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	<title>Pittsburgh Pirates Blog Fan Site and Schedule with MLB News &#187; pirates-news</title>
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		<title>Brief Pirates career lends to mystique</title>
		<link>http://www.piratestalk.com/pittsburgh-pirates/brief-pirates-career-lends-to-mystique/</link>
		<comments>http://www.piratestalk.com/pittsburgh-pirates/brief-pirates-career-lends-to-mystique/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 01 Jan 2012 10:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Enelryaccelve</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[pirates-news]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[charles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[diego]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fayette]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[major-part]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[martin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mystique]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[the-mystique]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[[unable to retrieve full-text content]It was, as Major League Baseball careers go, brief -- only seven games with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1955. But that short-lived tenure was a major part of the mystique surrounding Paul Charles "Jake" Martin Jr., a promising pitcher from Fayette City who died Oct. 11 at age 79 in San Diego, where he had lived for nearly 50 years.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>[unable to retrieve full-text content]It was, as Major League Baseball careers go, brief &#8212; only seven games with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1955. But that short-lived tenure was a major part of the mystique surrounding Paul Charles &#8220;Jake&#8221; Martin Jr., a promising pitcher from Fayette City who died Oct. 11 at age 79 in San Diego, where he had lived for nearly 50 years.</p>
<p>Comment Below!. </p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Fayette City&#8217;s Jake Martin led a full life after&#8230;</title>
		<link>http://www.piratestalk.com/pittsburgh-pirates/fayette-citys-jake-martin-led-a-full-life-after/</link>
		<comments>http://www.piratestalk.com/pittsburgh-pirates/fayette-citys-jake-martin-led-a-full-life-after/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 01 Jan 2012 10:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>nesespattelix</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[pirates-news]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cousin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fallowfield]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[heart]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[his-cousin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[retrieve-full-text]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rupert]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rupert-martinko]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[see-sports]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[[unable to retrieve full-text content]"I don't think his heart was really into it," Rupert Martinko of Fallowfield said of his cousin's disposition toward baseball. "Yes, he had the (arm) injury, but he didn't see sports as a priority in his life."]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>[unable to retrieve full-text content]&#8220;I don&#8217;t think his heart was really into it,&#8221; Rupert Martinko of Fallowfield said of his cousin&#8217;s disposition toward baseball. &#8220;Yes, he had the (arm) injury, but he didn&#8217;t see sports as a priority in his life.&#8221;</p>
<p> Running low on time today, i&#8217;ll be back tomorrow hopefully with some more news.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>2011: Year of near-misses for Steelers, Penguins</title>
		<link>http://www.piratestalk.com/pittsburgh-pirates/2011-year-of-near-misses-for-steelers-penguins/</link>
		<comments>http://www.piratestalk.com/pittsburgh-pirates/2011-year-of-near-misses-for-steelers-penguins/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 28 Dec 2011 02:43:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>YuLya-PuLya</dc:creator>
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		<category><![CDATA[dallas]]></category>
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		<description><![CDATA[ Published: Tuesday, Dec. ]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>
<p>
        Published: Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2011 2:29 p.m. MST
    </p>
<div readability="33">
<p>
                    By Will Graves, <span>Associated Press<br />
                </span></p>
</p></div>
<div readability="71.764207980653">
<p>PITTSBURGH — A rare Super Bowl stumble by the Steelers. A season- and perhaps career-changing injury to Sidney Crosby. Signs of life from the Pittsburgh Pirates.</p>
<p>All highlighted another eventful but championship-less year in western Pennsylvania sports.</p>
<p>The Steelers tied the  Dallas Cowboys &#8216; NFL record by making an eighth Super Bowl appearance in 2011. But they couldn&#8217;t bring home their seventh Lombardi Trophy, falling to the Green Bay Packers.</p>
<p>The Pittsburgh Penguins began 2011 in the NHL Winter Classic at Heinz Field. The Penguins lost the game, then lost superstar Sidney Crosby for more than 10 months due to concussion-like symptoms. He returned briefly last month until his symptoms resurfaced.</p>
<p>And while the Pirates didn&#8217;t end their ugly 18-season losing streak, the club did post a 15-win improvement over 2010.</p>
</p></div>
</p>
<p> Gotta run!.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Fayette City pitcher had shot in the big leagues</title>
		<link>http://www.piratestalk.com/pittsburgh-pirates/fayette-city-pitcher-had-shot-in-the-big-leagues/</link>
		<comments>http://www.piratestalk.com/pittsburgh-pirates/fayette-city-pitcher-had-shot-in-the-big-leagues/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 25 Dec 2011 10:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>HtripxoLis</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[pirates-news]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[brief-career]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[charles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fayette]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fayette-city]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[martin]]></category>
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		<description><![CDATA[[unable to retrieve full-text content]Paul Charles "Jake" Martin Jr., a promising pitcher from Fayette City, had a brief career with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1955, playing in only seven games.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>[unable to retrieve full-text content]Paul Charles &#8220;Jake&#8221; Martin Jr., a promising pitcher from Fayette City, had a brief career with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1955, playing in only seven games.</p>
<p> Running low on time today, i&#8217;ll be back tomorrow hopefully with some more news. </p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Marauders, Pirates holding job fair in Bradenton</title>
		<link>http://www.piratestalk.com/pittsburgh-pirates/marauders-pirates-holding-job-fair-in-bradenton/</link>
		<comments>http://www.piratestalk.com/pittsburgh-pirates/marauders-pirates-holding-job-fair-in-bradenton/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 22 Dec 2011 22:01:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>grierseaspest</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[pirates-news]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dining]]></category>
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		<description><![CDATA[ BRADENTON --  The Pittsburgh Pirates and Bradenton Marauders are teaming up to host a job fair. The positions are part-time and include cashiers, cooking, bartending and other food service roles. ]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>
<div readability="55.626746506986">
                 <b>BRADENTON &#8211; </b> </p>
<p>The Pittsburgh Pirates and Bradenton Marauders are teaming up to host a job fair.</p>
<p>The positions are part-time and include cashiers, cooking, bartending and other food service roles.</p>
<p>People hired to work during spring training will work through March, while people hired for the Florida State League season will stay on board until the end of the season around Labor Day.</p>
<p>Most spring training positions are daytime hours, while most Marauders game-day positions are evening shifts.</p>
<p>Two job fairs will be held. The first is on Jan. 5 and the second is on Jan. 19. </p>
<p>Two interview sessions will be held each day, with the first session running from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and the second session from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.</p>
<p>The job fairs will be held at Pirate City in the Dining Hall, located at 1701 27th St. E in Bradenton. </p>
<p>People who are interested can also apply through the Online Job Fair at careers.pirates.com. </p>
<p>More information is available at bradentonmarauders.com or by calling 941-747-3031.</p>
</p></div>
</p>
<p>Not much else going on in the MLB planet today. </p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Tomlin returns home to serve as LCA&#8217;s baseball&#8230;</title>
		<link>http://www.piratestalk.com/pittsburgh-pirates/tomlin-returns-home-to-serve-as-lcas-baseball/</link>
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		<pubDate>Thu, 22 Dec 2011 10:20:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>GuennaoretreM</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[pirates-news]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[career]]></category>
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		<description><![CDATA[ Former Amherst High School, Liberty University and Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Randy Tomlin will serve as Liberty Christian Academy’s baseball coach, starting Jan. 23]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div readability="118">
<p dir="ltr">Former Amherst High School, Liberty University and Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Randy Tomlin will serve as Liberty Christian Academy’s baseball coach, starting Jan. 23.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Tomlin, a southpaw who went 30-31 with a 3.43 ERA with the Pirates from 1990 to 1994 before his pitching career was sidetracked by a shoulder injury, spent 10 years as LU’s pitching coach and the past five in the same capacity with the Washington Nationals’ single-A affiliate at Potomac (2007 and 2008) and AA franchise in Harrisburg, Pa.</p>
<p dir="ltr">&#8220;I thought it was a good move for me to be at home to take care of the needs at home,&#8221; said Tomlin, whose father-in-law was diagnosed with cancer in October of 2010 and died last June. &#8220;I loved being with the Nationals and still do, but I needed to take care of my family.&#8221;</p>
<p dir="ltr">He is looking forward to his first head coaching position.</p>
<p dir="ltr">&#8220;I’m excited about it … to be able to be back at home and continue to do what I love doing,&#8221; said Tomlin, who has lived in Lynchburg since starting his coaching career at LU in 1997 and has an 18-year-old son and 15-year-old daughter at E.C. Glass and another son who’s 9. &#8220;This was a great opportunity at LCA to be at home, make an impact on kids’ lives and teach them about baseball and life.&#8221;</p>
<p dir="ltr">The Bulldogs’ current coach, Mike Morris, who guided them to the VIS Division I state quarterfinals last year, will stay on as Tomlin’s assistant.</p>
<p dir="ltr">&#8220;It was a classy move by Mike,&#8221; said LCA athletic director Frank Rocco, who was a fan of Tomlin’s when he pitched for the Pirates and coached football at LU at the same time Tomlin coached baseball. &#8220;To have a former Major League pitcher and professional baseball coach on staff, [Morris] agreed to step aside and learn from him.&#8221;</p>
<p dir="ltr">After coaching predominantly pitchers throughout his career, Tomlin will have his first chance to work with positional players and manage games at the high school level.</p>
<p dir="ltr">&#8220;It’s going to be a great challenge for me,&#8221; Tomlin said, noting the talent is in place to make a return trip to the state playoffs. &#8220;They’ve got a great group of young kids coming up through there, a core group of sophomores and a couple older kids who are going to be graduating next year, and I’m looking forward to spending time with them.&#8221;</p>
<p dir="ltr">Rocco believes the transition from coaching at the professional to the high school ranks will be a smooth one.</p>
<p dir="ltr">&#8220;He’s been working with high school kids for all the years he’s been coaching in the minor leagues,&#8221; Rocco said. &#8220;He’s stayed very connected to Lynchburg.&#8221;</p>
<p dir="ltr">Tomlin is close to receiving his teaching certificate and will work temporarily as a substitute teacher at LCA next semester.</p>
<p dir="ltr">&#8220;Anything I do, I’m committed to what I do,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I trust God for the plan He would have for me and opening those doors. For now, I’m committed to helping LCA to continue to build a baseball program. I’m just going to try to go out and win a state championship and pursue that as long as I can.&#8221;</p>
<p dir="ltr">However, he wouldn’t rule out a return to coaching in the Nationals’ organization in the future.</p>
<p dir="ltr">&#8220;I will miss them and do,&#8221; Tomlin said. &#8220;The Nationals and [Harrisburg] Senators treated me great. I made a lot of great friendships and loved working with the guys I did.</p>
<p dir="ltr">&#8220;I’m very happy with the opportunity they gave me,&#8221; he added. &#8220;They understood the decision I had to make. They said they would keep in touch with me. The door’s still open. It wasn’t closed when I left.&#8221;</p>
</p></div>
</p>
<p> Leave any suggestions in the comment box.</p>
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		<title>Pirates sign Clement, Igarashi to minor league&#8230;</title>
		<link>http://www.piratestalk.com/pittsburgh-pirates/pirates-sign-clement-igarashi-to-minor-league/</link>
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		<pubDate>Tue, 20 Dec 2011 21:15:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>agegaiseptori</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[pirates-news]]></category>
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		<description><![CDATA[ Written by The Sports Network TSN Pittsburgh, PA (Sports Network) - The Pittsburgh Pirates have signed first baseman Jeff Clement and pitcher Ryota Igarashi to minor league contracts with invitations to spring training. Clement spent most of the 2011 campaign rehabbing from left knee surgery which took place September 22, 2010]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div readability="46.343339587242">
<div readability="5.1935483870968">
<p><h6>Written by</h6>
<p>			<span>The Sports Network TSN</span>
		</p>
</p></div>
<p><!--</p>
<div>
<div>
                <banner id="__gelement_adbanner_2" ganss="columnist" gans="sports" ganid="indystar" pageposition="left" p360 adserver="content.pulse360.com" bannertype="p360" position="p360"></banner>
            </div>
</div>
<p>&#8211;></p>
<p>							Pittsburgh,  PA  (Sports Network)  &#8211; The Pittsburgh  Pirates have signed first<br />
 baseman Jeff Clement and pitcher Ryota Igarashi to minor league contracts with<br />
 invitations to spring training.
</p>
<p>
 Clement spent most of the 2011 campaign rehabbing from left knee surgery which<br />
 took  place September  22, 2010. He played 22 games with Triple-A Indianapolis<br />
 last  year  and batted .271  after appearing in nine  games for the Gulf Coast<br />
 League Pirates.
</p>
<p>
 The  28-year-old veteran hit .201 with seven homers and 12 runs batted in over<br />
 54  games with  the Pirates in 2010.  He spent two previous seasons in Seattle<br />
 and is a lifetime .223 hitter with 14 homers in 129 games.
</p>
<p>
 Igarashi  spent  the past  two seasons  with the  New York  Mets and last year<br />
 posted  a  record of 4-1  with a 4.66  earned run average  in 45 games. He has<br />
 appeared in 79 games over the last two years and has a 5.74 ERA.
</p>
<p>
 The 32-year-old right-hander pitched 10 seasons in the Japanese Central League<br />
 before joining the Mets. He was a five-time Japanese League All-Star.
</p>
<p>
							The Sports Network
							</p>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>You Might Be Interested In</h3>
</p></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<p> Running low on time today, i&#8217;ll be back tomorrow hopefully with some more news. </p>
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		<title>MLB Free Agency: Los Angeles Dodgers Sign John&#8230;</title>
		<link>http://www.piratestalk.com/pittsburgh-pirates/mlb-free-agency-los-angeles-dodgers-sign-john/</link>
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		<pubDate>Mon, 19 Dec 2011 22:57:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>aababacacaba</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[ Read More: John Grabow (P - LOS), Pittsburgh Pirates, Los Angeles Dodgers According to reports, the Los Angeles Dodgers have signed left-handed reliever John Grabow to a minor league deal. ]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div readability="22.016824395373">
<p>
    <span>Read More:</span> John Grabow (P &#8211; LOS), Pittsburgh Pirates, Los Angeles Dodgers
  </p>
<p>According to reports, the Los Angeles Dodgers have signed left-handed reliever John Grabow to a minor league deal. The transaction was first tweeted by John Scanlan on Saturday and was verified by MLB Trade Rumors.</p>
<p>The 33-year-old Grabow struggled after he was acquired by the Chicago Cubs from the Pittsburgh Pirates in July 2009. Grabow posted a 5.52 ERA in 88 innings while knee and shoulder injuries caused him to miss games. It was a disappointing tenure especially after Grabow signed a two-year, $7.5 million extension four months into his time with the Cubs.</p>
<p>In 506 games over a nine-year career, Grabow is 24-19 with a 4.31 ERA in 476.1 innings pitched. He started his MLB career in 2003 with the Pirates after being selected in the 3rd round of the 1997 amateur draft.</p>
<p>For more on the Dodgers and their minor league deals, and more, be sure to read True Blue LA.</p>
</p></div>
</p>
<p>Leave your comments on the news below.</p>
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		<title>Pittsburgh Pirates Searching for 2012 Concessions&#8230;</title>
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		<pubDate>Mon, 19 Dec 2011 19:05:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>uawesomeo</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[ December 19, 2011 - Florida State League (FSL) Bradenton Marauders BRADENTON, FL - The Pittsburgh Pirates and Bradenton Marauders are seeking concessions staff for the upcoming Spring Training and Florida State League (FSL) seasons at McKechnie Field. Jobs are part-time, gameday positions in roles including cashiering, cooking, bartending and other food services roles. ]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>
<div readability="65.074074074074"> December 19, 2011 &#8211; Florida State League (FSL) Bradenton Marauders<br />
<img src="http://www.oursportscentral.com/images/teams/fslbradmarauders.gif" class="storylogo" alt="Bradenton Marauders" height="90" width="90" />BRADENTON, FL &#8211; The Pittsburgh Pirates and Bradenton Marauders are seeking concessions staff for the upcoming Spring Training and Florida State League (FSL) seasons at McKechnie Field. Jobs are part-time, gameday positions in roles including cashiering, cooking, bartending and other food services roles.
<p>Workers are being sought immediately. Spring Training positions will last through the month of March and FSL positions will run until the conclusion of the FSL season around Labor Day. Employees will be asked to arrive at McKechnie Field on assigned gamedays. Most Spring Training gameday positions are during daytime hours while most Marauders gameday positions consist of evening shifts.</p>
<p>The Pittsburgh Pirates and Bradenton Marauders will be holding a Job Fair at Pirate City in the Dining Hall, 1701 27th Street East, Bradenton, FL 34208 on Thursday, January 5th and Thursday, January 19th. There will be two interview sessions held each day, the first session will run from 10:00AM &#8211; 1:00PM and the second session will be from 5:00PM &#8211; 8:00PM. Interested applicants may attend any of the four sessions.</p>
<p>If unable to attend the Job Fair at Pirate City, interested applicants may apply through the Online Job Fair at careers.pirates.com. Additional details regarding the Online Job Fair are also available at www.bradentonmarauders.com.</p>
<p>For more information about concessions positions with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Bradenton Marauders, please contact Pirate City at 941-747-3031.</p>
<p>• Discuss this story on the Florida State League message board&#8230;<br/><br />
• Digg this story<br/><br />
• Add to Del.icio.us<br/><br/></p>
<p> • Pittsburgh Pirates Searching for 2012 Concessions Staff &#8211; Bradenton Marauders
<p><i>The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.</i></p>
</div>
<p> Running low on time today, i&#8217;ll be back tomorrow hopefully with some more news. </p>
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		<title>2011 MLB Free Agency: Chicago Cubs Negotiating&#8230;</title>
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		<pubDate>Sat, 17 Dec 2011 06:37:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>lemnacealuegO</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[ Read More: C.J. Wilson (P - ANA), Paul Maholm (P - PIT), Mark Buehrle (P - FLA), Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs According to a report from ESPN Chicago's Bruce Levine, the Chicago Cubs are in negotiations with free agent left-handed starting pitcher Paul Maholm, who has spent the last seven seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Chicago Cubs have been looking for a left-handed starter this offseason, and Maholm presents a decidedly cheaper option than either C.J. ]]></description>
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    <span>Read More:</span> C.J. Wilson (P &#8211; ANA), Paul Maholm (P &#8211; PIT), Mark Buehrle (P &#8211; FLA), Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs
  </p>
<p>According to a report from ESPN Chicago&#8217;s Bruce Levine, the Chicago Cubs are in negotiations with free agent left-handed starting pitcher Paul Maholm, who has spent the last seven seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Chicago Cubs have been looking for a left-handed starter this offseason, and Maholm presents a decidedly cheaper option than either C.J. Wilson or Mark Buehrle would have, especially if they can work out a deal similar to his last one:</p>
<blockquote readability="8">
<p>Maholm made $6.25 million in 2011, the final season of $13.75 million deal he inked with the Pittsburgh Pirates prior to the 2009 season. He was a combined 53-73 with a 4.36 ERA during his seven seasons in Pittsburgh.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Playing in Pittsburgh didn&#8217;t do Maholm&#8217;s win-loss record any favors &#8212; he was 6-14 in 2011 &#8212; but he did post a respectable 3.66 ERA in his final season with the Pirates.</p>
<p><i>For more updates on Chicago sports, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage of the Cubs, head over to Bleed Cubbie Blue</i><i>. Also, check out MLB Daily Dish for Cubs rumors and transactions.</i></p>
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<p>Comment Below!. </p>
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		<title>Pirates Caravan Rolls In</title>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 16 Dec 2011 21:43:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Quorroletow</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[ The young people who went through the line and collected autographs of Pittsburgh Pirates manager Clint Hurdle, pitchers Daniel McCutchen and James McDonald, and broadcaster John Wehner smiled from ear to ear on Thursday night during the team's Winter Caravan stop at Cabela's in Ohio County. What they didn't realize is they weren't the ones getting the bigger thrill]]></description>
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<p>The young people who went through the line and collected autographs of Pittsburgh Pirates manager Clint Hurdle, pitchers Daniel McCutchen and James McDonald, and broadcaster John Wehner smiled from ear to ear on Thursday night during the team&#8217;s Winter Caravan stop at Cabela&#8217;s in Ohio County.</p>
<p>What they didn&#8217;t realize is they weren&#8217;t the ones getting the bigger thrill.</p>
<p>&#8221;It&#8217;s awesome,&#8221; said McCutchen, who didn&#8217;t meet his first Major League Baseball player until he was a junior in college.</p>
<div readability="10.5">
<h4>Article Photos</h4>
<div readability="61">
<p>Photos by Andy Lloyd <br />Kylee Powell, with her dad Corey Powell of Barnesville,Ohio, gives a high five to Pittsburgh Pirate James McDonald while announcer John Wehner looks on.  </p>
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<p>Photos by Andy Lloyd <br />Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Daniel McCutchen, left, signs his autograph for Daniel and Christa Miller and their daughter Kaleigh on Thursday.</p>
</div>
</div>
<p>It wasn&#8217;t until McCutchen was playing baseball at the University of Oklahoma when he met his first big leaguers in former Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim outfielder Reggie Willits and veteran MLB pitcher Jamey Wright, a couple of Oklahoma natives who worked out with some of the Sooners players.</p>
<p>&#8221;I know how big of a deal it was to me,&#8221; McCutchen said.</p>
<p>The Pittsburgh Pirates try not to let anyone in their fan base wait anywhere near that long for that star-crossed moment.</p>
<p>&#8221;The Pirates organization has been as aggressive in a good way as any of the three organizations I&#8217;ve been,&#8221; Hurdle said. &#8221;The (Texas) Rangers were awesome. The (Colorado) Rockies were awesome. The Pirates, we&#8217;re connected to the community so many different ways &#8211; fundraisers for all different sorts of charities, book reads, clothes handouts, school visitations, hospital visitations &#8211; and there are a lot of individual foundations that players have set up. But we are absolutely trying to find our way to get more involved in the community. It&#8217;s a blue-collar town fan base and we love the interaction.&#8221;</p>
<p>Among Thursday&#8217;s Caravan stops was a clinic in Pittsburgh for special needs kids.</p>
<p>&#8221;That was really special to see those kids and see how excited they would get and all of the emotions they were spilling out there,&#8221; McCutchen said.</p>
<p>That&#8217;s something that isn&#8217;t uncommon for McCutchen and his teammates.</p>
<p>&#8221;I probably went to the (Children&#8217;s Hospital of Pittsburgh) five or six times during the season,&#8221; McCutchen said. &#8221;We tried to do it every homestand. That&#8217;s something that we really like to do.&#8221;</p>
<p>Hurdle said when something comes up, the Pirates are never short on volunteers.</p>
<p>&#8221;Whenever we&#8217;ve had an ask, we&#8217;ve been able to meet the need,&#8221; he said. &#8221;That hasn&#8217;t always happened (in his previous stops). Our players understand. We need to get out. We need to let (the fans) know we appreciate them showing up. And through the months of June and July, (PNC Park) was rocking. The fan base was back; it was special. And we need to build that so we can have enthusiasm, that energy, for a six-month period.&#8221;</p>
<p>Jim Trdinich, the director of Pirates media relations, said it&#8217;s the same way throughout the entire organization.</p>
<p>&#8221;They all give back in some way,&#8221; he said. &#8221;We have a program not only with the big-league club, but every minor league team has to devote a particular amount of hours to community service. Every year, we have a person at each level, including the major leagues, who spends the most time in the community who does the community service above and beyond.&#8221;</p>
<p>As Hurdle said, it&#8217;s not like that everywhere. That&#8217;s why he loves seeing those smiling faces as much as they enjoy seeing his.</p>
<p>&#8221;It&#8217;s an opportunity for us to give something back,&#8221; he said. &#8221;Our fan base is critical. We know it comes from a three-state region. We know how important it is for the fans in West Virginia to associate with our ballclub. For us to come down here, make some eye contact, shake a hand, it&#8217;s special. I think it personalizes the relationship.&#8221;</p>
<p>Pirates Charities was integral to the Miracle Field of the Ohio Valley effort. A groundbreaking ceremony for the special needs facility was held in October at the J.B. Chambers Youth Sports Complex in Elm Grove.</p>
</p></div>
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<p> Leave any suggestions in the comment box. </p>
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		<title>All-Star seeking breakout season</title>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 16 Dec 2011 11:26:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>PPserEnRinea</dc:creator>
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<p>That&#8217;s all for today guys, i&#8217;ll be back to blog you tomorrow. </p>
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		<title>Bucs hope to build on first 4 months of 2011&#8230;</title>
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		<pubDate>Thu, 15 Dec 2011 06:55:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>dancestork</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[ The Pittsburgh Pirates 2012 Caravan came to the Millcreek Mall Wednesday evening, with members of the organization believing the success for the first 100 games in the 2011 season can carry on longer in 2012. Outfielder Jose Tabata, starting pitcher Jeff Karstens, first base coach Luis Silverio and announcer Greg Brown greeted fans, and were enthused about the possibilities of improving on a 72-89 record, Pittsburgh's 19th straight losing season, a record for not only major league baseball but all four of the top professional leagues. The Pirates were 53-47 after 100 games and 54-49 until going on a 10-game losing streak as everything spiraled downward for the rest of the season]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div readability="87">
<p>The Pittsburgh Pirates 2012 Caravan came to the Millcreek Mall Wednesday evening, with members of the organization believing the success for the first 100 games in the 2011 season can carry on longer in 2012.</p>
<p>Outfielder Jose Tabata, starting pitcher Jeff Karstens, first base coach Luis Silverio and announcer Greg Brown greeted fans, and were enthused about the possibilities of improving on a 72-89 record, Pittsburgh&#8217;s 19th straight losing season, a record for not only major league baseball but all four of the top professional leagues.</p>
<p>The Pirates were 53-47 after 100 games and 54-49 until going on a 10-game losing streak as everything spiraled downward for the rest of the season.</p>
<p>The organization has added veteran catcher Rod Barajas, veteran shortstop Clint Barmes, starting pitcher Erik Bedard, slugging third baseman Casey McGehee and former Pirates All-Star outfielder Nate McLouth.</p>
<p>The organization has added veteran catcher Rod Barajas, veteran shortstop Clint Barmes, starting pitcher Erik Bedard, slugging third baseman Casey McGehee and former Pirates All-Star outfielder Nate McLouth.</p>
<p></div>
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<p>Comment Below!. </p>
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		<title>Top 10 Pittsburgh Pirates Prospects According to&#8230;</title>
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		<pubDate>Wed, 14 Dec 2011 23:50:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>flooderbob</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[ Baseball America is one of the most popular websites for finding information and rankings on Major League Baseball prospects. They often release rankings of the top overall prospects as well as each team's top 10 prospects. Recently Baseball America updated all their lists and these are the top 10 prospects in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization according to them. ]]></description>
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<p>Baseball America is one of the most popular websites for finding information and rankings on Major League Baseball prospects. They often release rankings of the top overall prospects as well as each team&#8217;s top 10 prospects. Recently Baseball America updated all their lists and these are the top 10 prospects in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization according to them.</p>
<p><b>10. <span>Jeff Locke,</span> Left-handed Pitcher</b></p>
<p> When the Pittsburgh Pirates traded <span>Nate McLouth</span> the front office got a lot of heat from fans but in that trade the Pirates got Jeff Locke, who is now their 10<sup>th</sup> best prospect, along with one of their current starters (<span>Charlie Morton)</span> and a prospect that Baseball America ranks as their best defensive outfielder (Gorkys Hernandez).</p>
<p><b>9. Stetson Allie, Right-handed Pitcher</b></p>
<p> Stetson Allie gave up 19 runs in just 26.0 innings pitched in his first season in the minors. Hopefully the 2010 2<sup>nd</sup> round draft pick will get it together eventually but he has dropped to ninth on Baseball America&#8217;s list after being third last season.</p>
<p><b>8. Robbie Grossman, Outfielder</b></p>
<p> Robbie Grossman batted .294 with 13 home runs, 56 RBI and 24 stolen bases at Bradenton this past season. Grossman, drafted in the sixth round in 2008, is one of the few players on this list that was not drafted in the first three rounds of the draft. Baseball America ranks Grossman as the Pittsburgh propsect with the best strike-zone discipline.</p>
<p><b>7. Tony Sanchez, Catcher</b></p>
<p> Tony Sanchez was the 1<sup>st</sup> round pick in the 2009 draft. Hopefully Sanchez will pan out because I believe the Pirates had about 87 different players field the catcher position last season. Last time Baseball America did a Top 100 overall prospects list Sanchez was the second Pirate on the list and was ranked #46.</p>
<p><b>6. Kyle McPherson, Right-handed Pitcher</b></p>
<p> Last season Kyle McPherson started in A+ where he went 4-1 with a 2.89 ERA with 60 strikeouts and just 6 walks. McPherson then moved up to AA where he went 8-5 with a 3.02 ERA, struck out 82 and walked only 21. Baseball America ranks this 14th-rounder as the Pirates&#8217; pitcher with the best changeup and the best control.</p>
<p><b>5. Luis Heredia, Right-handed Pitcher</b></p>
<p> Luis Heredia was not drafted by the Pirates but was signed as a free agent out of Mexico for $2.6 million. Heredia went 1-2 with a 4.75 ERA in 12 games in the Gulf Coast League but he is still only 17-years old.</p>
<p><b>4. Starling Marte, Outfielder</b></p>
<p> Starling Marte was certainly the Pirates prospect with the best numbers last season. At AA Marte batted .332, hit 12 home runs with 50 RBI, scored 91 runs and stole 24 bases. Marte represented the Pirates in the Future&#8217;s Game and Baseball America ranks him as the Pirates&#8217; best hitter for average.</p>
<p><b>3. <span>Josh Bell,</span> Outfielder</b></p>
<p> The Pirates made a risky pick when they drafted Josh Bell in the second round of the 2011 draft. Some teams wanted Bell in the 1<sup>st</sup> round but passed on him, convinced he was going decline playing in the Minors to play at the University of Texas. The Pirates drafted him anyway and gave him a bonus too good to pass up, stealing a young first-round level draft pick in the second round.</p>
<p><b>2. Jameson Taillon, Right-handed Pitcher</b></p>
<p> Jameson Taillon was the 2<sup>nd</sup> overall pick in the first round of the 2010 draft. On Baseball America&#8217;s last Top 100 prospect list they ranked Taillon as 11<sup>th</sup> overall ahead of some high profile prospects such as <span>Matt Moore,</span> <span>Michael Pineda,</span> <span>Freddie Freeman,</span> <span>Zach Britton</span> and <span>Kyle Drabek.</span> Taillon pitched 92.2 innings in 2011 and allowed 41 earned runs (3.98 ERA), 97 strikeouts and 22 walks. Not bad numbers so far for a 19-year old.</p>
<p><b>1. Gerrit Cole, Right-handed Pitcher</b></p>
<p> Gerrit Cole was chosen first overall in the 2011 draft. On August 15<sup>th</sup> Cole signed with the Pirates with a signing bonus of $8 million. Baseball America ranks Cole as the Pirates pitcher with the best fastball and the best slider.</p>
<p>Sources:</p>
<p>Pittsburgh Pirates Rankings at Baseball America</p>
<p><i>The last several generations of Lee Andrew Henderson&#8217;s family were Pittsburgh born and even though he was born in Alabama he has been a long time fan of the Pirates, Steelers and Panthers. Lee Andrew Henderson can be found on Twitter at @LeeAHenderson</i></p>
<p><i>Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.</i></p>
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<p>If anybody needs tickets to games, remember to click the tickets link at the top.</p>
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		<title>Santa Cruz native McGehee letting trade to Pirates&#8230;</title>
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		<pubDate>Wed, 14 Dec 2011 14:47:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Admillsed</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[ One day after third baseman Casey McGehee was traded from the Milwaukee Brewers to the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Santa Cruz native was still absorbing the deal. The Pirates acquired McGehee for reliever Jose Veras late Monday night, hours after the Brewers agreed to terms with Chicago Cubs free-agent third baseman Aramis Ramirez. ]]></description>
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<p>One day after third baseman Casey McGehee was traded from the Milwaukee Brewers to the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Santa Cruz native was still absorbing the deal.</p>
<p>The Pirates acquired McGehee for reliever Jose Veras late Monday night, hours after the Brewers agreed to terms with Chicago Cubs free-agent third baseman Aramis Ramirez.</p>
<p>In recent weeks, McGehee&#8217;s future at third base in Milwaukee became questionable. The Brewers spoke of McGehee seeing action at first base, if free-agent first baseman Prince Fielder signed elsewhere.</p>
<p>&#8220;The last 24 hours have been pretty hectic,&#8221; said McGehee, a Soquel High alum, on Tuesday. &#8220;I saw the writing on the wall and put two and two together. But it moved a lot quicker than I thought it would. In some ways, I feel relieved to have an end to it. It&#8217;s starting to sink in a little bit, but it hasn&#8217;t hit home yet.&#8221;</p>
<p>McGehee, 29, had a strong rookie season in 2009 and a big year in 2010, but slumped at the plate in 2011 and lost his starting job to Jerry Hairston Jr. late in the season. McGehee batted .223 with 13 homers and 67 RBIs for the NL Central champions in 2011 after hitting .285 with 23 home runs and 104 RBIs in 2010. The Dodgers signed Hairston Jr., a free agent, in December.</p>
<p>&#8220;Casey McGehee adds a quality option for us at both corner infield positions and adds depth to our position player group,&#8221; said Neal Huntington, Pirates general manager, in a statement.</p>
<p>McGehee will enter spring training </p>
<p>competing for the starting job at third base with Pedro Alvarez. McGehee could also split time at first with Garrett Jones and is an option to play outfield.
<p>The Sentinel&#8217;s All-County Player of the Year in 1999 and 2000, McGehee views the competition as wide open.</p>
<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m going to go in and do what I&#8217;ve always done,&#8221; he said. &#8220;And if that&#8217;s the case, things will work out like they&#8217;re supposed to. &#8230; I&#8217;m going to go in with a fresh mindset. I think I learned a lot about myself last year. You can&#8217;t make up for what happened in the past all at once. You&#8217;ve got do things day-by-day and be patient.&#8221;</p>
<p>Brewers general manager Doug Melvin called McGehee on Monday evening and informed him of the trade. After that, McGehee took calls from Huntington and Pirates manager Clint Hurdle.</p>
<p>&#8220;He seems like a great guy, like my kind of guy,&#8221; McGehee said of Hurdle. &#8220;It seems like we hit it off good, but that&#8217;s just an assessment of 20 minutes of conversation.&#8221;</p>
<p>McGehee is a .265 career hitter with 52 home runs and 242 RBIs in three-plus major league seasons. He was chosen by the Chicago Cubs in the 10th round of the 2003 draft and made his big league debut with Chicago on Sept. 2, 2008. Milwaukee claimed him off waivers on Oct. 29, 2008. </p>
<p>Ramirez, who started his career in Pittsburgh, was the starting third baseman in Chicago while McGehee climbed through the minors.</p>
<p>And Ramirez was the player who ultimately led to McGehee&#8217;s trade Monday.</p>
<p>&#8220;I don&#8217;t begrudge him one bit,&#8221; McGehee said. &#8220;If your best friend was offered $36 million over three years to do your job, he&#8217;d take it. It&#8217;s ironic because he started his career in Pittsburgh. If you look at the back of our baseball cards, we&#8217;ve played for all the same teams, but in just a little different order.&#8221;</p>
<p>McGehee is hoping he can rekindle his offensive approach and stroke from two years ago and find himself in the heart of the Pirates&#8217; batting order daily.</p>
<p>He is a career .219 hitter [14 for 64 in 21 games] with five extra-base hits at PNC Park in Pittsburgh. </p>
<p>&#8220;That&#8217;s such a small sample size,&#8221; said Barry Meister, McGehee&#8217;s Illinois-based agent. &#8220;I think the Pirates value his right-handed bat in the middle of the lineup. And he has an opportunity to get at-bats at first and third. It&#8217;s a bigger park, but if he goes the other way and hits gap-to-gap, it has a chance to be a good place for him.&#8221;</p>
<p>Meister said three other teams expressed interest in McGehee on Monday &#8212; two from the AL and one from the NL. But the Pirates it was.</p>
<p>McGehee said he thinks they are on the cusp of doing something special. They had a 53-47 record and were in first place on July 25 last season before going 19-43 in their final 62 games.</p>
<p>&#8220;I think they&#8217;ve gotten to the point where they&#8217;re not rebuilding anymore,&#8221; he said. &#8220;They&#8217;re adding pieces to go to the next level. They&#8217;ve got enough talent. If everything falls into place, there&#8217;s no reason to believe that this year couldn&#8217;t be the year they make the playoffs. &#8230; The park is beautiful, one of the nicer parks and kind of out of the mold of the [San Francisco] Giants&#8217; stadium. I remember as a visitor thinking this would be an unbelievable place to play when they&#8217;re doing well.&#8221;</p>
<p>The Associated Press contributed to this report.</p>
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