Pitt Stop in First Place

By: Mike Wagenman

Almost four months into the MLB season, there is an unfamiliar face atop the National League Central: the Pirates. That's right, the Pittsburgh Pirates, that is not a typo. At 50-44, the Bucs sit ½ game ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers in the division. This is the latest date that the Pirates have been in first place since July 17^th, 1997, 14 years ago. Can anyone even name five players on Pittsburgh's active roster? Didn't think so.

So, how are the Pirates reeling off win after win with a bunch of minor leaguers, young pitchers, and Andrew McCutchen? Confidence, says closer Joel Hanrahan. “We feel like we're not even playing that good yet, we just keep finding ways to win. We can even be better,” he said Sunday. Pittsburgh even had three All-Stars this year, as Hanrahan, starting pitcher Kevin Correia, and center fielder Andrew McCutchen were all given the call to play in Arizona. That marks the first time the team has had three All-Stars since 1990.

Nobody expected much of anything from the usual bottomfeeders of the league this year, and why should they have? The Pirates have not made the playoffs since 1992 and have not won a pennant or a World Series since 1979. And plus, at season's beginning, who was their “big money” player? The guy who was going put the team on his back when they were going through a rough time? The Pirates were lacking a player of that caliber; a CC Sabathia, Adrian Gonzalez, Albert Pujols, or Roy Halladay type player. And then, as if anyone gave the Buccos a chance to begin with, they have had nine players, including four opening day starters and last year's lone All-Star (reliever Evan Meek), land on the disabled list. Of their nine replacements for those who were injured, all of them began the 2011 season in the minor leagues, and seven of the nine have made their major league debut for Pittsburgh this season. But, they just keep on doing the little things and winning baseball games. Plus, Andrew McCutchen has stepped up to be their clutch player. Most of all, the pitching has been superb, which has kept Pittsburgh on top of the NL Central.

The Pirates rank eighth in the majors in pitching, with a 3.40 team ERA. They have been led by their young starters, who go deep into games and keep those games within reach for their offense. Their low ERA and high total of decisions is proof of that. Kevin Correia already has 11 wins, Jeff Karstens is 8-4 with a 2.34 ERA, and although Paul Maholm's record is a lowly 6-9, his 3.06 ERA is second lowest on the team among the five starters. Even no-named rookie's having winning records for Pittsburgh. James McDonald is 5-4 and Charlie Morton is 8-5 with a 3.62 ERA.

The bullpen has been spectacular this season as well. Rookie Chris Leroux has yet to give up a run in his 5 appearances, and Daniel McCutchen has a 2.23 ERA in 48.1 innings pitched. Tony Watson, Jose Veras, and Chris Resop all have an ERA under 3.50, including Watson's 2.40 ERA. Also, Joe Beimel has become the lefty specialist. This all leads up to the flame-throwing closer, Joel Hanrahan, who is 27/28 in save opportunities and sports a 1.27 ERA plus a 99 MPH heater. So far this year, it has been a tall task to string together a few runs against the Pirates.

Through the disastrous seasons over the past 19 years in Pittsburgh, through all the youth and inexperience, and through all the injuries, the Pirates find themselves contending for a playoff spot. And, for once, they are “buyers” instead of “sellers” at the trading deadline. Their top priority is to try to acquire a quality bat to help out Neil Walker and Andrew McCutchen in the middle of the lineup. If rookies such as shortstop Chase d'Arnaud, catcher Michael McKenry, and third baseman Josh Harrison can continue their consistent play, and Jose Tabata and the other injured players can work their way back into the lineup, the Pirates have a great chance to keep winning and even earn their first playoff birth in 19 years.

Joel Hanrahan

MLB Surprises

Top 5 surprises of the 1^st half of the MLB Season

By: Corey Donetz

5: Jose Reyes; .354 AVG (1^st) , 124 hits (1^st), 22 doubles, 15 triples (1^st), 32 RBI, 30 stolen bases (2^nd).

Reyes couldn’t have picked a better time to have an MVP type season. In a contract year, Reyes leads the Major Leagues in batting average, triples, and hits, while ranking second in stolen bases and third in runs scored. Reyes has led the Mets to an above .500 record, and is widely regarded as the best/most exciting player in the league this year. Good play from Reyes isn’t a surprise, but not many could’ve predicted these types of numbers from Reyes.

4: Josh Beckett; 7-3, 106 IP, 2.12 ERA (2^nd), 0.906 WHIP (2^nd), 91 K’s.

If I were to tell you Beckett would have the 2^nd best ERA on his own team before the season started, you probably wouldn’t have believed me, let alone have the 2^nd best ERA in the American League. Beckett has allowed just 5.5 hits per nine, which ranks best in the American League.  He has been the constant for the shaky Boston rotation so far. Beckett’s play has kept the Red Sox within striking distance of the New York Yankees for 1^st place in the A.L. East, and to lead the Wild Card race. He was named to the 2011 All-Star team for his play. Beckett has relied heavily on his 2-seam fastball, which has been a key to the strikeout totals, and limiting base runners, allowing less than one per inning (0.906 WHIP). Staying healthy will be key for Beckett as the season continues following the all-star break.

3: Freddy Garcia/Bartolo Colon;

Garcia: 7-6, 92 IP, 3.13 ERA, 1.271 WHIP, 57 K’s.

Colon: 6-3, 84.1 IP, 2.88 ERA, 1.055 WHIP, 78 K’s.

Coming into the season one of the biggest question marks for the New York Yankees was the back end of their rotation. Colon and Garcia have combined to go 13-9, with more consistency than anyone could’ve imagined. The two pitchers have found the fountain of youth and have given the Yankees a solidified rotation behind ace C.C. Sabathia leading them to a first place record. Aside from a short D.L stint from Colon, the two have stayed healthy for the most part, which is another added surprise to Yankees fans. If Colon and Garcia can keep this up, along with stellar play the Yankees have gotten around the diamond, a 1^st place finish seems pretty evident for New York.

2: Cleveland Indians; 1^st Place, 45-39, 25-15 (Home), 20-24 (Road).

The Tribe has led the A.L. Central for essentially the entire season thus far, and has succeeded greatly and appears to be a playoff contender during a time when many thought the team would be rebuilding. Cleveland’s offense is anchored by shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, and the resurgence of DH Travis Hafner. Cabrera is hitting .292 and leads the team with 14 homeruns, 49 RBI, 100 hits, 22 doubles, three triples, and 12 stolen bases. The MVP caliber season led to Cabrera being named to the A.L All-Star team. Cleveland’s bullpen has been a pleasant surprise as well; led by closer Chris Perez who is 20 for 21 in save opportunities posting an impressive 2.30 ERA. Josh Tomlin leads the tribe with ten wins, while Justin Masterson has a 2.85 ERA, going 6-6 through season’s 1^st half. Cleveland has a slim lead over Detroit in the A.L Central, it will be interesting to see if they can keep it up after the all-star break and close out the division as the season winds down.

1: Pittsburgh Pirates; 2^nd Place, 45-41, 21-20 (Home), 24-21 (Road).

The Pirates are led by a plethora of young talent, with the spotlight on centerfielder Andrew McCutchen. McCutchen has a .291 average, 12 homeruns, 46 RBI, and 15 stolen bases. He leads the team in average, homeruns, runs scored, stolen bases, and is second in RBI. Perhaps the biggest surprise within the Pirates has been their pitching as a whole. All-Star closer Joel Hanrahan has gone 25 for 25 in save opportunities, posting an incredible 0.93 ERA. Jeff Karstens has gone 7-4 with a 2.55 ERA, while Kevin Correia and Charlie Morton have won 11 and 7 games, respectively. Pittsburgh is 45-41, just 1.5 games behind the Cardinals for 1^st place. It’s been quite some time since the Pirates were relevant, and with the N.L Central still wide open, they have a chance at winning the division if their young players can keep winning. The second half story for the Pirates will be if their pitching can remain as consistent as it was in the first half of the season.