The Pittsburgh Pirates’ Winter Caravan is coming to Erie today.

The caravan is scheduled to include Pirates outfielder Jose Tabata, pitcher Jeff Karstens, first base coach Luis Silverio and broadcaster Greg Brown. All are scheduled to be at the Millcreek Mall from 6:30 to 8 p.m. to meet fans and sign autographs.

Tabata, 23, broke into the majors with the Pirates in 2010. This past season the 5-foot 11-inch, 220-pound left fielder batted .266 with 53 runs scored, four home runs and 21 RBIs in 334 at-bats. He also hit 18 doubles, walked 40 times, stole 16 bases and struck out 61 times.

Karstens, 29, started 26 games and appeared in 30 this past season, going 9-9 with a 3.38 earned-run average and 96 strikeouts in 1621/3 innings. He also was the Pirates’ nominee for Major League Baseball’s Roberto Clemente Award, recognizing the player who best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and the individual’s contribution to his team.

The 6-foot 3-inch, 185-pound right-hander is 21-26 with a 4.52 ERA in six seasons with the Pirates and New York Yankees.

Silverio joined the Pirates as first base coach for this past season after spending 35 years with the Kansas City Royals organization.

Brown is entering his 19th season with the Pirates as a radio and TV play-by-play announcer.

DALLAS (AP) – Jim Trdinich of the Pittsburgh Pirates has won the
Robert O. Fishel Award for public relations excellence, given annually by Major League Baseball.

Trdinich, the Pirates’ director of media relations, finished his 23rd season as a fulltime employee of the Pirates and his 27th in Major League Baseball. He began with the Pirates in 1985 as an intern, spent two years at the NL office, then rejoined the Pirates in 1989.

The award, announced Monday, is named after the inaugural winner, who worked for the Cleveland Indians, St. Louis Browns, New York Yankees and the American League.

DALLAS (AP)—Jim Trdinich of the Pittsburgh Pirates has won the Robert O.
Fishel Award for public relations excellence, given annually by Major League
Baseball.

Trdinich, the Pirates’ director of media relations, finished his 23rd season
as a fulltime employee of the Pirates and his 27th in Major League Baseball. He
began with the Pirates in 1985 as an intern, spent two years at the NL office,
then rejoined the Pirates in 1989.

The award, announced Monday, is named after the inaugural winner, who worked
for the Cleveland Indians, St. Louis Browns, New York Yankees and the American
League.

PITTSBURGH (93-7 THE FAN) — Pittsburgh Pirates broadcaster Steve Blass joined The Fan Morning Show Friday to tell us about the 5th Annual Pittsburgh Rotary Club “Chuck Tanner Major League Baseball” Manager of the Year Awards Banquet.

He and the guys chat about the influence a manager can have on a team.

Blass also grades current Pittsburgh Pirates manager Clint Hurdle, and talks about the expectations for next season.