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Santa Cruz native McGehee letting trade to Pirates…

Admillsed — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 14:47:15 +0000

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.

In recent weeks, McGehee’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.

“The last 24 hours have been pretty hectic,” said McGehee, a Soquel High alum, on Tuesday. “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’s starting to sink in a little bit, but it hasn’t hit home yet.”

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.

“Casey McGehee adds a quality option for us at both corner infield positions and adds depth to our position player group,” said Neal Huntington, Pirates general manager, in a statement.

McGehee will enter spring training

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.

The Sentinel’s All-County Player of the Year in 1999 and 2000, McGehee views the competition as wide open.

“I’m going to go in and do what I’ve always done,” he said. “And if that’s the case, things will work out like they’re supposed to. … I’m going to go in with a fresh mindset. I think I learned a lot about myself last year. You can’t make up for what happened in the past all at once. You’ve got do things day-by-day and be patient.”

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.

“He seems like a great guy, like my kind of guy,” McGehee said of Hurdle. “It seems like we hit it off good, but that’s just an assessment of 20 minutes of conversation.”

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.

Ramirez, who started his career in Pittsburgh, was the starting third baseman in Chicago while McGehee climbed through the minors.

And Ramirez was the player who ultimately led to McGehee’s trade Monday.

“I don’t begrudge him one bit,” McGehee said. “If your best friend was offered $36 million over three years to do your job, he’d take it. It’s ironic because he started his career in Pittsburgh. If you look at the back of our baseball cards, we’ve played for all the same teams, but in just a little different order.”

McGehee is hoping he can rekindle his offensive approach and stroke from two years ago and find himself in the heart of the Pirates’ batting order daily.

He is a career .219 hitter [14 for 64 in 21 games] with five extra-base hits at PNC Park in Pittsburgh.

“That’s such a small sample size,” said Barry Meister, McGehee’s Illinois-based agent. “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’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.”

Meister said three other teams expressed interest in McGehee on Monday — two from the AL and one from the NL. But the Pirates it was.

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.

“I think they’ve gotten to the point where they’re not rebuilding anymore,” he said. “They’re adding pieces to go to the next level. They’ve got enough talent. If everything falls into place, there’s no reason to believe that this year couldn’t be the year they make the playoffs. … The park is beautiful, one of the nicer parks and kind of out of the mold of the [San Francisco] Giants’ stadium. I remember as a visitor thinking this would be an unbelievable place to play when they’re doing well.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Pirates Acquire 3B McGehee from Brewers

lillKerry — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 11:33:43 +0000

PITTSBURGH (AP) – The Pittsburgh Pirates have acquired third
baseman Casey McGehee from the Milwaukee Brewers in a trade for
reliever Jose Veras.

The move came hours after the Brewers agreed to terms with free-agent third baseman Aramis Ramirez on Monday.

McGehee had a strong rookie season in 2009 and a big year in 2010 but then 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, a year after hitting .285 with 23 home runs and 104 RBIs.

Veras was 2-4 with a 3.80 ERA and one save in a career-high 79
appearances last season for Pittsburgh.

Both players are eligible for arbitration.

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Pittsburgh Pirates 2012 Schedule Released

Mary-Cherry6 — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 22:36:05 +0000

The Pirates have released their 2012 season schedule. The season begins April 5 at PNC Park against the Philadelphia Phillies. After three against Philadelphia, they’ll head out for a West Coast trip against the Dodgers, Giants and Diamondbacks before returning home to face the Cardinals and Rockies beginning April 20.

They’ll begin interleague play with a road series against the Detroit Tigers in mid-May. They’ll host the Royals, Twins and Tigers in June, and also play interleague series against the Indians and Orioles.

After only nine games at home in April, they’ll play 18 home games in May. It’s June that might pose problems for them, as they’ll have a ton of interleague games (which they’ve historically been awful in) and road series against the Brewers, Reds, Phillies and Cardinals.

They’ll be at home Wednesday, July 4 against the Houston Astros.

Their season will end with a home series against the Atlanta Braves from October 1-3.

For more on the Pirates, check out Bucs Dugout.

Gotta run!.

Pirates Blow Late Lead, Get Swept By Brewers

fauccafestync — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 03:42:59 +0000

POSTED: 5:44 pm EDT August 14, 2011
UPDATED: 7:15 pm EDT August 14, 2011

MILWAUKEE — Nyjer Morgan’s game-ending sacrifice fly in the 10th inning lifted the Milwaukee Brewers to a 2-1 win over the struggling Pittsburgh Pirates and a series sweep.The Brewers have now won all eight games against the Pirates this season and 12 straight over the last two years at Miller Park.The last time the Pirates won at Miller Park was April 28, 2010. The Pirates have won just two of the team’s last 36 games in Milwaukee. We’ll send the latest Pittsburgh sports headlines to your phone or email every day — just sign up here.
With one out in the 10th inning, George Kottaras singled to left field and Casey McGehee followed with a double.Morgan then hit the first pitch from Chris Resop (3-4) to deep right field, and Kottaras scored easily for the win.Charlie Morton held Milwaukee scoreless over the first seven innings and allowed just three hits.

Reliever Joel Hanrahan came in with two outs in the eighth inning and struck Morgan out swinging for what should have been the third out. But the ball bounced away from catcher Michael McKenry, allowing Morgan to reach first base while Jerry Hairston Jr. moved from second to third. Hanrahan was charged with a wild pitch.”It was a great pitch and, unfortunately, as good as our catcher has been at blocking balls, it was probably wasn’t the textbook way to go at that one,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. “We had the right guy in, the situation presented itself, we moved on it, and it didn’t work out.”The next batter, Ryan Braun, singled to center field and drove Hairston home to tie the score at 1-1. It was just the second blown save for Hanrahan in 32 chances this year.Garrett Jones scored Pittsburgh’s only run of the day in the first inning, when Andrew McCutchen hit a double to deep left field off Milwaukee starter Shaun Marcum.Takashi Saito (3-1) pitched a scoreless 10th inning and got the win for the Brewers.

Running low on time today, i’ll be back tomorrow hopefully with some more news.

Pirates Blow Late Lead, Get Swept By Brewers

ragpdz777 — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 03:42:59 +0000

POSTED: 5:44 pm EDT August 14, 2011
UPDATED: 7:15 pm EDT August 14, 2011

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Pirates put Derrek Lee on disabled list

bobtiler — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 00:54:45 +0000

Published: Aug. 13, 2011 at 2:32 PM

MILWAUKEE, Aug. 13 (UPI) — The Pittsburgh Pirates Saturday placed first baseman Derrek Lee on the 15-day disabled list due to a fractured left wrist.

The Pirates acquired the veteran slugger from the Baltimore Orioles at last month’s trade deadline. He sustained the injury when he was hit on the wrist Aug. 3 by the Chicago Cubs’ Carlos Marmol.

Lee was able to play two games after missing four contests following the injury, but a decision to shelve him was made following batting practice Friday in Milwaukee before a game with the Brewers.

Lee appeared in just five games for the Pirates, hitting a pair of homers in his first contest with the club but compiling just three hits after that. He is hitting .247 with 14 homers and 47 runs batted in 90 overall games this year.

The Pirates recalled infielder Josh Harrison from Class AAA Indianapolis to fill the roster spot.

Thanks for reading! .

Greinke sharp as Brewers top Pirates

weldGypetoopy — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 09:35:30 +0000

MILWAUKEE — Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder hit back-to-back homers and Zack Greinke remained perfect at Miller Park to lift the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers to a 7-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday night.

Braun and Fielder homered in the eighth after the Pirates had chased Greinke (11-4) with two runs earlier in the inning. Milwaukee won its 10th straight at Miller Park against Pittsburgh and is a major league best 42-15 at home this year.

The 2009 AL Cy Young winner struck out nine and retired 11 straight at one point as Milwaukee maintained its four-game lead over St. Louis in the division race.

Milwaukee built a 4-0 lead off Paul Maholm (6-13) before the Pirates rallied, only to have Braun and Fielder answer right back.

The Pirates are 11 games back in the NL Central and continue their skid out of contention with their 14th loss in 17 games. Pittsburgh finally figured out Greinke with run-scoring doubles by Michael McKenry and Andrew McCutchen in the eighth.

But Braun, who also hit a sacrifice fly in the fifth, led off the bottom of the inning with a homer and Fielder hit another fastball from Joe Beimel to right field for his 28th home run the season.

Jonathan Lucroy added a two-out RBI single off Jose Veras and reliever Francisco Rodriguez followed with his first career hit in his second at-bat on an infield single that caused the Brewers bullpen to celebrate wildly.

It may cost Milwaukee.

Rodriguez warmed up for the ninth, but left after talking to trainer Roger Caplinger. The Brewers said Rodriguez exited with a right leg cramp, but he was stretching his left leg after he awkwardly stepped on the bag to beat Garrett Jones to first for his hit.

Greinke is 8-0 with a 3.36 ERA in 10 starts in Milwaukee this year. He allowed a first-inning single to Xavier Paul before retiring 11 straight — including five consecutive strikeouts to finish two short of the franchise record set by Steve Woodard in 1999.

After allowing three hits in the first seven innings, Greinke began to tire in the eighth and left with two outs after McCutchen’s double. Rodriguez got the final out before Braun and Fielder’s fireworks and then was later forced to hit.

Milwaukee is now 14-2 in a stretch of 16 straight games against NL Central opponents after the Pirates and Cardinals led the division just over two weeks ago.

Josh Wilson singled in Milwaukee’s first run in the second. The veteran infielder is one of three Brewers filling in for the injured Rickie Weeks. Weeks is expected to miss two to four more weeks with a badly sprained left ankle, even though the Brewers are 12-2 without the All-Star second baseman in the lineup.

Casey McGehee tripled in two more in the third before Braun’s sacrifice gave Milwaukee a 4-0 lead and put the Brewers on their way to their 34th home win in the last 37 games against the Pirates.

Notes: Maholm lost his fourth straight. … The Pirates activated RHP Ross Ohlendorf from the 60-day disabled list and immediately optioned him to Triple-A Indianapolis. Ohlendorf has been out since April with a strained shoulder. … Brewers RHP Marco Estrada (2-8, 4.80 ERA) faces RHP Kevin Correia (12-10, 4.78) in Saturday’s game. Estrada is starting after LHP Chris Narveson was placed on the 15-day DL after cutting his thumb and needing eight stitches. … Narveson said he hopes he can resume throwing in the next few days and return as soon as he can on Aug. 22.

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Pirates start big series at Milwaukee

eveviashy — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 20:17:13 +0000

Written by

The Sports Network

(Sports Network) – The Pittsburgh Pirates can begin one last improbable charge
toward the top of the National League’s Central Division tonight at Miller
Park, as they open a three-game series with the front-running Milwaukee
Brewers.

The Pirates were among the league’s biggest success stories for the season’s
first half, getting a share of the division for a brief spell and staying in
contention until a 10-game losing streak in late July and early August.

The dip pushed them below .500 for the season and to the fringes of contention
in the division, where they now trail the Brewers by 10 games after winning
two of three in San Francisco earlier in the week.

Milwaukee stretched its lead to four games over second-place St. Louis by
taking two of three in a series that ended Thursday, when Chris Carpenter
pitched eight strong innings and Albert Pujols went 4-for-4 with a homer and
two RBI as the Cardinals won, 5-2, to avoid a sweep.

Mark Kotsay and Prince Fielder both had RBI hits for the Brewers, who lost for
just the second time in their last 15 games. They grounded into four double
plays.

Yovani Gallardo (13-8) was saddled with the loss after allowing seven hits and
five runs — four earned — over five frames.

On Wednesday in San Francisco, Matt Diaz finished 2-for-4 with two RBI as
Pittsburgh plundered San Francisco, 9-2.

Ryan Ludwick added three hits, an RBI and two runs scored, while Andrew
McCutchen hit a two-run homer, walked three times and crossed the plate on
four occasions for the Pirates.

Jeff Karstens (9-6) worked six innings, allowing eight hits and two runs while
fanning nine for the win.

Milwaukee sends right-hander Zack Greinke to the mound, where he’ll face the
Pirates for the third time in his career.

The 27-year-old Floridian has won each of the first two meetings while
allowing a combined seven runs on 13 hits in 11 1/3 innings.

Lately, Greinke has won three straight outings, defeating the Chicago Cubs,
St. Louis and Houston while allowing 14 hits and three runs in 19 2/3 innings.

He’s been perfect at home in his first season with the Brewers, winning all
seven decisions in nine starts while posting a 3.49 earned run average.

Paul Maholm goes for the Pirates in search of his first win since July 10.

The Mississippi native was 6-9 on the season after a 9-1 defeat of the Cubs
that night, but has since dropped three decisions in five starts as his ERA
has ballooned from 2.96 to 3.54.

Maholm, a lefty, gave up 10 hits and seven runs in 6 2/3 innings of his last
outing, a 13-2 loss to San Diego on Aug. 6.

Maholm is 3-7 in 18 career starts against Milwaukee.

Milwaukee has won all five meetings with Pittsburgh this season and is 18-5 in
this series since the start of the 2010 campaign.

The Sports Network

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Cardinals Lose To Reds, Pittsburgh Pirates First…

ReedCassie30 — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 14:23:52 +0000

By Dan Moore

– Managing Editor

The St. Louis Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Pirates go into an unexpected tie for first place in the National League Central.

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Jul 16, 2011 – The St. Louis Cardinals came back twice in their hard-luck loss against the Cincinnati Reds, but home-field advantage turned out to be the difference-maker when Brandon Phillips hit a walk-off home run against closer Fernando Salas in the bottom of the ninth inning. But the real shocker: With the Cardinals’ loss and their own win, the Pittsburgh Pirates are now first in the National League Central.

The good news for Cardinals fans, such as it is, is that Albert Pujols appears to be all the way back. After Chris Heisey robbed him of a home run in the first inning, Pujols hit a scorching 400-footer off of dinged-up Reds superprospect Aroldis Chapman to put the Cardinals on top in the eighth inning. It wasn’t enough, but Pujols is now hitting .282/.357/.508 on the year and has seven hits—including two home runs and a double—in his last three games.

The Pirates’ win is the feel-good story of the season for disinterested observers, but it’s good news for the Cardinals, too, who’d probably rather chase them than the Brewers, who lost to fall a half-game behind both clubs.

Read More: Brandon Phillips (2B – CIN), Albert Pujols (1B – STL), Fernando Salas (P – STL), St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds, Pittsburgh Pirates

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Former outfielder, catcher Kirkpatrick dies

miha_tatu — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 14:43:00 +0000

Former Major Leaguer Ed Kirkpatrick, who played for the Angels, Royals, Pirates, Rangers and Brewers during a 16-year career, died on Monday. He was 66.

Not a lot else going on in the MLB world today.

Pirates interview Sveum for managers job

miha_tatu — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 22:38:00 +0000

One day after interviewing the Brewers' most recent manager, the Pirates brought Milwaukee hitting coach Dale Sveum to Pittsburgh to interview for the organization's managerial opening.

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Pittsburgh Pirates interview Ken Macha, Jeff Banister for open manager job

vanyparty — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 04:26:53 +0000

Former Brewers manager Ken Macha and Jeff Banister have interviewed as the Pittsburgh Pirates search for their next manager.

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Pittsburgh Pirates See a Break in the Clouds in Milwaukee Season Series

Simafokar — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 17:07:58 +0000

The Pittsburgh Pirates won only five games in the season series against Milwaukee in 2010. That’s the same as in 2009, and either result is better than the sole win in 2008

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Morton struggles in return vs. Crew

Pagreeheittee — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 22:52:00 +0000

Whatever Charlie Morton had going for him in 14 starts with Triple-A Indianapolis seemed to escape him on Sunday as the Pirates lost, 8-4, to the Brewers at Miller Park.

Not a lot else going on in the MLB world today.

Pirates lose grip on lead, fall in extras

LucasFN — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 04:44:00 +0000

In the 11th inning, lefty reliever Wil Ledezma surrendered a walk-off single to rookie center fielder Lorenzo Cain, scoring Ryan Braun from second as the Pirates lost, 8-7, to the Brewers.

What do you guys think about this.