younger relievers mature, while still providing quality innings as a middle reliever.

LHP #48 Javier Lopez-32
Contract: 775,000 (Arbitration Eligible)
2009 Stats: 0-2, 9.26 ERA
Career: 11-7, 4.62, 4 SV
GM Report: Lopez will be used primarily in a middle relief role and a left handed specialist role. Lopez has had an up and down career and looks to rebound from a down year with the Pirates.

RHP #77 D.J. Carrasco-32
Contract: 400,000 (Arbitration Eligible)
2009 Stats: 5-1, 3.76 ERA
Career: 20-16, 4.45 ERA, 2 SV
GM Report: Carrasco was added to the Pirates roster as a filler for their bullpen. Carrasco has been an average pitcher his whole career and is coming off the best year of his career in 2009 when he was 5-1 with a 3.76 ERA. Carraco is expected to be an innings eater in a middle relief role with the Pirates.

LHP # Eddie Guardado-39
Contract: 700,000
2009 Stats: 1-2, 4.46 ERA
Career: 46-61, 4.32 ERA, 187 SV
GM Report: Guardado was signed by new GM Charlie Fisher. Guardado was brought into Pittsburgh to give the Pirates a second left hander in the bullpen. Guardado is a veteran who is expected to have a small role as a left handed specialist, Guardado is on the team more as a role model for the young pitchers.

RHP #52 Joel Hanrahan-28
Contract: 420,000 (Auto Renew)
2009 Stats: 1-4, 4.78 ERA, 5 SV
Career: 12-10, 4.74 ERA, 14 SV
GM Report: Hanrahan enters 2010 with high expectations. He is looked at as one of the leaders in the bullpen as well as the closer of the future. Hanrahan will try to prove he is closer ready this year, and if he can improve his control he should have no problem doing just that.

RHP #47 Evan Meek-26
Contract: 400,500 (Auto Renew)
2009 Stats: 1-1, 3.45 ERA
Career: 1-2, 4.20 ERA
GM Report: Evan Meek is a good young pitcher who should only get better in the years to come for the Pirates. Meek will spend 2010 as a set-up man for Dotel and he will be competing to be the closer of the future. At the very least Meek has the makings of a great set up man.

RHP #29 Octavio Dotel-36
Contract: 3,500,000/4,500,000
2009 Stats: 3-3, 3.32 ERA
Career: 46-39, 3.73 ERA, 83 SV
GM Report: Dotel was brought to Pittsburgh to be a mentor for the young pitcher vying to become the next Pirates’ closer. Dotel is an established veteran who has some closer experience so he should be able to fill the void at the back end of the Pirate bullpen until one of the youngsters is ready to take over.

In The Minors

Much like the starters in the Pirates minor leagues, there isn’t much to brag about in the bullpens. Pitchers Daniel Moskos and Anthony Clagget are the best minor league reliever that the Pirates have. They aren’t going to be relievers that will set the world on fire, they might not be good enough to be major leaguers even if they reach their full potential. The bullpen is ranked slightly higher than the starters rankings as the bullpen comes in at 28th best in MLB

[PirateFan17]

In 2010 the Pittsburgh Pirates will have a mix of veterans and young players taking the field for them every day. The Pirates won’t have the best offense in the league, but there are some exciting things to look to. The offense will be led by young star Andrew McCutchen, guys trying to prove themselves in Lastings Millegde and Andy Laroche, as well veteran Ryan Doumit. The Pirates should have a better than expected offense in 2010.
Ratings:
C: 11
1B: 20
2B: 20
3B: 24
SS: 30
LF: 22
CF: 3
RF: 26

Catchers

C #41 Ryan Doumit-29
S/R
Contract: 3,550,000/5,100,000/7,250,000/8,250,000
2009 Stats: .250, 10 HR, 38 RBI, 31 R
Career: .273, 46 HR, 191 RBI, 175 R
GM Report: Doumit has the potential to be one of the best hitting catchers in the game, but injuries along with average defense behind the plate hinder his ability to meet this potential. Doumit is one of the Pirates best offensive weapons when he is at his best. He will start the year as the Pirates’ starting catcher.

C #35 Jason Jaramilo-27
S/R
Contract: 400,000 (Auto Renew)
2009 Stats: .252, 3 HR, 26 RBI, 20 R
Career: .252, 3 HR, 26 RBI, 20 R
GM Report: Jaramillo will serve as the backup catcher for the Pirates heading into 2010. He offers good defense, slightly better than Doumit, but his offense keeps him from being anything more than a backup catcher.

Infielders

1B #46 Garrett Jones-28
L/L
Contract: 400,000 (Auto Renew)
2009 Stats: .293, 21 HR, 44 RBI, 45 R
Career: .276, 23 HR, 49 RBI, 52 R
GM Report: Jones is the primary power source for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Hes coming off a season where he hit 21 HRs in just 81 games with the Pirates. Jones is the main run producer in the Pirate offense and is going to be a huge part of the Pirate offense in 2010. Jones’ below average defense will make him primarily a first baseman for the Pirates, but he could see sometime at a corner outfield position.

2B #3 Akinori Iwamura-31
L/R
Contract: 4,250,000
2009 Stats: .290, 1 HR, 22 RBI, 28 R, 9 SB
Career: .281, 14 HR, 104 RBI, 201 R, 29 SB
GM Report: Akinori Iwamura was brought into Pittsburgh to fill the hole at 2B. Iwamura is a team player. Iwamura is a player who can get on base and use his speed to advance. The Pirates plan on using Iwamura in the 8 hole to protect the pitcher and act as a second leadoff hitter for the team.

3B #15 Andy LaRoche-26
R/R
Contract: 413,500 (Auto Renew)
2009 Stats: .258, 12 HR, 64 RBI, 64 R
Career: .230, 18 HR, 92 RBI, 97 R
GM Report: LaRoche is a young player with a lot to prove in 2010. LaRoche is a great defender at the hot corner but thus far in his career his offense has yet to match his defense. LaRoche has to prove he can put up good offensive numbers in 2010.

SS #13 Ronny Cedeno-27
R/R
Contract: 1,125,000 (Arbitration Eligible)
2009 Stats: .208, 10 HR, 38 RBI, 32 R
Career: .240, 23 HR, 126 RBI, 138 R
GM Report: Cedeno was brought into Pittsburgh so that he can show what he is really capable of. The Pirates feel he can be a decent SS and that he is better than his numbers have shown him to be. The Pirates will give Cedeno time at SS to prove that he can be a major league shortstop

2B # Argenis Reyes-27
S/R
Contract: Minor
2009 Stats: .118, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 R
Career: .205, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 13 R
GM Report: Reyes was signed to give the Pirates a better option for their backup infielder. Reyes is a good hitter and a good fielder who hasn’t been given a real chance to prove himself in the majors. The Pirates see the potential in Reyes and are willing to give him the chance to prove his skills and compete to be the starting second baseman.

SS #2 Bobby Crosby-30
R/R
Contract: 1,000,000
2009 Stats: .223, 6 HR, 29 RBI, 35 R
Career: .238, 61 HR, 263 RBI, 320 R
GM Report: Crosby was signed because of his defensive versatility. Crosby can play firstbase, third base, and short stop. Crosby’s bat is decent enough that he can replace a tired or injured starter on an interim basis but not much more than that.

In the Minors

The Pirates do have some intriguing infield prospects in the minors. The list is headed by slugging third basemen Pedro Alvarez and catcher of the future Tony Sanchez. Both Sanchez and Alvarez are expected to be among the best at their position for years to come. Neil Walker and Chase D’Arnaud are among other prospects who should be a part of the Pirates starting lineup at the very least. The Pirates are very excited about the prospects they have at the infield positions.
Rankings
C: 21
1B: 23
2B: 20
3B: 1
SS: 8

Outfielders

LF #85 Lastings Milledge-24
R/R
Contract: 452,000 (Auto Renew)
2009 Stats: .279, 4 HR, 21 RBI, 21 R, 7 SB
Career: .267, 29 HR, 133 RBI, 127 R, 35 SB
GM Report: Milledge is one of the most exciting young players that the Pirates have. He is a former first round pick (12 by Mets) and a highly rated prospects (Ranked as high as 9th) who is still looking to have his breakout year. Milledge can be a great hitter with a good mix of power and speed if he reaches his potential, and the Pirates will give him ample time in the outfield to prove he was worthy of all they hype.

CF #22 Andrew McCutchen-23
R/R
Contract: 400,000
2009 Stats: .286, 12 HR, 54 RBI, 74 R, 22 SB
Career: .286, 12 HR, 54 RBI, 74 R, 22 SB
GM Report: McCutchen is the brightest star in all of the Pirates’ organization. McCutchen is the star of this team and will be for many years as he will control CF for many years to come for the Pirates

RF # Rocco Baldelli-28
R/R
Contract: 1,300,000
2009 Stats: .253, 7 HR, 23 RBI, 23 R, 1 SB
Career: .279, 59 HR, 257 RBI, 278 R, 59 SB
GM Report: Rocco was brought into Pittsburgh because of what he can do if he is healthy. The Pirates had a whole at RF and the team felt that Baldelli could fill it better than anyone. Baldelli won’t be overly impressive in any one area but he will be sound in all.

LF #58 John Raynor-26
R/R
Contract: 400,000 (Auto Renew)
2009 Stats: N/A
Career: N/A
GM Report: Raynor was the Pirates selection in this years Rule 5 draft. Raynor will be used primarily as a pinch runner or late inning defensive replacement, because of his good speed and defense. His poor hitting will limit how many start or even how many Abs he gets.

RF #19 Ryan Church-31
L/L
Contract: 1,500,000 (Arbitration Eligible)
2009 Stats: .273, 4 HR, 40 RBI, 46 R
Career: .272, 51 HR, 242 RBI,226 R
GM Report: Church is a good defender who swings a pretty good bat. He is looking to bounce back from a couple of sub par seasons. Church will see a lot of action in right as he will split time with newly acquired Rocco Baldelli.

In The Minors

The Pirates also have some intriguing prospects in the outfield. The group is led by Jose Tabata and Sterling Marte. The Pirates have many OF prospects that could be seeing some time in the majors making impacts on the big league team. Including Tabata, Marte, Brandon Moss, and Gorkys Hernandez.
LF: 25
CF: 1
RF: 7

[PirateFan17]

SP Jarrod Washburn-signed a 1 yr/1,500,000 contract
RP Eddie Guardado-signed a 1 yr/700,000 contract
2B Argenis Reyes-signed a minor league contract
RF Rocco Baldelli-signed a 1 yr/1,300,000 contract
2B Delwyn Young- Released
SP Daniel McCutchen-Optioned to AAA Indianapolis
RP Brian Bass- Waived and DFA’d
CF Jonathan Van Every- Waived and DFA’d
RP Justin Thomas- Waived and DFA’d

The owner has announced his expectations for the upcoming year. He expects the Pirates to stay close to an even record. This will e a challenge for the team but the management and players are up to the challenge.

[PirateFan17]

The Pirates had a rough start to their season as they were only able to put up a 7-16 record in April. They are in last place in the NL Central and are the only team without a winning record in the division at this point. They trail division leading Chicago by 7 ½ games. The Pirates had a middle of the pack pitching staff ranked 8th in the NL in runs against, which had to carry the offense which was ranked 15th in the NL in runs scored.

Months Best Pitchers
Charlie Morton: 2-0, 3.76 ERA, 1.14 WHIP in 4 games
D.J. Carrasco: 1-0, 0.90 ERA in 10 innings
Joel Hanrahan: 0-0, 0.75 ERA, 1 SV, 15 K in 12 innings

Months Worst Pitchers

Paul Maholm: 0-4, 3.66 ERA in 5 games
Zach Duke: 0-4, 4.83 ERA, 1.68 WHIP, .326 AVG in 5 games
Ross Ohlendorf: 1-3, 5.01 ERA in 5 games

Months Best Hitters

Lastings Milledge: .325, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 9 R in 23 games
Garrett Jones: .241, 4 HR, 14 RBI, 10 R in 23 games
Rocco Baldelli: .222, 4 HR, 16 RBI, 6 R in 18 games

Months Worst Hitters

Andy LaRoche: .202, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 10 R in 23 games
Ryan Doumit: .203, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 6 R in 21 games

Injuries:

Argenis Reyes suffered a strained hamstring and is expected to miss five weeks. He was hitting .333 with an RBI and 2 runs in 8 games. The Pirates recalled Argenis Diaz from AAA Indianapolis to replace Reyes. Diaz was hitting .333 with 1 RBI and 2 R in 7 games.

Call Ups:

Neil Walker was called up to the Pirates. He hit .400 with 4 HR, and 26 RBIs in April with the Indians. Walker is expected to split time with Andy LaRoche at third. Walker and LaRoche will be battling to find out who the regular third basemen will be. The Pirates are really high on Walker who they believe could be a 30/100 hitter. His good play over the first month showed the Pirates that he is ready for the majors, and LaRoche’s poor play opened the door for Walker.

Awards:

The Pirates were pleased to hear that Altoona Curve pitcher Brad Lincoln was named the Eastern League pitcher of the month. Lincoln was 4-0 with a 2.57 ERA during the month of April. Lincoln is the best Pirates pitching prospect and the Pirates are very excited to see that he is starting his season so strongly. Lincoln’s first month has prompted his promotion to AAA Indianapolis.

[PirateFan17]

The Pirates rough season continued in the month of may despite their 12-17 record being an improvement from Aprils record. Overall they are now 19-33. They continue to be in the basement in the NL Central trailing division leading Chicago by 14 games. Despite the poor season there are some positive signs for the Pirates. The pitching staff improved from an 8th in the NL ranking to a 5th in the NL ranking, while the offense stayed at 15th in the league. The pitching improved due mostly to the 3rd ranked bullpen in the national league, and the 4th ranked staff in terms of earned runs. The Pirates have also allowed the fewest homeruns in the league as well as the second fewest walks.

Months Best Pitchers

Zach Duke: 6-0, 2.79 ERA in 6 games
Octavio Dotel: 0-0, 1.86 ERA, 7/7 SV/SO, 11 K in 9.2 innings
D.J. Carrasco: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 SV, .167 AVG in 8.2 innings

Months Worst Pitchers

Charlie Morton: 0-6, 5.30 ERA in 6 games
Jarrod Washburn: 0-5, 4.65 ERA in 5 games
Joel Hanrahan: 0-0, 5.87 ERA, 12 K, 11 BB in 15.1 innings

Seasons Best Pitchers

Zach Duke: 6-4, 3.67 ERA in 11 games
Octavio Dotel: 1-3, 2.25 ERA, 9/9 SV/SO, 27 K in 20 innings
D.J. Carrasco: 1-0, 0.48 ERA, 1/1 SV/SO in 18.2 innings

Seasons Worst Pitchers

Charlie Morton: 2-6, 4.66 ERA in 10 games
Jarrod Washburn: 1-5, 4.44 ERA, .301 AVG in 9 games
Eddie Guardado: 0-0, 5.86 ERA, .318 AVG in 10.2 innings

Months Best Hitters

Rocco Baldelli: .304, 2 HR, 13 RBI, 7 R in 22 games
Akinori Iwamura: .263, 2 HR, 13 RBI, 8 R in 27 games
Ryan Church: .263, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 6 R, in 25 games

Months Worst Hitters

Ryan Doumit: .184, 4 HR, 11 RBI, 8 R in 28 games
Ronny Cedeno: .167, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 10 R, 24 K in 26 games
Garrett Jones: .208, 5 HR, 12 RBI, 13 R, 25 K in 29 games

Seasons Best Hitters

Rocco Baldelli: .265, 6 HR, 29 RBI, 13 R in 40 games
Ryan Church: .277, 1 HR, 9 RBI, 7 R, in 44 games
Akinori Iwamura: .267, 2 HR, 17 RBI, 14 R in 49 games

Seasons Worst Hitters

Ryan Doumit: .193, 6 HR, 20 RBI, 14 R in 49 games
Andy LaRoche: .211, 1 HR, 11 RBI, 18 R in 45 games
Ronny Cedeno: .224, 4 HR, 12 RBI, 19 R in 46 games

Injuries:

The Pirates suffered two huge blows to their offense in May as both Andrew McCutchen and Lastings Milledge were injured leaving the team without the top two hitters in their lineup.

Andrew McCutchen has shoulder soreness which is expected to keep him out of the lineup for four weeks. McCutchen is the Pirates top offensive weapon, best prospect, and the teams leadoff hitter so this injury impacts the team greatly. He was hitting .225 with 4 HR, 8 RBI, 15 R, and 5 SB prior to the injury. The Pirates brought up Gorkys Hernandez to the major league club to replace McCutchen. In AAA Hernandez put up a .325, 4 HR, 23 RBI, 23 R stat line.

The Pirates were dealt a second huge blow when Lastings Milledge sprained his thumb forcing him to miss two weeks. Milledge was having the best statistical year of any pirate hitting .336 with 2 HR, 11 RBI, and 15 R before his injury. The Pirates brought up Brandon Jones to replace Milledge. Jones while in AAA hit .342 with 4 HR, 17 RBI, 29 R.

Awards:

Zach Duke’s hard work paid off as he was named the national league pitcher of the month. Duke went 6-0 with a 2.79 ERA in the month while making 6 starts. This is Duke’s first time winning a major league award.

Around the League:

Magglio Ordonez hit his 2000th career hit
Manny Ramirez picked up his 2500th career hit

[PirateFan17]

The 2010 Amateur player draft has concluded and to no ones surprise Harper and Taillon were the first two off the board. Young phenom Bryce Harper went first overall to the Washington Nationals followed by Jameson Taillon who went to the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Orioles, Royals, and Indians rounded out the top five, and first basemen Curt O’Bryan, starter Bill Pitts , and starter Anthony Ranaudo were the selections

Pirate Selections

In his first ever draft GM Charlie Fisher was blessed with the number two pick in the amateur draft, and with that pick Fisher took young right hander Jameson Taillon. Taillon, who is just 18, is a 6’6-225 pound hard thrower out of high school. Taillon projects to be not only a number one pitcher but one of the best. He has three pitches which should be great for him, a fastball that sits at 95-97, a great curve, and a good slider. Taillon has the potential to be the star pitcher that the Pirates are looking for. GM Charlie Fisher has bought the hype as he signed the pitcher to a minor league contract with a 9 million dollar bonus. He will start the year at the Rookie League, but don’t expect him to be there long.

In the second round the Pirates went with the 21 year old short stop out of high school, Christian Colon. Colon offers good defense and decent offense. Colon won’t hit for much power but he will do a good job of getting on base. He has decent speed which could make him a threat on the base paths from time to time. Colon has the potential to be a starting shortstop in the major leagues or a backup at the very least. The Pirates signed him to a minor league deal with a bonus close to 1.5 million. He will start in the rookie leagues

In the third round Charlie Fisher chose the 20 year old second basemen out of USC, Jordan Stark. Stark is a great defender all around the infield, and he has a pretty good bat to go along with his defense. At the very least Stark will be a utility player for the Pirates with the potential to be an everyday infielder. He signed for a bonus close to 1million and will start with the rookie league team .

The fourth selection of GM Charlie Fisher was 20 year old starter out of college, Greg Mays. Mays is not a hard thrower as his fastball sits around 89-90. He instead relies on his excellent control to get him outs. Mays is projected to be a middle/bottom of the rotation starter if he reaches his potential. He signed for close to half a million dollars and will start at rookie league.

GM Charlie Fishe chose Cesar Van Veen, a 21 year old third basemen out of USC, as his fifth round selection. Van Veen is a decent defender who swings a good bat. He makes solid contact and can drive the ball to the gap very well. His power won’t make pitchers fear him but he has enough to hit about 20 homeruns in a year. His contact and eye make him a guy who will get on base a lot. He signed for close to .6 million and will start at the rookie league.

[PirateFan17]

The Pirates continued to improve in the month of June. The team posted a 12-14 record during the month, which is their best record of any month so far this year. They stand at 31-47 on the year, a.397 winning percentage. Despite the improvements they are still in the basement of the NL Central, trailing the division leading Cubs by 17 games. Their pitching is still the strength of the team despite a month that saw them drop in the rankings from 5th in runs against to 6th. The offense continues to rank 15th in the league just as they have all year long. The bullpen continues to be strong as they are still ranked 3rd in the NL for ERA but the starters have been struggling to the point where the team ERA has fallen from 4th in the league to 6th. The staff continues to be good against homeruns and walks as they are 2nd and 1st in the league respectively.

Months Best Pitchers

Paul Maholm: 3-3, 2.79 ERA, .184 AVG in 6 games
Brendan Donnelly: 3-0, 2.45 ERA, .179 AVG in 11 innings
Octavio Dotel: 0-1, 3.09 ERA, 7/7 SV/SO, 15 K in 11.2 innings

Months Worst Pitchers

Ross Ohlendorf: 1-4, 5.45 ERA, .281 AVG in 5 games
Zach Duke: 3-2, 6.12 ERA, .319 AVG in 5 games
D.J. Carrasco: 0-0, 12.60 ERA, .286 AVG in 5 innings

Seasons Best Pitchers

Paul Maholm: 6-9, 3.66 ERA in 17 games
Brendan Donnelly: 4-2, 3.46 ERA in 39 innings
Octavio Dotel: 1-4, 2.56 ERA, 16/16 SV/SO, 42 K in 31 innings

Seasons Worst Pitchers

Ross Ohlendorf: 3-9, 4.70 ERA in 16 games
Jarrod Washburn: 3-9, 4.50 ERA, .296 AVG in 14 games
Eddie Guardado: 0-0, 5.14 ERA, .304 AVG in 14 innings

Months Best Hitters

Lastings Milledge: .346, 1 HR, 10 RBI, 12 R, 5 SB in 26 games
Rocco Baldelli: .333, 1 HR, 10 RBI, 13 R in 23 games
Andy LaRoche: .282, 1 HR, 10 RBI, 13 R in 25 games

Months Worst Hitters

Bobby Crosby: .190, 0 HR, 4 RBI, 1 R in 18 games
Andrew McCutchen: .211, 3 HR, 11 RBI, 12 HR in 23 games
Ryan Church: .222, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 6 R in 20 games

Seasons Best Hitters

Lastings Milledge: .340, 3 HR, 21 RBI, 27 R, 8 SB in 62 games
Rocco Baldelli: .289, 7 HR, 39 RBI, 26 R in 63 games
Garrett Jones: .223, 14 HR, 42 RBI, 36 R in 77 games

Seasons Worst Hitters

Andrew McCutchen: .219, 7 HR, 19 RBI, 27 R in 52 games
Bobby Crosby: .229, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 11 R in 54 games
Ryan Doumit: .230, 7 HR, 27 RBI, 18 R in 63 games

Injuries:

The Pirates suffered two injuries during the month of June. Starting catcher, Ryan Doumit, and starting second baseman, Akinori Iwamura both got injured and required a stay on the 15 day DL.

Ryan Doumit missed two weeks with a knee contusion. He was hitting . 230, 7 HR, 27 RBI, 18 R in 63 games prior to the injury. The Pirates chose Jeff Clement as the replacement for Doumit. In AAA Clement put up a .294, 16 HR, 45 RBI, 44 R stat line

Akinori Iwamura was the second player to get injured in the month. He is set to miss two weeks with wrist tendonitis. Before the injury Iwamura was batting .260, with 3 HR, 19 RBI, 21 R, and 9 SB. The Pirates brought Neil Walker back up to the majors. In AAA, Walker was hitting .392, 11 HR, 66 RBI, 47 R. In his short stint with the major league club earlier in the year he had a stat line of .071, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 2 R in 11 games.


Around the League:

Alfonso Soriano hit his 300th career homerun
Billy Wagner recorded his 400th career save
Alex Rodriguez hit his 600th career homerun
Andrew Jones hit his 400th career homerun

[PirateFan17]

The Pirates continued their month to month record improvement as they posted their first winning month of the season with 13-12 record to give them a 44-59 record on the year. The Pirates were also able to climb out of the basement as they now sit in 5th place ahead of the Cardinals by a game and a half. They are 15.5 games out of first in the division, trailing the leading Cubs. Despite the winning record in July the pitching staff saw their ranking drop yet again this time from 6th to 8th in runs scored. The offense continues to rank 15th in the league just as they have all year long. The bullpen continues to be strong as they are still ranked 3rd in the NL for ERA but the starters have been struggling to the point where the team ERA has fallen from 6th in the league to 7th. The staff is beginning to walk more and allow more home runs going from 1st/2nd in the league respectively to 4th/3rd in the league.

Months Best Pitchers

Zach Duke: 4-0, 3.72 ERA, 1 Shut out in 5 starts
Eddie Guardado: 0-1, 0.73 ERA, 3/3 HD/SO, 1/1 SV/SO in 12.1 innings
Octavio Dotel: 1-1, 0.00 ERA, .147 AVG, 8/8 SV/SO, 14 K in 10 innings

Months Worst Pitchers

Jarrod Washburn: 1-2, 6.07 ERA, .317 AVG in 5 games
Ross Ohlendorf: 2-3, 5.40 ERA, .328 AVG in 5 games
Evan Meek: 0-1, 5.11 ERA, .286 AVG in 12.1 innings

Seasons Best Pitchers

Zach Duke: 13-6, 4.27 ERA in 21 games
Brendan Donnelly: 4-2, 3.02 ERA, 16/16 HD/SVO in 53.2 innings
Octavio Dotel: 2-5, 1.94 ERA, 24/24 SV/SO in 41.2 innings

Seasons Worst Pitchers

Ross Ohlendorf: 5-12, 4.84 ERA, .284 AVG in 21 games
Jarrod Washburn: 4-11, 4.91 ERA, .302 AVG in 19 games
Charlie Morton: 5-8, 4.62 ERA in 20 games

Months Best Hitters

Lastings Milledge: .340, 5 HR, 12 RBI, 19 R in 25 games
Rocco Baldelli: .277, 1 HR, 11 RBI, 18 R, 5 SB in 24 games
Garrett Jones: .252, 6 HR, 19 RBI, 17 R in 25 games

Months Worst Hitters

Rocco Baldelli: .172, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 8 R in 25 games
John Raynor: .125, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 2 HR in 11 games
Argenis Diaz: .077, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 1 R in 6 games

Seasons Best Hitters

Lastings Milledge: .340, 8 HR, 33 RBI, 46 R, 10 SB in 87 games
Garrett Jones: .230, 20 HR, 61 RBI, 53 R, 8 SB in 102 games
Rocco Baldelli: .251, 9 HR, 48 RBI, 34 R in 88 games

Seasons Worst Hitters

John Raynor: .233, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 13 R in 51 games
Neil Walker: .207, 0 HR, 9 RBI, 6 R in 31 games
Jason Jaramillo: .235, 5 HR, 14 RBI, 18 R in 54 games

Injuries:

The Pirates suffered two injuries during the month of June. New starting second baseman Argenis Reyes and setup man Joel Hanrahan both were injured and required stays on the DL.

Argenis Reyes suffered from elbow tendonitis and is out for 3-4 weeks. He was put on the 15 day DL. Prior to being injured Reyes was having a good season hitting .336 with 0 HR, 17 RBI and 12 R in 43 games. The Pirates brought infielder Argeis Diaz up from AAA Indianapolis to replace Reyes. Diaz was hitting .338, 4 HR, 32 RBI, 26 R in AAA before the callup.

Joel Hanrahan’s injury was more serious than Reyes’. Hanrahan suffers from ulnar nerve irritation and will miss 4 months, which takes him out for the rest of the season, but thankfully he will be ready for spring training. Hanrahan was competing to become the Pirates closer this year, a year in which he posted an 0-0 record with a 3.98 ERA and 11 HDs, 2 SVs while only blowing 1. The Pirates called up reliever Hayden Penn to replace Hanrahan. Penn went 4-1 with a 1.84 ERA, .206 AVG, and 21/22 SV/SO while pitching for AAA Indianapolis

Transactions:

GM Charlie Fisher was busy at the trade deadline making 2 trades and picking a player up off of waivers. The Pirates’ GM discussed the moves “We felt heading into the deadline we had some guys who we needed to move in order to free up resources and let some younger guys play. We made some trades that did just that for us. We have a little more money to spend now and we are able to see what these younger guys can offer our team. We are excited about our return in these trades as these players should turn into some exciting guys to watch.”

The first trade that was made was with the Los Angeles Angels.

To Los Angeles:

SP Paul Maholm (6-9, 3.66 ERA): Maholm was the opening day starter for the Pirates, however he didn’t fit into the Pirates plans moving forward so he had to be moved.

To Pittsburgh:

SP Tyler Skaggs (1-0, 1.32 ERA in A): The Pirates are really high on this 19 year old lefty. They think he can be a great middle to top of the rotation pitcher in Pittsburgh for many years.

The second trade was made with the New York Mets.

To New York:

C Ryan Doumit (.230, 7 HR, 27 RBI, 18 R): Doumit lost his starting job to Jeff Clement due to poor performance. The Pirates were trying to move his large contract when the Mets called concerning the 29 year old catcher

SP Colton Cain (0-1, 5.19 ERA): The Pirates really like this young lefty, but with the acquisition of Tyler Skaggs he became moveable. He was regarded as top pitching prospect for the Pirates before the move and is currently the 4th best pitching prospect for the Mets (6th overall)

To Pittsburgh:

CF Fernando Martinez (.304, 17 HR, 57 RBI, 53 R in AAA): GM Charlie Fisher’s eye lite up when he found out that he could bring Martinez to Pittsburgh. Martinez has great hitting potential. He should be a staple of the Pittsburgh outfield for years to come. An outfield that already boasts Andrew McCutchen and Lastings Milledge.

The final trade was made with the Los Angeles Angels

To Los Angeles:

$1,000,000

2B Akinori Iwamura (.260, 3 HR, 19 RBI, 21 R): Iwamura was beat out at second base by Argenis Reyes and the Pirate’s no longer had room on their roster for him.

To Pittsburgh:

SS Darwin Perez (.208, 3 HR, 27 RBI, 24 R): Perez is a young SS who plays outstanding defense at third and short, and swings a decent bat. The Pirates hope he progresses into a solid backup infielder for them in the future.

Waiver Claim:

SS Brendan Ryan (.249, 9 HR, 30 RBI, 49 R, 8 SB): Ryan was claimed by Pittsburgh and will serve as their starting SS. Ryan plays elite defense and can play any infield position. He has a good bat and shows good speed. Ryan is a well rounded and underrated SS.

Awards:

Altoona Curve starting pitcher Brian Burres was named the Eastern League pitcher of the month for July. Burres went 6-1 with a 3.10 ERA in the month while limiting hitters to a .193 batting average to win the award.

Very exciting news came out of Bradenton; catcher Tony Sanchez was named the Florida State League batter of the month. He hit .324 with 4 HR, 19 RBI, and 20 R to win the award. Sanchez is one of the Pirates best prospects and they are excited to see him playing at the high level he currently is.

Around the League:

Chipper Jones recorded hit number 2500

[PirateFan17]

The Pirates didn’t improve their month to month record in August, but they still posted a respectable 13-14 record, which puts them at 58-74 on the year. The Pirates were able to stay out of the basement and still sit in 5th place in the division, leading the Cardinals by two and a half games. They are 18 games out in the division, trailing the Cubs. The Pirates pitching staff saw their ranking in runs against rise back up to 6th in the month of August. The offense continues to rank 15th in the league just as they have all year long. The bullpen strength went down a little bit in August due to the loss of Joel Hanrahan and it was reflected in the rankings as the bullpen dropped two spots to 5th in the NL. The staff continued to be the 3rd best team in the league in terms of giving up home runs but their walks drastically increased. They were ranked 4th in the league now they are 7th.

Months Best Pitchers

Jarrod Washburn: 3-1, 2.15 ERA, .196 AVG in 5 starts
Zack Duke: 3-2, 4.76 ERA, 1 CG in 6 starts
Charlie Morton: 2-1, 4.37 ERA in 6 starts

Months Worst Pitchers

Brendan Donnelly: 0-1, 4.91 ERA in 14.2 innings
Eddie Guardado: 0-1, 6.43 ERA, .382 AVG in 7 innings
Octavio Dotel: 3-1, 5.40 ERA, 5/7 SV/SO in 11.2 innings

Seasons Best Pitchers

Zach Duke: 16-8, 4.38 ERA, 2 CG, 1 SO in 27 starts
Jose Acanio: 3-5, 3.97 ERA, .234 AVG, 1 CG/SO in 11 starts
Octavio Dotel: 5-6, 2.70 ERA, 29/31 SV/SO, 67 K in 53.1 innings

Seasons Worst Pitchers

Ross Ohlendorf: 6-16, 4.90 ERA, .284 AVG in 27 starts
Jarrod Washburn: 7-12, 4.34 ERA, .282 AVG in 24 starts
Charlie Morton: 7-9, 4.56 ERA in 26 starts

Months Best Hitters

Lastings Milledge: .275, 2 HR, 15 RBI, 12 R in 27 games
Garrett Jones: .320, 5 HR, 18 RBI, 23 R in 29 games
Jeff Clement: .313, 4 HR, 8 RBI, 16 R in 25 games

Months Worst Hitters

Argenis Reyes: .175, 0 HR, 8 RBI, 5 R in 17 games
Andrew McCutchen: .195, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 16 R in 22 games
Jason Jaramillo: .213, 0 HR, 5 RBI, 6 R in 17 games

Seasons Best Hitters

Lastings Milledge: .325, 10 HR, 48 RBI, 58 R, 13 SB in 114 games
Garrett Jones: .249, 25 HR, 79 RBI, 76 R, 10 SB in 131 games
Rocco Baldelli: .239, 15 HR, 72 RBI, 49 R in 115 games

Seasons Worst Hitters

Jason Jaramillo: .230, 5 HR, 19 RBI, 24 R in 71 games
Andrew McCutchen: .229, 9 HR, 35 RBI, 53 R, 17 SB in 93 games
Ryan Church: .266, 4 HR, 22 RBI, 17 R in 98 games

Injuries:

Once again the Pirates would be without their two top hitters in the lineup as both Andrew McCutchen and Lastings Milledge had injuries that required a stay on the 15 day DL.

Andrew McCutchen has a strained hamstring which will keep him out of action for four weeks. This is McCutchen’s second trip to the DL on the year (Unrelated injuries). He was hitting .229, 9 HR, 35 RBI, 53 R, 17 SB prior to the injury. The Pirates brought up Gorkys Hernandez to the major league club to replace McCutchen. In AAA Hernandez put up a .294, 10 HR, 55 RBI, 58 R, 13 SB stat line.

The Pirates were dealt a second huge blow when Lastings Milledge strained his oblique forcing him to miss three weeks. This is Milledge’s second trip to the DL (unrelated injuries) Milledge was having the best statistical year of any pirate .325, 10 HR, 48 RBI, 58 R, 13 SB before his injury.

Around the League:

Altoona Curve pitcher Tim Alderson threw a No hitter
Jonny Damon collected hit number 2500

[PirateFan17]

The Pittsburgh Pirates had an unspectatular finish to their 2010 season as they went a combined 12-18 in September and October. They finished the year 70-92 which is their best record since ’04.The Pirates fell back into the basement in the Central and ended up three games behind the Cardinals for 5 place. They finished 16 games behind the division leading Cubs. The Pirates ended up allowing the 9th least runs and scoring the 15th most in the NL.

Months Best Pitchers

Charlie Morton: 2-2, 2.20 ERA in 5 starts
Jose Ascanio: 3-2, 3.68 ERA in 6 starts
Hayden Penn: 0-0, 0.00 ERA in 7.1 innings

Months Worst Pitchers

Jarrod Washburn:1-3, 6.44 ERA, .298 AVG in 5 starts
Ross Ohlendorf: 1-3, 4.58 ERA, .284 AVG in 6 starts
Zach Duke: 2-3, 5.68 ERA, .288 AVG in 6 starts

Seasons Best Pitchers

Zach Duke: 18-11, 4.51 ERA, 2 CG, 1 SO in 33 starts
Charlie Morton: 9-12, 4.16 ERA in 32 starts
Octavio Dotel:6-7, 3.11 ERA, 36/39 SV/SO, 83 K in 63.2 innings

Seasons Worst Pitchers

Ross Ohlendorf: 7-19, 4.84 ERA, .284 AVG in33 starts
Jarrod Washburn: 8-15, 4.70 ERA, .285 AVG in 29 starts
Eddie Guardado 0-2, 5.40, .321 AVG in 41.2 innings

Months Best Hitters

Garrett Jones: .280, 4 HR, 15 RBI, 13 R, 3 SB in27 games
Andy LaRoche: .321, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 11 R in24 games
Brendan Ryan: .281, 0 HR, 7 RBI, 11 R in 27 games

Months Worst Hitters

John Raynor: .222, 0 HR, 5 RBI, 12 R, 5 SB in 27 games
Neil Walker: .216, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 3 R in 18 games
Jason Jaramillo: .242, 0 HR, 6 RBI, 3 R in 15 games

Seasons Best Hitters

Lastings Milledge: .322, 10 HR, 49 RBI, 59 R, 13 SB in 122 games
Garrett Jones: .252, 30 HR, 99 RBI, 92 R, 13 SB in 161 games
Rocco Baldelli: .244, 18 HR, 95 RBI, 60 R in 144 games.

Seasons Worst Hitters

John Raynor: .239, 2 HR, 14 RBI, 29 R, 13 SB in 100 games
Andrew McCutchen: .231, 9 HR, 36 RBI, 56 R, 17 SB in 108 games
Jason Jaramillo: .235, 5 HR, 26 RBI, 27 R in 88 games

Transactions:

The Pirates signed international free agent Ivan Martinez to a minor league contract. Martinez Is a hard throwing lefty despite his 5’9”/205 size. He should develop into a good reliever down the road.

Around the League:

Manny Parra threw a no hitter
Albert Pujols hit his 400th career homerun

[PirateFan17]

Following the conclusion of the 2010 season for the Pirates GM Charlie Fisher talked about the season: “We had a good year this year. Yeah I know 70 wins isn’t good by most standards, but we are taking baby steps. Its our best record since ’04 and we have a lot of stuff to look forward to in 2011. We have a lot of pieces to the puzzle we just need to find a few more key pieces to be successful. We were very pleased at how our guys played this year and we were pleasantly surprised at what some of them could do. We had Zach Duke almost becoming a 20 game winner for us (18), we had Garrett Jones just barely missing out on a 30/100 season (had 99 RBI), and we had Octavio Dotel who was amazing for us at the end of the ball games (36/39). We have a good core of young players who will be instrumental in the success of this ball club in 2011 and beyond, and we are excited to see what they can do.”
Fisher also discussed the possible offseason moves he could make “Well I don’ want to tell to much. Obviously we have some areas that need improving. Our offense was essentially the worst offense in the league and we definitely need an improvement there. We are hoping we can get a few young guys like Jeff Clement, Neil Walker, and Fernando Martinez to step up and make an impact on this team. We aren’t sure where we want to try and make our improvements yet but we do know that improvements have to be made somewhere. Also we do need pitching help. Im the kind of guy who always looks for pitching. We had a middle of the pack staff last year and with a little work I think we can improve it. Our bullpen was great for us in the beginning and middle part of the year, but they started to wear down at the end. We have Meek, Hanrahan and Dotel to build a bullpen around and that is huge. The later innings are always the hardest slots to fill and we already have that so we feel pretty confident about what our bullpen should shape up to be. As far as the rotation, we will need a lot of work there. Our rotation was consistently inconsistent this year. We need to bring a sense of consistency if we want to be successful.”

[Doc_Brown]

A nice start, will 2011 be the year the Pirates finally reach .500+?

[loyalroyal]

Great read so far. I enjoy dynasties involving the Royals and Pirates. Two teams that were once proud franchises that have fallen on hard, hard times. My Royals dynasty will be moving a little slower than most, as I'm playing out each game. Don't trust the AI to make the right moves. I'll be posting monthly updates. Right now halfway through April we are 7-4 and in 1st place.

[PirateFan17]

Originally Posted by Doc_Brown

A nice start, will 2011 be the year the Pirates finally reach .500+?

Thanks for reading! Hopefully, got some good pieces to build around but still a lot of work to do.

[PirateFan17]

Originally Posted by loyalroyal

Great read so far. I enjoy dynasties involving the Royals and Pirates. Two teams that were once proud franchises that have fallen on hard, hard times. My Royals dynasty will be moving a little slower than most, as I'm playing out each game. Don't trust the AI to make the right moves. I'll be posting monthly updates. Right now halfway through April we are 7-4 and in 1st place.

Thanks! Im glad you like it. Im the same way I like the dynasties that start out with teams that aren't in the best situation. Good luck with yours, personally I think playing out every game is extremely hard. Season doesn't move fast enough for me haha. Hopefully you can continue playing good and bring the Roayls out of the basement

[PirateFan17]

The 2010 Playoffs have concluded and the Minnesota Twins are world champions as they downed the Philadelphia Phillies in 5 games. The Twins are MLB champions for the 4th time in the teams history, winning in 1924, 1987, 1991, and now 2010. The Twin playoff run was led by young left hander, Francisco Liriano (3-1, 2.51 ERA, .196 AVG in 4 postseason starts) and right fielder Jason Kubel (.321, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 12 R in 14 games). The National League champions, The Philadelphia Phillies, were led by veterans Roy Halladay (4-2, 3.64 ERA, 1 CG in 6 starts) and Carlos Ruiz (.364, 4 HR, 18 RBI, 10 R in 16 games)

Divisional Series

Minnesota Twins win series 3-0 vs. New York Yankees
Seattle Mariners win series 3-2 vs. Tampa Bay Rays (Wild Card)
Philadelphia Phillies win series 3-2 vs. Chicago Cubs
Atlanta Braves (Wild Card) win series 3-2 vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

League Championship Series

Minnesota Twins win series 4-2 vs. Seattle Mariners
Philadelphia Philies win series 4-2 vs. Atlanta Braves (Wild Card)

World Series
Mineesota Twins win series 4-1 vs. Philadelphia Phillies

[PirateFan17]

The Hall of Fame class of 2010 was announced. Entering the Hall of Fame was Kevin Brown, Larry Walker, and Rafael Palmiero.

SP- Kevin Brown

Kevin Brown had an illustrious career that spanned 19 seasons and saw him pitch for 6 different teams, the Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles, Florida Marlins, San Diego Padres, Los Angels Dodgers, and the New York Yankees. Brown ended his career after the 2005 season with a record of 211-144 (.594 W%). In his career he had a 3.28 ERA, a .247 AVG, and a 1.22 WHIP. He made 476 career starts, 72 of which he went the entire game in and 17 in which he pitched a shutout. In his 486 career games he pitched a total of 3,526.1 innings striking out 2397 while walking just 901 (2.66 K/BB). Brown was never able to win a Cy Young award, but he was a 6 time all-star.

1B- Rafael Palmeiro

Rafael Palmeiro was an outstanding player who was lucky enough to see his career last 20 seasons which was played with the Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers, and Baltimore Orioles. Palmeiro retired after the 2005 season with a .288 AVG, 569 HR, 1835 RBI, 1663 R, and 97 SB. He finished his career as a member of both the 500 HR club (569) and the 3,000 hit club (3020) both remarkable feats. He never won an MVP award but he was a 3 time gold glove award winner at first base and he was a 4 time all-star.

OF- Larry Walker

Larry Walker was an outstanding hitter who spent his 17 seasons with the Montreal Expos, Colorado Rockies, and St. Louis Cardinals. Walker was the definition of a 5 tool player, hitting for both contact and power, fielding well, possessing great speed, as well as having a terrific arm. Walker retired after the 2005 season with a .313 AVG, 383 HR, 1,311 RBI, 1,355 R, and 230 SB. Walker was the 1997 NL MVP (.366, 49 HR, 130 RBI, 143 R, 33 SB), a 7 time gold glove winner in centerfield, and a 5 time all-star.